Spring is just around the corner and it's time to refresh the ways we stay organized.
Now that we are well into the new year, it's time to check on progress made so far and, perhaps, embrace new methods to stay on track toward our goals.
Being organized is more than a skill, it's a lifestyle habit that can help you become more productive and achieve success. Depending on your work ethic, there are many ways to stay organized at work, at school, at home, or from the home office too!
How do you like to keep organized?
Setting goals is a wonderful method to stay focused and clear about what you want to achieve. Do you have a goal for 2023, such as learning a foreign language, mastering new cooking recipes, or improving a physical skill like soccer or yoga? If so, there are many effective ways to motivate yourself toward your individual goals.
Setting Timelines
When you set a timeline, you can consider dividing your goal into shorter goals and longer goals. For example, if you want to become a proficient speaker in another language, such as Spanish, try setting smaller goals for yourself for each week. This may include memorizing a certain number of verbs each week, or committing to attending Spanish classes each week.
Track your Progress
If you want to understand yourself better, keep track of your progress. Reflecting on this information can help you identify when and where you are the most productive version of you. Is it when you are stimulated by other students in a classroom setting? Or when you are alone studying at home? Or when you are listening to your favorite music? Or when you are sitting outside in nature?
If you really need to be productive, it's great to know yourself better and what works for you.
Fill-out an Agenda or Calendar
Having an agenda is a simple and effective way to plan ahead. Whether you invest in a paper agenda or use an online tool, your agenda will be a lifesaver.
Do you have a deadline coming up at the end of the month? A presentation at the office? Or a finals match in golf? If so, fill out your agenda or calendar with important dates. Try to keep the schedule looking neat to maintain a simple and clear focus of your tasks ahead. It may also help to organize the events by color code. For example, use blue to mark down goal dates for work events, red to mark down upcoming tournaments or matches, and green to mark down holidays and/or social events!
To-Do Lists
In addition to the agenda, you may want to write a To-Do List for each day or week. You can organize the list based on urgency and looming deadlines. Although some days may be more busy than others, keeping yourself accountable with the to-do list will help you stay determined and motivated. Include daily check-ins with co-workers and managers, or with classmates and family members too.
Add in Journaling Time
“A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.”
―
Do you like to journal?
Journaling is a great practice to start if you've never done it before. Even if you have, check out these prompts that can lead you further on your path of self-acknowledgement and awareness.
- List 5 great qualities you have and how they benefit you:
- List the 5 people you spend the most time with and their top 5 qualities that help you:
- List 5 skills you want to improve (they can be small!):
- List 1 simple way you will work on improving each of those skills daily:
- List 5 achievements you made today (they can be small too!):
Moreover, if your New Year’s resolutions include awesome goals such as improving your physique, moving to a different city, or finding a new job, it's always a good idea to take the goal one step at a time. And journaling can help you recognize all you’ve achieved when you reflect.
Slow but steady wins the race
This is a great quote to keep in the back of your mind to remind yourself of the small actions that add up to the larger changes. For example, if you've been working on improving your Spanish-speaking skills in the new year by committing to studying for 30 minutes daily, try to bump up the studying time to 40 minutes daily instead! Although only 10 minutes more, this small change can help you adapt your skill set more quickly.
Consistency Is Key
Are you looking to improve your physique this year?
Remind yourself of the overall lifetime goal of becoming a healthier version of your instead of settling on quick fixes to your wellbeing. Whether you have a certain physical hobby you want to become better at (such as running, yoga, or martial arts), remember to keep track of your progress and remain grateful for each achievement.
Don’t Forget To Take Breaks
Breaks are a great way to refresh your mind and give you a focus boost. A daily walk in nature, a mid-day breathwork session, or a rejuvenating snack or drink can help restimulate your brain and enhance your productivity for the remainder of the day! Whatever your break of choice may be, try to accomplish it away from your designated work space to signal to your body that you are completing a full pause.
Whatever your goals are for this year and beyond, remember that you are your number one fan and that you have the capability of sticking to your goals and finding success!
Good luck everyone!
We wish you the most success.
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