Start the Year Off Right With These Organization Tips

For administrative professionals who handle a wide range of daily tasks, organization is crucial. If one of your goals for 2014 is to get organized at work, follow these time-honored organization tips. By making an effort to streamline your daily tasks, you can improve productivity and reduce wasted time.

One of the biggest obstacles to organization is clutter. If you're like many administrative professionals, your desk is stacked with papers, books, folders, and various notes. In some cases, the mess may be hiding in drawers and cabinets. This visual clutter can have an impact on your mental state and your productivity. When you want to get organized at work, your desk is the best place to start. Spend an afternoon thoroughly cleaning your desk. Dispose of unnecessary items, file loose documents, and get rid of anything that does not have a place. A clean, organized space will help you tackle other projects with greater peace of mind. 

Many administrative professionals deal with requests from multiple parties, including bosses, colleagues, vendors, and the general public. If your requests are scattered around your workspace on Post-It notes, on scraps of paper, in emails, or on your phone, keeping track of them can be difficult. When you're trying to get organized at work, a list can be a powerful tool. To keep track of your tasks, move all active requests to a single location that works for you. If you prefer to work with pen and paper, write the list on a notepad and keep it next to your computer. If you're digitally inclined, use a to-do list app. Each time a new request comes in, add it to the list immediately. According to Flex Jobs, you can also choose apps that sync across all of your devices and send reminders when tasks are due. Cross off items as you accomplish them; doing so serves as a small reward.

As you make an effort to get organized at work, one of the most useful organization tips is prioritizing. By prioritizing, you can ensure that you accomplish the most important tasks first. Chances are, your most important tasks are related to the executive you support, so keeping on top of those tasks is crucial. Choose a method that suits your office. If you work with paper documents and other physical projects, add two trays to your desk: one for priority tasks and one for tasks with longer deadlines. If you deal with digital files, create two folders on your desktop. In many cases, the simple act of separating tasks can make it easier to get organized at work.

By taking the time to clean, prioritize, and arrange your tasks and your office space, you'll find it's easy to get organized at work. Once you've streamlined your processes, you can spend less time scrambling to find documents or figuring out which tasks to focus on next.

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