5 Office Organizing Strategies to Improve Office Productivity

How can you improve productivity during your work day? We want to be able to complete all of our tasks, but it often feels like there just is not enough time to get them all done. Deadlines are pushed, tasks are missed, and you feel rushed most of the time. There has to be a better way, right? The answer is… yes! You absolutely can manage your tasks in a more efficient way so that you’re spending your valuable time on important activities which ultimately increases your
productivity. Here are this NYC Professional Office Organizer’s office organizing strategies for developing better habits which will improve your productivity at work.

Make sure you are using a calendar. Don’t keep important dates, times, and events stored in your head, or on post-its scattered around your office. Get in the habit of putting everything into a calendar. You will always be prepared this way, and you won’t waste time trying to hustle and get ready for a meeting you almost forgot about. Digital or handwritten, doesn’t matter which you choose, as long as all meetings and appointments are recorded regularly.

Have a to-do list. Instead of keeping tasks mixed in emails or in your voicemails, immediately add them to your to-do list so you can see the whole picture when prioritizing tasks. The list can be either paper or digital…just be sure to maintain only 1 list. If you delay adding tasks to your list, you may miss an important deadline that will impact your team’s ability to deliver the final project on schedule.

Prioritize your day and your tasks. Nothing consumes your time more than staring blankly at a long to-do list, unsure where to even begin. Identify the one or two tasks that MUST be completed that day and focus on those. When you are finished, and if time allows, move on to the next most important one.

Manage your list. Having a to-do list is a necessary step, but having a long list doesn’t automatically equal productivity. Dividing the list by expected completion date makes it easier to manage the tasks and their respective deadlines. Keep those tasks that need to be done within the next 30-45 days on one list and those that would be great to tackle when time allows on a possible future project list and review/update it every 90 days.

Eliminate distractions. The quickest way to improve productivity is to eliminate distractions. By simply closing out extra browsers, putting your phone in a desk drawer, or closing your office door, you can shut out the outside world and focus on the project in front of you. If you are having a difficult time staying focused, try eliminating the distractions and setting the timer on your phone for 30 minutes. When the bell goes off, get coffee and return to your desk get back to work for another 30 minutes.

These few simple office organizing strategies can make all the difference in your productivity at work. Wondering how your productivity ranks? Take the Productivity Assessment from this NYC Professional Office Organizer.