Getting Organized in a Nutshell

So there you are being bombarded with tasks during your day. It seems that they just keep on coming, and just like a goalkeeper being slammed with shots you are going to miss on some of them.

Here are some tips to being more organized:

• Maintain a list of things to do. You could have many lists in fact like matters related to personal goals, work tasks, and even yes the famous shopping list
• Split your lists (when necessary) into Long / Short Term / Today tasks. This is helpful to see how you are progressing towards your goals. Hence you get the short and long term visibility
• Make sure you break down the tasks into something actionable. Don't just write "solve homework" because it is vague enough to send the signal to your brain that its hard to do. While writing the task make sure to simplify it. Instead of "solve homework", split the task into easy actions like "1. Read chapter XYZ, 2. Practice sample questions. 3. Answer questions"
• Prioritize your day, yesterday! Before going to sleep tick off the stuff you have done and write the stuff you have for the next day. This will not only feel good but also help you wake up and quickly get on track with the stuff you need to work on. When writing next day's list, simply copy and add the tasks from previous days into the new bucket and make sure you sort them according to priority
• Always try to set a deadline for each task, this will help and force you to account for the amount of time a task will take and at certain stages help you prioritize better
• Learn to say "NO" when needed, which is better doing your laundry or hanging out with your friends? (it's up to you to decide and prioritize)
• Make sure to review short term / long term goals often as they could change as you progress
• Use a calendar for time sensitive tasks
• Use Apps to help you keep track. Try out Google Keep inline with Google Now and Google Calendar if you are on Android. Heck get yourself an organizer and go old school if need be
• Build a habit into writing these lists as this will help you get all those ideas out and remembering them would be as easy as opening your list
• For emails, try implementing the GTD or InboxZero methods. Basically clean all your inbox from stuff which you have finished / replied to leaving only tasks at hand in front of you to focus on. Check these sources for more info: gettingthingsdone.com/ www.43folders.com/izero
• Meditate for at least 10 minutes a day (effective during the day). If you don't know how to, just close your eyes and take deep breaths counting the number of breaths you are taking (both in and out) and reseting your count at 10
• Get some sleep, the more quality sleep you get the better your brain will cope with different tasks thrown at you especially stressful ones

There you have it, some tips on getting organized and more focused during your day. What other tips do you think help you most?

Karim