Getting Organized for Better Productivity

Spring is finally here! This season is known for renewal and can be a great reprieve from the dark, cold days of winter. Spring is linked to rebirth and renewal, and is a great time for a fresh start. Whether you take advantage of the longer days by spending more time outside, going for a nighttime jog, or taking on a vegetable garden for the first time, you can bring that spirit of renewal back to the office by taking on some spring cleaning!

Getting organized is one of the top recommendations for helping to declutter your life and mind. Piles of paperwork, stacks of disorganized files, and hundreds of unread emails can make you feel hopelessly stressed. Now is a perfect time to ‘spring clean’ your office space and get a jump-start on a clean, fresh start. Being more organized is a great way gain better focus and boost our productivity, by removing physical barriers to success.

So, where to begin?

1. Make a plan. At PDUs2Go we love a good plan, and the best way to begin getting organized is to… get organized! Make a list of what you need to focus on begin to make some meaningful change, and stick with it!
2. Declutter your office. It may seem intimidating, but the simple act of reorganizing can have a positive impact on our productivity. Piles of paperwork and junk can weigh us down as visual reminders that make us feel behind- getting them out of sight will help reduce external anxiety. This includes your physical AND computer desktop!
3. Trash the junk. Lets be honest… do you really need that memo from a project that was completed 2 years ago? Keep those important items you might need to reference is ok, but these outdated items can weigh down our files, email inbox, and life. Trash em!
4. Organize your files. From computer documents to physical assets, organizing your files by priority can help you stay on task and not get bogged down. Make sure that all of your current project assets are organized and front and center. For project that have been put on hold, pushed back or delayed- keep all of their assets in an easily obtainable space for the future, but out of your direct line of vision. This will help you keep your focus where it is needed.
5. Clean out those emails.Going through old emails can seem like a painstaking task, but leaving all of those emails in your inbox can lead to you missing something important. Here’s a trick for slogging through the junk quickly: search by name, then topic and organize from there. For instance, if you worked with someone on just one project- it will be much easier to find those emails and organize them into a folder dedicated to that topic. This will also help you easily identify junk or spam emails and send them to the trash in bulk.
6. Give yourself some time. It may not be easy to go through 6 months, a year, or maybe a few year’s worth of paperwork and clutter in just a few hours. Make your spring cleaning a priority, but give yourself the time you need to be satisfied with the job. It might take you a week of getting it done here and there, but it will be worth the effort!

Getting your physical and virtual office space a makeover can help relieve feelings of stress and lead to a more productive day. Try it yourself, and then encourage your teammates to do that same. A fresh work environment can not only make you feel better, but can actually increase your productivity and profitability!