18 Organisational And Productivity Tips That Might Change Your Life

People who are organised and efficient think that if you’re not, then that’s because you are lazy or unwilling therefore it’s your fault. But our brains are wired differently and organisational skills do not always come naturally.

Photo by Jeff Sheldon on Unsplash

When your brain doesn’t work exactly like other people’s then it is easy to feel not just inadequate but also guilty because, obviously, you are not doing what others do — so easily. “It’s not brain surgery”, they seemed to be saying by the way they look at you. Well actually… it has everything to do with the brain.

If you could do with a few organisational and productivity tips, I am offering some that I hope will be helpful to you.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

1. Make to-do lists. Long lists feel overwhelming and you can easily miss important items when scanning them, so my best tip is to keep location/activity-based lists. Keep a small notebook with lists for different areas of your life and break them down even further if necessary. For instance, when I go shopping I write the name of the store first and then what I need to buy there, so I am only looking at relevant items at all times. Cross every item as you go along and if you didn’t get something, write it on a new list for next time. By having an activity or/and location-based to-do lists, you can launch into action straight away.
2. Make full use of your time by checking your lists. Depending on the time you have you can select an activity. Done! For instance, if you are waiting for service, make an appointment over the phone. If you are waiting for something to cook, do some research you have been meaning to do.
3. Buy a wallet or handbag with enough slots and pockets so that you always carry what you need and can easily find it. You only need to organise it at the beginning and put things back where they belong immediately. For handbags and backpacks, I recommend organiser inserts.
4. Set up an organising system for work, either by having several tabs in one binder or binders for each topic.
5. Set an organising system for home with lists of…