As a virtual assistant and business manager, over the last three years, I have learned the ins and outs of getting organized and getting organized quickly. I work with a few 6-figure businesses, and at the same time manage my own business and household with four kids. I have to be organized, efficient and productive to make things happen and move your business forward.
It is so important to me to have everything in working order to not only save myself time but save myself energy. The biggest thing that I have learned is that having everything organized cultivates a more productive workspace both physically and mentally. Let’s get you moving forward to do more of what you love in less time since that’s what you’re here for!
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Calendar and Time Organization
- Get a calendar (digital and/or paper). I use both. When you have gotten a calendar that works for you, you can start writing down events you know are upcoming. If you want to be more detailed, build out your schedule for each day. My favorite digital calendar is the Google calendar that links up with my email (yay automation) and my Emily Ley Simplified Planner.
From this step, get in the practice of checking the calendar nightly for the next day so you know what’s upcoming.
Move any to-dos over to the next day if you track them on your calendar.
- If you keep a separate to-do list, check that nightly too.
- When you make a to-do list, mark what will take you a short amount of time (5-10 minutes). These are easy wins you can do when you have tiny pockets of time.
- Big goals and tasks can be broken down into little things that do not take quite so long. That way you will build momentum to propel you forward and actually accomplish your big goals.
This may be a little controversial – While I like organization, I am not a huge proponent of having zero emails in my inbox. I know that many people do love this and if that is you, this method works for you AND those who are like me and like to have emails in their inbox. I usually keep my emails in my inbox until I have answered them.
Batching can be a huge asset in getting a lot done in a short amount of time. I talk more about my batching process in this podcast episode.
Inbox Organization
- Make folders for emails so that you can sort them. Delete what you can and the others move into those folders.
My favorite folders are: answered, finances (expenses, invoices, and billing), swipe, personal, and newsletters.
- Use Unroll.me to unsubscribe or manually unsubscribe to each newsletter that is not serving you and is just noise in your inbox.
Online Repository for Organization
- I love Trello for holding all the extra thoughts in my brain, to do lists, social media, content creation and working with my team. I also have a few personal boards that I use for myself and my family.
- Some alternatives are Asana and Basecamp.
Asking for Help
- A virtual assistant, business manager, or social media manager can be great additions to your team and your business while helping you to keep it all organized. Sometimes a business can get too big for one person to handle and even an hour or two of help can be a vital part of your continued growth.
- A coach or mentor is able to help you dig deep and figure out what it is that you want and how to get there.
If you’d like to dive deeper and have an organizational strategy session, click here to learn more and move forward in organizing your life and business.
