Things to do to Become More Organised and Productive

This post will give you 10 tips to help you become more organised and productive. By following these simple tips you can build a productivity system that will keep your tasks, space and schedule organised!

1. Do some admin every day for five minutes

You could check your to-do list, update your calendar or maybe add a few new tasks to your to-do list. If you do these admin tasks in the morning it prepares you for your day, keeps your schedule and to-do list up to date and keeps you organised.

2. Create a time-blocked daily schedule

There are many different ways to time-block. You could use a digital calendar app such as apple or google calendar. However, you could also use time-block printables or a time-block planner. Personally if I have an exact outline of what I need to I find myself being more productive.

3. Factor breaks into your schedule

Breaks are an extremely important part of your day and factoring breaks into your daily schedule means that if you need a break you don’t fall behind on your timings. Without breaks you also can’t do your work or tasks to a high standard. One way you can include breaks is by using the pomodoro technique which is where you do 25 minutes of focused work with a 5 minute break. There are also various longer version of this which you could experiment with.

4. Keep ideas and tasks out of your head and instead write them down

If you don’t write tasks down you will most likely forget to do them. Even if all you can find is a scrap piece of paper, you can always transfer it to your to-do list later on. Being organised means being on track of your tasks and if you forget about some of them you won’t be as productive.

5. Create your own planning system

Creating a planning system is important since without one you will not be able to keep track of tasks and important dates. Whether your planning system is digital or on paper, the important thing is to keep it simple. I use a simple notebook to write my to-do lists and I use Apple Calendar whenever I want to time-block. This is my own system and you should create a system that works for you.

6. When writing a to-do list, batch similar tasks together

By batching similar tasks together you create a flow of work. An example of this is if you have two emails to send out, send them one after another so that you don’t have to keep returning to your emails. Having an uninterrupted flow of work is important because it makes you more productive and helps you get tasks done quicker.

7. Prioritise your tasks

This is another to-do list related step but is very important too. Prioritising forces you to do the important tasks first and not just the easiest ones. By filtering and organising your tasks by importance it helps you accomplish the tasks you need to get done urgently.

8. Declutter regularly

You could declutter your inbox, your camera roll or even your wardrobe. For me decluttering makes me feel like I am getting a fresh start. It should make you feel more organised and more motivated to be productive.

9. Plan your day the night before

Planning ahead of time is something I like to do often. If I wake up and know exactly what I am supposed to be doing for the rest of the day it encourages me do my tasks. It is also easier for me to schedule in certain tasks on certain days to ensure that I am doing everything I need to do that week.

10. Create visual cues for certain habits

When creating habits it is usually hard to stick with them so creating visual cues is a way to keep on track of these habits. An example of a visual cue is leaving out your workout clothes, so that when you see them the next morning you remember to exercise. You can apply this technique to many situations and can be creative with the cues you choose! If you would like to learn more about creating and building habits you should read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear.