In a city where time is money and multitasking is essential for success, organization is an adaptive skill for survival. In my private practice in the midtown east section of Manhattan, I work with clients whose work requires intense focus, discipline, and motivation. For my harried corporate clients, their time is limited and workdays involve juggling a multiplicity of clients and business obligations on top of familial and social commitments. Consequently, effective organization is crucial for the individual seeking the chance to reach the pinnacle of success in both their occupational and personal lives. In essence, creating an organizational discipline allows an individual to both maintain their focus on making money while also affording them the opportunity to use that same money to enjoy their lives outside of work.
Organization helps individuals to obtain their maximum levels of productivity and helps to decrease their levels of stress. In fact, researchers at Princeton University Neuroscience Institute found that a cluttered environment, such as a messy desk, actually impairs the brain’s ability to focus. Successful organization involves effectively balancing priorities and obligations and structuring your life so that it runs smoother and more efficiently. Here are some tips to help organize and balance your life:
Begin each day with the right attitude. Wake up early, eat breakfast and begin each day with a positive and confident attitude. An important step in organizing your life is to have a plan for each day. Each morning you are starting fresh and it is important to be adequately prepared for your day with an idea of the day’s events and goals. Many clients I have enjoy reciting some positive daily affirmations each morning. Remember, a positive morning sets you up for a more controlled and successful afternoon.
Allocate an appropriate amount of time for each event in your day, based on priority. Set your priorities for the day and distribute your time based on the event’s importance. Give more time to the events that are more important and so on. Don’t waste a lot of time on trivial events.
Lists, lists, lists. A key to organization is writing everything down. Creating lists for things in your life will help you remember and will allow you to better organize your time. Create lists for everything in your life from your groceries to your goals for the year. Either use your smart phone or good old fashioned pieces of scrap paper to make this objective happen.
Assign a place for everything. Make sure each item in your life has a spot. Using tags or labels can help organize your physical space but it is also important to organize your mental and emotional space. You can organize your mental space by separating your obligations; keep your work in the office and your home life in the home.
Be neat. The key to a tidy mind is a tidy room. Keeping your work area and living area neat will allow for better productivity- being able to find something faster will provide you with more time in your day for more important things. Psychologists tend to believe that the cleanliness of an individual’s bedroom is a direct reflection of how well they are managing their internal stress.
Keep a calendar. An accurate calendar is a key to organization. Knowing when all your events are scheduled will allow you to better distribute your time and will help you to avoid overbooking yourself.
Enjoy life. An important step in organizing your life is to take some time for yourself! It’s important to organize all your business and social events but it’s also important to organize some time to relax and enjoy life.
In a world filled with so much uncertainty and ambiguity, organization is the one skill we can take ownership of that can allow us to maintain an enjoyable life and productive career over time.
To learn more, visit www.draldencass.com or call Dr. Cass directly at 646-202-9611.
DASHA® wellness & spa is a luxury lifestyle brand and New York City-based wellness center created to offer a truly holistic approach to wellness. To learn more, visit dashawellness.com.
