Organized at Work

Benjamin Franklin said:  For every hour spent organizing, an hour is earned.

As much as I’ve got going in my own life, I’ve learned it’s essential! Organization in the workplace is an absolute necessity. A key verse in Proverbs says: Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. (Proverbs 10:4)

In today’s competitive global marketplace, productivity is key and organized people get more done.

They manage time better. They prioritize with clear goals, objectives and deadlines. They set routines and avoid multi-tasking.

They limit distractions. A University of California study revealed that an average of 26 minutes is needed to recover from trivial interruptions.

Another study reported that meeting notifications are as distracting as actually responding to a text or phone call.

So, turn off your notifications. But set reminders, timers and alarms.

Here are some other tips:

• Do the hard things first, so you can move on. Learn to say “No”.
• Sleep, eat healthy and exercise. Hold walking meetings and aim to keep all meetings to a minimum.
• Take periodic breaks. Thirty minutes for lunch is said to be important for creativity.
• Keep a clean work area to reduce distractions. Tidy a bit everyday removing non-essentials.
• Organize your computer and phones – your virtual workplace. Aim to check email at 2 or 3 specific times daily and organize them for quick access.
• Keep notes so you stay on track and ahead of schedule. And, a to-do list can be helpful to see what needs accomplished each day.
• Keep your personal and professional lives separate to fully focus.

Spend an hour today getting organized. You’ll earn it back!

If you’re looking for encouragement in your career, or wondering if you’re even in the right job, I suggest you take our Career Direct Assessment. It looks at your personality, values, interests, and skills to show you how God designed you to work. Get started at crown.org/career