Keeping and staying organized can be a challenge.  We are constantly pulled in a variety of directions, whether at work or in our personal life. Adding to the challenge is the dramatic shift many of our work lives experienced due to COVID. For instance, spending 40-hours in the office, Monday through Friday has changed. In some cases, workers have shifted to working Tuesday and Wednesday in the office and working from home the rest of the week.  Other employees have gone from working full time in-person to never going back to the office.  As we all work to navigate the new normal, here are two key tips that I use to stay productive in these ever-changing times, no matter if I’m working from home or in the office.

Find time at the end of the weekend:

• • I try to find 30-minutes on Sunday evening to get organized and make sure my schedule for the week ahead is productive. I have found this time to be highly productive. This is where I can analyze upcoming meetings and look at the agendas to make sure I am prepared.  This is also where I can take care of small projects that take up time during a very busy week when unexpected projects, or urgent matters, can pop-up.

Use your calendar:

• • This sounds like common sense, however, let’s look at the calendar as a tool for productivity and not just something that we use for scheduling work meetings. I put everything on my calendar, this includes business meetings, but also personal appointments, even those that happen after work and on the weekends.  Additionally, I sometimes place important reminders on my calendar, for example if I absolutely need to call a client on Monday, I may place it on my calendar for 9:30. This helps in a couple of ways; one I get the call done and two no one places another appointment over it so that I have that quality time for the client.   Use your calendar to also identify some free time during the week.  Everyone needs time to decompress and have time to “think”.  These short periods of time allow your brain to calm down and for you to focus.  A balanced calendar allows you to be productive, but most of all it can keep the chaos of the day or week at a minimum.

Productivity, this is a word that can cause great excitement or dread.  However, by using some simple tools, you can be more productive, without even realizing it.  These tools will allow for balance, which is also an important aspect for both our professional and personal lives.   Good luck, I hope these suggestions are helpful.

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