It can be a struggle for professionals to get organized. We’re always adding new items to our to-do lists and juggling multiple tasks at once. We have a ton of emails coming in every day and have to contend with constantly shifting priorities. Some of what we do is simple and straightforward, some of it not so much. Every day we’re bombarded with new information, and it’s exhausting to figure out what’s important and what we can ignore.
We procrastinate. We cut corners. We make a mess of our desks.
One of the great things about Jira and Tempo is that they help professionals to get and stay organized. Research shows that it’s good to stay organized, too. Being organized lowers stress and makes it possible to achieve more work in less time.
Some tips on getting organized
Everyone has their own methods for organizing their work. How do you stay on top of your workload? Advanced Jira project management tools can make a big difference, but then so can a simple well-placed post-it. Here are some guidelines for getting (and staying) organized.
1) Stick to a system:
“The most fundamental principle of the organized mind, the one most critical to keeping us from forgetting or losing things, is to shift the burden of organizing from our brains to the external world,” writes Daniel Levitin in The Organized Mind. In other words, you need a workable real-world system to get yourself organized. Maybe you consult your team’s Kanban board every morning as you sip your first coffee of the day. Maybe you have urgent priorities written down on the side of your computer monitor. The important thing is to be consistent with whatever system you use– use trial and error to see what works best.
2) Declutter regularly:
Things don’t stay organized on their own – they need to be reviewed and cleaned regularly. Make time every week to declutter your desk and get your digital files in order. Mark some time into your calendar to make it happen.
3) Create priorities and stick to them:
“After you have prioritized and you start working, knowing that what you are doing is the most important thing for you to be doing at that moment is surprisingly powerful,” Levitin writes. At any given moment, you need to know what’s most important.
4) Don't multi-task:
Multi-tasking can negatively impact memory and productivity. Try slowing down, working on one task and finishing it before moving on to the next one. Doing so will help you stay focused and clear on what your tasks are.
5) Quit procrastinating:
We all do it sometimes, even though it’s self-defeating behaviour. Get over procrastination with Tempo’s tips and start getting organized.
Jira project management tools can also be very useful to get organized. Jira’s Kanban board and Tempo’s capacity report and plan time function make it much easier to stay on top of your team’s workload—and your own.
