No matter who you are or what you do — from a college intern to a CEO at a large company–we are all juggling multiple priorities. As summer winds down, many people find themselves prepping for the busy fall season. While you can’t magically eliminate everything on your to-do list, as amazing as that would be, you can make it feel more manageable. Here are five tips that have helped me stay organized when life gets busy.

1. Rank Your Priorities

Decide your priorities before  every emergency decides them for you. 

When deadlines pile up and your schedule feels overwhelming, it is often tempting to make everything your top priority. While this is an understandable reaction, trying to make everything equally important often leads to unnecessary stress and does not allow you to do your best work.

Instead, take a few minutes at the beginning of a new project, week, or season to identify where your priorities lie. This helps to shift your response from panicked to prepared when those priorities suddenly clash. 

2. Take the Time to Get Ahead

If you know a busy day, week, or month is coming, prepare for it in advance.

Getting ahead doesn’t take away any of your responsibilities, but it can make them feel less overwhelming in the moment. For me that usually means making a detailed to-do list with reminders on my phone, adding every meeting and event to my calendar, and setting reminders for important deadlines.

It can feel counter-intuitive in the moment because your first instinct is to just jump into doing everything or using time off to simply rest. However, investing a few minutes into preparation can save hours of stress later by helping you stay organized and avoid last-minute surprises.

3. Assign Time Limits to Your Tasks

When your to-do list feels endless, estimate how long each task will take and assign it a time limit. 

Choose one task, set a timer and give it your full attention. When the timer goes off, stop and reassess before moving on. 

This approach helps keep you focused on making meaningful progress and prevents multitasking. It also helps you use small pockets of free time more effectively. Instead of spending five minutes switching between projects, you can complete a quick task that moves you forward in your list.

4. Have an Organized System

Organization is about more than just making lists. It is about creating habits you can rely on to help you through your day. 

When life gets busy the small tasks can easily build up or slip through the cracks. Having a consistent system where you check back on tasks helps prevent that from happening. 

Whether it’s reading and clearing your inbox at the end of the day, checking tomorrow’s calendar reminders, or checking a weekly task list each Monday morning, small routines can make a big difference. A dependable system gives you the confidence that important details won’t be forgotten.

5. Make a List

Sometimes the simplest tools are the most effective.

This can also be a part of ranking your priorities, or can be a daily or weekly part of your routine. Whether you prefer a paper planner, a whiteboard, a digital calendar, or reminders on your phone, find a system that works for you and use it consistently. Writing down your tasks clears your mental clutter, helps you stay focused, and makes it much easier to keep track of everything during a busy season. 

Staying organized doesn’t mean you’ll never feel overwhelmed, but having a plan can make even your busiest seasons feel much more manageable. By identifying your priorities, creating reliable systems, and keeping an organized task list, you’ll be better equipped to handle whatever comes your way this fall.

Spring Has Officially Sprung — So Let’s Organize Your Workspace?

This year, I’ve added “organizing your workspace” to my spring-cleaning to-do list! If you’re anything like me, you associate spring with spring cleaning. It’s time to dust off the cobwebs of those ceiling fan blades you rarely touch, clean out the closets and tackle the flowerbeds. I love strolling the aisles at my local greenhouse to pick out the flowers I’m inevitably going to see wither away in the triple-degree Texas heat. And, it’s time to get my workspace into tip-top shape.

Clean Your Workspace, Clear Your Mind.

Whether you’re working remotely or in an office, it’s the perfect time to sort through the piles of papers that have accumulated on your desk, clean out those old emails and establish that new online folder organization system you have been daydreaming about.

Now, I realize that not everyone receives the same amount of joy that I do from filling a large trash bag full of unnecessary papers or an inbox with only a handful of emails. Some of you may argue that there isn’t enough time in the day. While others might cite there is evidence that a messy desk is a sign of genius. Say hello to my husband’s top excuse. Ha!

Organizing Your Workspace Has Multiple Benefits

No matter what camp you fall into, it’s hard to argue that there aren’t benefits of a well-organized space.

1. Increased Productivity. How many times a day do you find yourself searching for a piece of paper, email or document? We’ve all been there, but when you have a clean and organized space, you’ll inevitably spend less time searching and more time doing.
   
2. Reduced Stress Levels. Meeting in five minutes. Can’t locate the document you’ve been tirelessly working on. Enough said!
   
3. Boost Creativity. When you’re organized, you’re typically not working under the gun of a million deadlines. When you’re calm and in control, your creativity will flourish.

You might now be asking the question: How Do I Tackle My Unorganized Workspace?

• Start small. First you need to remember,your mess wasn’t made in a day. It might take a little time to organize your workspace into the space you want. Pick the time of day you’re most productive and set a timer for 15 minutes. Grab the stack of papers and go.
  
• Tools and Resources. Hit the office supply store or your supply cabinet at the office. Grab the file folders and organizers and start labeling and sorting. You should now be able to see the top of your desk.
  
• Online Organization. Your inbox really only needs to house emails that require your response. Everything else should have a home. Create folders in your inbox by client or project and file them accordingly. The same goes for documents. Take it a step further and establish a naming convention for your documents to make things even easier.

How to Maintain Your Organized Workspace

Once you’re done organizing your workspace, it’s just as important to maintain it. You don’t want to turn around a month later and be back at square one. Set aside 15 minutes at the end of each workday to tidy up your space. Throw away the papers and go through your emails and documents.

Soon, you’ll find a tidy workspace is second nature and the habits you created will be easy to maintain. Happy spring cleaning!