Fierce Tip of the Week: Get Organized

According to a Wall Street Journal Report, office workers waste an average of 40% of their workday.  Not because they aren’t intelligent, but because they were never taught organizing skills to cope with the increasing workloads and demands.

How much time do you waste during your day? Stephanie Winston, author of The Organized Executive, estimates a manager loses 1 hour/day to disorder, costing the business up to $4,000/year if earning $35,000/year – or $8,125/year at $65,000. Those are very tangible costs to businesses.

And those costs don’t take into account the emotional toll. I know many leaders and executives who feel emotionally exhausted from the overload. On top of that, over time, this causes extreme burnout.

This week’s tip is to focus on your organization in one specific area. Where do you feel that you waste the most time?

For me at one point in my career, I felt my weekday mornings were constantly being pummeled, and at the end of the day, I would feel overwhelmed with what wasn’t accomplished. This is very counter to my belief in creating momentum and starting projects/events/days with drive and energy. In the past years, I purposefully have started my mornings very early, so that I can spend one to two hours a day before 8:30 AM to focus on the biggest tasks on my plate. To accomplish what I truly need to.

Other examples: I know an executive that swears by time blocking with emails. He only checks email twice a day, and it is the only way he doesn’t get sucked into the never-ending flow of messages. One of my friends spends an hour before bed organizing her next day to the extreme. So like these examples, find your thing. Focus on a specific way you can organize your days.

There is no better time than now. This time of year, before heading into the holidays, can be especially chaotic, so take time to organize. Choose one focus. And begin.

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