SELF-ORGANIZATION AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

Good self-organization helps you to organize your workday in a more structured way. It can really make a difference and gives you the chance to focus more on online slots.

OUR CHECK-LIST FOR YOU

1. Make sure your workspace is tidy

For your self-organization, you need to go through your piles of papers.

To work in a structured way, you need a structured environment. Clean up your desk and drawers. Then keep your papers organized and scan documents that you don't need as originals. That way, you'll reduce unnecessary piles of paper. Also clean out your computer and get rid of documents you no longer need or organize them.

2. Structure your time

Buy a diary that organizes your day into times, or use an electronic version. Mark your working hours and your recurring appointments. That way, you can assign to-dos that come up right away to a day of the week and a time when you want to get them done. Don't forget possible travel times in your structuring. This is the only way to get a realistic overview of your time and to start organizing yourself.

At the beginning of the week, take the calendar and plan when you want to do something. It's not that you're going to stick to it completely. But it helps to keep in mind what your goals are for the week.

It will be even more accurate if you create a daily plan for yourself each morning with goals that you want to accomplish by the evening. 

3. Check your emails only at certain times of the day

For better self-organization, you can gain more structure by checking your emails in specific time slots.

Schedule one or two time slots each day to check and respond to your emails. This could be in the morning and right after lunch, for example. You can do the same for WhatsApp, Instagram and the like. This will help you work more focused and you will be less distracted outside the time slots.

4. Avoid distractions from inside and outside

In order to work in a structured way, you should be clear about focus times and breaks. In a concentrated work time, avoid having your cell phone within reach so as not to distract yourself. If you spontaneously think of something you should look up, write it down on a to-do list. Later, you can bundle up all the items you've written down.

Remember to take a breather every 60 to 90 minutes. Self-organization doesn't mean you have to work non-stop - breaks are important to take a breath.

5. Order tasks according to the Eisenhower principle

The Eisenhower principle arranges tasks into four quadrants for more self-organization.

With the Eisenhower principle you can better manage your time. You distinguish four fields in a square:

• Important and urgent

• Important, but not urgent

• Not important, but urgent

• Not important and not urgent

Then proceed as follows:

Important and urgent tasks must be done immediately.

Important but not urgent things you can do at a later point.

Try to delegate non-important but urgent matters to others.

Something that is not important and not urgent, you can delete immediately and do not need to do it.