4 Keys to Staying Organised in the Modern World
As human beings, we are not immune to the fact that being organised brings efficiency and order to our lives, but as much as we enjoy the control that brings, we are notoriously bad at staying organised. Here is a reminder of some of the changes we can make in order to declutter our minds for good.
- Effectual note taking
Despite operating in the height of the digital age, it is estimated that over 70% of people prefer to write their notes on paper. Research has shown that the act of handwriting assists memory retention, as you use different parts of your brain to paraphrase what you want to record and to coordinate the motor controls needed to make marks on paper that you can decipher at a later date. Your brain doesn’t recall finger tapping on keyboards as well at it does more complex handwriting, doodles and diagrams! However, it’s the poor organisation of these notes that can slow us down – not being able to locate the right meeting notes or flipping backwards and forwards through several different notebooks with the phone balanced under your chin is not akin to being organised.
Faced with this problem, serial entrepreneur Jerry Horwood invented TABi, a note organiser that is starting to transform the working lives of many. An index tab on every page enables you to indicate exactly what that page contains, spelling an end to lost notes for good. A growing band of users love them, and won’t go back to using a traditional notebook after using a note organiser says Horwood, so why not give it a try at ta.bi, perhaps the shortest address on the internet!
- Hire a Virtual PA
Key players spending too much time on admin can cost millions in missed revenue. A virtual PA can be lifesaver for a start-up that doesn’t yet have the capital to invest in significant salaries, but needs someone else to pick up the slack and keep the business ticking along while you focus on the bigger picture. There are many sites out there that help companies connect with freelance virtual assistants such as Elance and Odesk. Some of the UK’s larger serviced office companies, like Executive Offices Group, also offer trusted virtual PA services at a more expensive rate.
- Meditate
Natalie McNeil, Emmy Award-winning Media Entrepreneur swears by the power of 10 minutes meditation a day. It’s an opportunity to step away from your computer, and to clear and focus the mind on one particular problem or situation that requires organising. When your mind is focused, she says, it’s amazing what you can achieve. Why not give it a try!
- Take bedtime seriously
Do you ever find yourself thinking that during the night you are wasting valuable work time? You wouldn’t be alone. Some of the country’s most impressive leaders infamously slept for little more than the time it takes to watch an epic film. And we know sleep is good for us, but we still put it at the bottom of the priority pile. It is a fact that our brains compute all the information we have gained throughout the day, and sort through it at night, updating our neurological filing cabinet. This rest time is essential for a healthy mind and body, and a better brain function, so factor in as much time as you can for this overnight information detox and wake up with a clearer and more focused mind!
