Time MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION hacks to iNcrease your Productivity

If you know me. Or get to know me. You’ll quickly realized I am super organized & manage my time well. It’s something I’m proud of.

I tend to show up early for events rather than late. I tend to have labels and a place for everything in my home. My closet is color coded. My pantry is organized. My refrigerator is too. This brings me peace.

Time management & Organization are my HAPPY.

While these things have become a part of who I am now, they haven’t always been. I’ve learned through deliberate action how to be productive.
Not only does productivity and organization keep me sane; no really, it helps to lower my anxiety and frustrations about not knowing where something is or “running” behind. It allows me to be the best version of myself.
When things are in order, when things are going according to plan, it sparks Joy!

Time management is a skill. It’s something that can be taught, but it has to be practiced! & boy does it take practice! It took years of me getting it wrong to finally be able to find systems that worked for me to get it right.

Law school taught me that there was no room for LATE in my profession & Hampton University taught me that; to be early is to be on time, & to be on time is to be late.

With those things constantly lingering in my mind, I decided to level up my time management which in turn boosted my productivity!!

I put together some basic ways you can better practice time management & flourish as well.

1. Make a schedule & STICK to it. I know this sounds basic. & easy. But it’s one of those things that sound good in theory but hard to practice. When you’re not intentional with your schedule and time, people will keep you busy & take advantage of your time for you!
   As much as possible, schedule your days & stick to the schedule.
   One thing I love to do, is {time block.} Outside of planned meetings or events. I block off time in my planner to GET THINGS DONE. I know that for x amount of time. I will be focused on whatever task scheduled for that designated period & nothing else. This allows me to hone in on what I’m doing, close some of the open tabs in my head & produce! The best way to do this, is to figure out the time (morning, mid-day, evenings) you’re most productive & get to work. Put your phone on do not disturb. Put busy on your messenger, & get the task you need to complete, done. When you write things down. Pen to paper, it makes it twice as likely to actually get done. Try time blocking in your schedule and stick to it!
   

2. Set clear expectations and guidance for how you’ll get things done. Nothing like having a lofty idea with no road map to make it tangible. A dream without a plan becomes nothing! Set your own deadlines. Deadlines help you stay on schedule and not create a mess down the road because you kept putting this off to the side. Be clear about how long something will take you. Plan for the unknowns & be honest about the expectations of your end goal!
   

3. Break down big task into BABY STEPS. I find this to be the easiest way to stay motivated. By checking off baby steps on your way to the big goal. This also helps me to not feel overwhelmed if I’m facing a big task or todo. Small steps make things manageable & you feel like you’re always moving towards the finish line.
   
   Say you have a goal to go on a vacation to Paris. Here’s a way to break that down: (1) open a savings account, (2) get a passport, (3) save money, (4) book the flight, (5) create an itinerary, (6) Vacation in Paris ✔️

4. Make list & priorities a PRIORITY- it’s no good to make a list if you’re not going to actually prioritize what’s on your list. The more clear you are with your task, the more likely you’ll complete it! I usually create a top three for each day. Things I must get done. Once those are checked off, I can focus on what’s left to do. I prioritize checking in on my top 3 before whatever time I created for my deadline. & when I don’t check it off, it carries over to the next day’s top 3! - but I try reallllyyy hard to get those top 3 done daily, because well, that’s my TOP priority for that day!
   
   List are a great tool but only work if you use them! Planning is cool & fun, if you’re actually going to be productive & follow through on your plans!
   

5. Organization allows you to create a clear picture of what you need. What you don’t. What’s clutter, & what’s meaningful or of purpose! So get organized. Go through your closets, cabinets, and drawers and get rid of the things that have no purpose. Accumulation of things that serve no purpose in your life leads to unnecessary stress and frustration. Eliminate that by organizing your essentials. Less is really more when it comes to being productive. Getting rid of “stuff” to be organized isn’t always easy but having to organize less stuff in the future saves you so much time and effort that can be put towards the things you enjoy and love!
   

   Time management takes time. It takes practice. But learning new behaviors will literally shift the trajectory of your life, work, business, etc.

   If you hadn’t noticed Planning is the most fundamental part of time management! Being efficient in planning out your day, meetings and how you will accomplish things will help you stick to your schedule & be more productive!!
   

   You can get your life all the way together with my new Un-dated DELUXE Planner that will be in the shop soon! This planner will offer everything from Monthly & Weekly spreads, Goals, Budget, Meal Ideas, and More to help you plan and have productive days!

   In the meantime, head over to Luxe Legal Papeterie on Etsy to download some printables & start being productive today!!

Drop a comment below of your favorite time management or organizational hack?

The Luxe Weekly Planner (physical) has been delayed due to covid, but it should be here soon. In the meantime, the Weekly Verticle planner seen here is available on Etsy, shop here.