How to stay organized at work or school

Jan 15, 2019

Being organized is an important part of your life: whether at home, studying for a course, or in a job.


The ability to put things into order, and to follow plans to their conclusion, matters.

Staying organized whether at work of school is all about maintenance. It relies on the very same aspects you needed to "get organized" in the first place! These are skills of self control and discipline, order and sequencing, flexibility and letting go, and attention and focus.  You can remember these as simply as "Use the SOFA".  


S is for Self control

If you want to stay organized, you need self control. This means to be sure that you are calm and able to manage changes in yourself (emotional regulation) in response to changes in your environment.  It also means you are disciplined and do not spend all day on social media when you should be working; or playing video games when you should be getting ready for bed (coz it's a work night).  

If you find executive functioning issues impact your ability to have self-control, consider:

* Writing reminders to yourself to take regular mindfulness breaks.  
* Talk to your supervisor/ teacher about your needs.
* Make an appointment with your doctor/ psychologist to discuss how you might manage your emotional space.
* Explore our course on Executive Functioning.


O is for Order

If you want to stay organized, you need order. This means to make sure that you have created and adhere to some kind of order, structure or sequence in your job.  Do you know the method of preparing documents, that the company prefers? Can you find out how an essay ought be structured correctly at your university? Might you be able to create a routine at home to manage your daily living tasks?  

Order and sequencing helps get things done, and it can help you stick to a plan. It also relates to how your order steps in a plan, how your prioritize and what time you allocate certain actions.  Being ordered involves sitting down and thinking your way forward.

If you find executive functioning issues impact your ability to be ordered, consider:


* Create lists with headers and tasks beneath that so you always know what the sequence is.
* Talk to HR/ Student Support to learn more about the policies and procedures of the workplace/ school.
* Explore our course on Order for the Chaotic Mind. 


F is for Flexibility

If you want to stay organized, you need flexibility. This means to welcome change.  At work, duties can change, routines may be varied, and people may appear 'inconsistent' in their communication.  At school, lecture hall details may change, assignments may have varying dates, and teachers may not always be available to go over details with you.  In addition, your emotional experience may shift, which -- for those of you who've had depression understand -- that can dramatically impact the way you perceive the world around you. Yes, being asked to be flexible is a hard task -- however it is not impossible!

Flexibility is an active practice, that involves letting go, and allowing change to happen. A good way to think about this is to imagine a tree that is living through the seasons. Being a tree, you experience weather changes... a tree always keeps growing in the sun, rain and wind. Even if it has been hit by a lightning storm! To be flexible is find 'a different way to grow'.  There is not only ONE way to do things.  Be flexible at work (and in life), and notice how much easier things become.

If you find executive functioning issues impact your ability to be flexible, consider:

* Practice mindfulness as you learn to accept the present moment.
* Try saying YES to new things - this will help you 'welcome' change and develop a flexible open mind.
* Explore our course on Planning and Productivity.



A is for Attention

If you want to stay organized, you need attention. This means to notice the details AND the big picture.  Attention is about focus and being alert.  You must be aware of your environment, your specific work item, and own self-care needs.  So, it's not only about your feelings and your experience in the world, but also acknowledge others (or, if you struggle to understand social cues, be aware of that and how your "being in the world" might affect others).

Consider how you focus, what you choose to focus on, and how much time you give it.  If you're finding it hard to focus, could it be that you're not sleeping enough? Need something healthier to eat? Need some time alone to de-stress? Need to re-assess what matters to you?  Attention matters.


If you find executive functioning issues impact your ability to apply attention/ focus, consider:


* Allow hyperfocusing to naturally occur to get tasks done -- but try to not rely on it (and please don't try to 'trigger' it).
* Think about WHEN you focus best. Are you more able to focus in a certain place, time of day or situation?
* Explore our course on Time Management to reflect on managing your energy and still get things done.




HOW TO STAY ORGANIZED?

Remember to use the SOFA. 

ABOUT THE WRITER

Autumn O'Connor is a qualified psychotherapist and an instructional designer at Be Your Best Academy.  Recently, she has created a psychological metric to measure and assess a person's Organizational Personality; the S.O.F.A. points are variables in the metric. Autumn's passions include learning design, helping people and businesses achieve, and eating sour candy.