Here are some important organization tips that they don’t teach you in school. Whether you already know most of them, or don’t know the first thing about being organized, being organized will help you become way more productive with your time, help you find information you need a lot quicker. If your in high school, or college, you really need this.
1. Notes
If you can’t find your notes, there is no point in taking them. I used to have a thousand notes trapped in files scattered all over my computer and binders. What I have found, was that organizing my notes with a notebook service, such as Notely, or Microsoft OneNote has helped me increase my organization tremendously. You can find notes you took previously a lot easier, and most important, remember they are there.
Notely is free and is a web based service, but I believe OneNote is worth the $99.
2. Files
We have files everywhere now a days. In the computer, print outs, bills, receipts. The best thing to do with all this information is FILE IT! Don’t just create a random file for various things, or chances are you will never find it. While there is no right or wrong way to develop a file organization system, I recommend that you create sections in your file cabinets, such as College Course, Finances, or Work. From there, you can subdivide into “Bills”, and then “Cell Phone”, etc. The same goes for digital files. After that, write down a diagram, and draw how all of your files are categorized and where they are. This will take a lot of headache out of filing.
3. Scheduling
It is so important to keep a calendar of all events you have planned, from a birthday, to a visit to your friend, or an important deadline you can’t miss. Keeping one calendar of events is critical to being organized, on time, and impressive. If you keep it updated, you are sure to never miss a lunch with a friend or a meeting again, or sign up for two events at one time. Make sure you only keep one calendar though, so that you always see everything you have to do.
4. Contacts
Keeping all of your contact information in one place is a basic part of organization. You might have 100 contacts, or 1000 contacts, but keeping your addresses and phone numbers in one place is critical. If you prefer to keep things in writing, you might like to get a day planner. However, it is most convenient to use a computer program such as Microsof Outlook to keep all of your contacts listed in. Another great tool is Plaxo (web based), or Bento (for the mac).
If your interested in really getting organized, and getting your life together, read To Do Doing Done! Its a great book that can help anyone (and I mean anyone) get organized. It’ll help you accomplish what you need to do, and make sure everything you do reflects where you want to go in life.
Get it here.
