Whether you want to start your own business or work for a corporation, organization is the key to achieving your biggest dreams. If you stay organized, you will be less stressed and perform more efficiently in the workplace. If your physical work environment is messy, your brain will feel cluttered and scattered as well.

The following list of ways to stay organized at work will help you successfully plan your days and ultimately grow as an employee.

tips for living an organized life

Take Advantage of Your Commute

Thanks to morning traffic, your daily commute to work can take up a lot of your time. Since this is the start of your day, make sure to do something that will positively impact your mood to set a positive tone for the rest of your day. Here are a few ideas:

• Listen to a podcast. This could be the daily news to get your thoughts flowing or a comedic one to increase your endorphins.
• Play your favorite music. What better way to start your day than to listen to music that will boost your mood?
• Write down your thoughts or draw something. Doing these creative exercises in a notebook will add some color and inspiration at the start of your day, which is bound to make anyone happy. This obviously only works if your commute is on a bus or train.
• List your goals for the day. These can be personal and work-related.
• Look out the window. It may seem silly at first, but working 9 to 5 indoors can make you feel out of touch with reality. Take advantage of the nice views all around you, especially if your office doesn’t have a window.

Keep a Work Diary

Whether you prefer a paper diary or digital one, keeping a work diary is a great way to stay organized throughout your career. It can help you see your personal growth, prioritize daily tasks, and track your personal budget to help you save money.

If you have your own business, it can be difficult to keep yourself accountable for everything going on in your life since you’re your own boss. If you are an employee, it can be challenging to keep track of your successes and mistakes each week due to your heavy workload. With a work diary, you have a specific place to record all of your work-related information, keeping you organized.

Clear Desk, Clear Mind

If your desk is messy, chances are you will lose things. The time you spend looking for that missing item is time that you could’ve spent doing something more productive. When your workspace is neat and tidy, your motivation and productivity will increase.

Set aside time in your calendar at the end of every week to throw away papers or any other clutter you don’t need, and file away everything you do need. Feel free to add a piece of home to your desk, like a succulent or family picture, to make you feel more comfortable and at ease.

Separate Personal Life from Work Life on Your Calendar

The simple act of color-coordinating work versus personal events on your calendar can help you feel less overwhelmed. Whether you use Google Calendar or a physical calendar, the separate colors will give you a visual representation of how you are delegating your time.

If you see that your schedule tends to be filled with way more work tasks than personal time, you might experience burnt out quickly. Overall, the separation will help you create a healthy work-life balance.

We tend to delegate a large portion of our lives to our careers. That being said, growing as a worker goes hand in hand with growing as an individual. Making sure to manage your time well by staying organized is a small yet necessary task to add to your life to reduce stress and increase productivity. With things like work diaries and an organized work environment, your day-to-day life should improve, leading to a more successful career as well.

About the Author: James Christopher Glancy founded ZenBusiness to help make it easier for entrepreneurs and business owners to bring their dreams to life. JC is the Director of Product Marketing at ZenBusiness where he acts as the voice of the customer and helps bring the products they want to life. He graduated with a double major in Entrepreneurship and Business Management from Northwood University. JC’s Notable Achievements include being accepted into the Capital Factory accelerator and mentoring for Longhorn Startup Labs at the University of Texas.