Organised Space, Organised Mind: Going from Chaos to Calm | by Lucy Herbert
One thing I have realised since being in my apprenticeship is that being organised is important, especially in a busy office environment. Coming into my first corporate role as a person who wasn’t great at being organised- I was shocked. I learnt very quickly that being unorganised made things more overwhelming and stressful. However, adding a bit of organisation and structure will make you feel much calmer.
So here it is, some of my top tips for staying organised and where to start:
1) Use your calendar: My first tip would be to use your calendar. Most roles and companies will have a system or app with a calendar feature. This was one of the things I found very useful. I check it regularly and update what is happening that week. Colour coding your tasks and have them in categories. There are many different ways to categorise different things like by importance or by person whatever works for you. For example I have mine divided by things like catch-ups/meetings, work projects and Multiverse work. Adding colour for personal things is helpful if you have any appointments or anything you need to do. Another thing I would say is that generally, your team may add things into your calendar but always check them because they may not be important to you.
2) Make a to-do list: I find that making a to-do list is really helpful because you can see exactly what you have on that day to do. What I like to do is write the list in priority order with the most important at the top. With priority items and meetings on my list, I like to highlight those as well so they stand out to me. Another tip I would give is writing out the list the day before, so once you start the next day you know exactly what you need to do. I find this helps me go to work with a clearer mind and a better vision of the day. Of course, there will be days where you might not get everything on your list done in one day but what you don’t finish moves over to the next day. But some days you might fly through your list. These days are always nice. I create a ‘nice to have’ list where I will add things that aren’t important for that day but if I get time I will work on them. This keeps things flowing at work and allows you to track what you do. But I must say until you become a to-do list writer, you won’t experience the satisfaction of ticking off tasks as you complete them.
3) Having a tidy workspace: I find that having a tidy workspace is important for keeping a clearer, more organised mind. If you have lots of things everywhere it will make you feel overwhelmed or could also be distracting when working. Knowing where everything is and just keeping the essentials on your desk or in your workspace is the best way to stay productive and organised. Always tidy away everything and put it back in its place at the end of each day so you know where it is and you don’t lose it. I would also say try to keep distractions away or at least to a minimum as they will bring you away from your work and you will end up with less time to get your work done.
Incorporating these tips into your day will help to keep that focused, organised mind that we all need. This will take away any unnecessary stress and you will be a much calmer version of yourself. It will take some time to get organised. It doesn’t happen straight away but if you persist with it, it will eventually become part of your normal routine. Good things take time so don’t stress and clear your mind.
Lucy Herbert is a Level 3 Digital Bussiness Accelerator Apprentice at Multiverse based in London,England, and is writing for The Apprentice Lens. Here's a bit more about her:
" Hey, I'm Lucy and I'm an Apprentice Equity Research Production Assistant at Morgan Stanley and I can't wait to dive into writing for The Apprentice Lens. I love writing and reading in my spare time. I'm always getting hooked to gripping fiction stories. With writing my blogs, I hope it helps and inspires others.