Personalizing Your Organizational Habits at Work

This time of year, it’s easy to get excited about becoming more organized. I know I get a thrill from pulling out my new 2019 calendar and planner. Using my very best handwriting, I start mapping out my first week back at work. The page is perfect. I already see how much more I will accomplish this year with my brand new categorized to do list. Surely I can’t forget deadlines if they are written on such pretty paper!

And yet, February and its tendency to break my resolutions looms, just days away. How do you actually keep organized at work? You need to personalize your work habits. I don’t mean monogrammed notepaper or creating your own custom planner (though your method might include these things). Instead, to truly be organized at work this year, you need to recognize your personality, match a method to the way you work best, and then continue to use and refine that method until it’s a habit.

Recognizing Your Personality

Just like so many other aspects of your work, being organized starts with understanding what motivates you. Do you get your best work done under pressure at the last minute? Or is there a thrill in seeing how early you can check something off your list each day? Ask yourself these three questions before picking an organizational method to try:

1. Am I motivated externally, internally, or a combination of both?

a. If you’re motivated externally, you thrive when you have an accountability partner to help you complete your goals.

b. If you’re motivated internally, external reminders could be helpful, but they are largely unnecessary. You are competing against yourself and once you set a goal, your internal drive ensures the goal is achieved.

c. If you’re a combination of both, there are goals that you can achieve just by setting them, but other aspects of your life need external reminders. Determine how much of your work falls into either category; your ultimate solution will be a combination of external and internal motivators.

2. What time of day do I get my best work done?

a. Be sure to limit this to the regular workday required by your office. You may work best at 3am, but most employers will probably prefer that you keep a slightly more traditional schedule.

3. How do I learn best: aurally, kinesthetically, visually, logically, or verbally?

a. You are probably a combination of several of these styles, so narrow down which learning style enables you to accomplish things effectively. Does explaining your project to another person enable you to create a task list and get things done? You most likely use verbal learning to help you get organized. If you respond well to sound or music, you may be more of an aural learner, while kinesthetic learners benefit from more physical, hands-on approaches.

Matching a Method to Your Motivation

Once you’ve answered the questions above, it’s time to match a method to your personality. There are many different types and tools that are geared to different learning styles. Here are a few concepts as a jumping off point. Remember, to be successful, this system has to be one that works for you. Though the concepts below are good general principles that will help you become more organized at work, your fulfillment and your ability to stick to your goals will come from fitting these into the way you work best.

1. Schedule blocks of time when your brain is at peak performance to work on your highest importance projects. Similarly, use the times that your brain energy is low to perform more mundane tasks like checking your email or scheduling meetings.

2. Create calendar reminders to remind you of upcoming deadlines. If you work best under pressure, ask your supervisor or another coworker to put a due date on your calendar and check in on that date. If you’re externally motivated, this final step will doubly help you get the job done.

3. Have a zero inbox policy (sorting all emails into different folder categories with a goal of leaving the inbox at zero when you leave for the day). Work against the clock to sort through these emails as a great way to get an extra sense of accomplishment.

4. Create a realistic to do list and prioritize it. Push back against the desire to just list everything that comes to mind. Maybe keep two lists: one of your highest priorities and one of secondary tasks. Use the high priority task to cover the secondary list, reminding you what’s most important.

Repeat and Refine

To make this work, you have to practice and pivot when things aren’t working. Constantly refer back to what motivates you. If you’re struggling to connect with the to-do list system you’re using, get creative. Would having a new notebook help you to visually connect with your goals? Does a whiteboard give you the ability to erase the task from your mind once it’s complete?

Rather than abandoning organization because one method doesn’t work for you, keep tweaking your system. It will keep organization on top of your mind, but it also makes organization a mental habit. Once you find a method you like, your brain is already used to thinking through your priorities. The perfect method builds on that habit and ingrains it into your day. Before you know it, it’s August and your New Years Resolution has become a way of life.