Getting organized

The Two Essentials
- Anything that takes less than two minutes must be done immediately
- Everything else is noted down on a prioritized list
Here are a few everyday tips and tricks for better time management and organization.

1 - Make lists
Write everything down, and don't just rely on your memory.
I recommend using 3 lists:
-On an A4 sheet: everything you need to do in the long term.
-On a large post-it note: all tasks for the week or month.
-On a mini post-it: the day's tasks (in order of importance).
Every evening, you take stock of what you've accomplished and what remains to be done, crossing off the activities on the lists.

2- Concentrate on 1 job and finish it before moving on to something else
To do this, discipline yourself: close Outlook and only reopen it every 2 hours, define work periods for yourself (for example, by setting up self-meetings in Outlook).

3- Do your brainstorming in 2 stages:
1°/ First, brainstorm: review your goals and objectives... and write down your initial ideas. Then, look at competitors' documents on the Internet... From these 2 lists, take the ideas that seem the most interesting, and let the reflection settle for a few days.
2°/ Produce the final document from the working documents.

4- Avoid distractions
Tidy up your desk so that all you have in front of you is a sheet of paper or your PC, and put your phone on answering machine so as not to be disturbed every 10 minutes.
Gather all your time activities at the same time: phone calls, answering emails..

5- Organize your files
File documents in pockets to avoid loose sheets, and throw away files that are no longer needed.
Use tools like Google Desktop or MSN Search to find your documents, e-mails, files... on your PC in 1 click (at least 10 minutes saved per day!).
Archive your MSOutlook regularly to increase the speed of your e-mail and prevent your PST file from crashing. Organize your files and e-mails in folders: in progress, to do, newsletters..

6- Set aside time for "unproductive" tasks
Set aside the times of day when you're most tired or least focused (11am, 2pm...) to read newsletters, check your personal e-mail..

7- Set yourself a time limit for time-consuming activities
You need to set yourself a maximum time limit for the most time-consuming tasks, even if this means producing work of lower quality. You need to be able to make a trade-off between time spent and quality achieved.
If you have to, set yourself a "personal" dead line, a challenge to achieve.

8- Delegate less important tasks, and accept that they may not be "perfect".
You must delegate non-essential tasks, accepting that they won't initially be "as you wanted them", but you must set yourself a deadline for achieving this level of quality (thanks to advice and feedback on the quality delivered).
Similarly, don't hesitate to ask for advice: trying to do everything yourself and learn everything is a huge waste of time. You have friends, acquaintances... who are a source of help and inspiration not to be overlooked. Don't forget the Internet either: forums like www.commentcamarche.net and www.yahoo.fr (Yahoo Question Answers section) are real goldmines, and many people can help you free of charge and often with good quality.

9- Give yourself a break after work
Don't hesitate to take breaks to get back on track, or to give yourself an extra break if you've met your objectives.
What's more, always take with you a document, file... to read when you're in transit, in a waiting room... you need to take advantage of waiting times to either rest, or read a report, an article..

10- Automate
Use all the IT tools you can: GPS, organizer, automatic signature in Outlook with "Cordially ....", standard email replies, synchronize your cell phone with outlook to see your appointments everywhere..

11 - Use a laptop
A laptop is a time-saving tool, even if you don't travel a lot, simply because it's easier to maintain than a desktop PC.
But the big advantage is that you can work during lost time (on the train, waiting between two appointments...), carry your customer and product database everywhere, submit a quotation on the spot if you have a simple USB key, come home with your laptop to finish a file without having to stay in the office (you're always more relaxed at home than in the office, getting worked up until noon)..

12 - Limit non-productive time
The first thing to do is to sort through the newsletters you receive and the RSS feeds you subscribe to, and keep ONLY the most important and essential ones. It's also a good idea to reserve reading this information for moments of "relaxation" or lack of concentration (e.g.: just after lunch, around 6pm...).

13- Prepare for the next day, the evening before you leave
It may sound like nothing, but defining what you're going to do the next day means you don't waste time as soon as you arrive at the office, and can get straight down to work.
Nb: You can also do it in the evening before going to bed (writing it down on a piece of paper, not in your head) to free your mind for the night, and wake up ready for that job!

Here are 5 other possible tips:

1- Leave ONLY those e-mails in your inbox that require action, otherwise reply immediately or throw them away

2 - Do ONLY 1 thing at a time. If necessary, divide a task into several subsets, and above all, don't start anything until you've finished it.
3- Identify THE thing to do in the evening, and when you arrive in the morning, check your e-mail to make sure it's still priority No. 1.

4- If you receive an e-mail and you can answer it in less than 2 minutes, then answer it immediately.

5- Take note of when you're most productive and reserve important activities for those times.