Office Organizing Tips from Perimeter Park Executive Center

Here are a few things you can do to help your work day be more productive:

• Use different colored files and labels for various departments, projects, or clients.  That way you can tell at a glance which files and folders belong where.

• Create a file for magazine or newspaper articles or scan them into your computer.  Scanning old documents and files is also a good way to clear out drawers.

• Set aside blocks of time to do activities like make and return phone calls or e-mails.  That way your day won’t be constantly interrupted.  You can set up blocks of time for daily projects and blocks of time for weekly projects.  A good general rule is that if you spend more than 30 minutes per week on any given activity, you should schedule a block of time on a specific day each week for that activity.

• Take a few minutes at the end of each day to write your to-do list for the next day, and put tasks in order of importance.  Force yourself to work from the top down.  That way you won’t put off doing the harder tasks by doing the easiest ones first.

• Clean your desk and re-file all the papers on it before you go home.   That way the next day you can focus on one task at a time.

• Prioritize paper work using the 4 Ds.   

1. Do it immediately if it can be done in 20 seconds or less. 
2. Delegate it if you can hand it off to someone else. 
3. Delay it if you are not going to do it right now.  Schedule a time on your calendar to get back to it.  You may be able to do it in one of the blocks you have set aside. 
4. Dump it if it is unnecessary. 

• Just say no.  It’s great to be a team player and try to help people when asked, but know your limits.  If you absolutely can’t drop what you are doing to help someone out, then politely, but firmly say so. 

• Schedule time off.  Downtime is essential.  Give yourself permission to relax.  Do nothing.  Do something you enjoy.  Just do anything but worry about work.  

This video will give you some more great tips.