Theme for January 2012 — Get Organized!
Hard to believe that it’s really January 2012! Time has a way of speeding by, especially when we are busy, and like many people, one of my resolutions for this month focuses on getting organized. I officially launched ‘Margo Myers Communications’ in September of 2009. After 20+ years of being in TV news, I’m having a blast being on the other side in PR, and finding ways to tell my clients’ stories to get them positive media exposure. But I also find that the busier I am, the better organized I need to be. Add to that helping run a second company, the Springboard Academy, a professional development company to help people be more successful in the workplace, and my need for organization is at a ‘max level.’
Here are a few goals I’m setting for myself in January to become the most organized I can be. My top 5 goals for the month include:
1. A new desk with storage. Most people work more productively with a well-organized workspace. I’m no exception. Now that my business is becoming better established, I need more space for keeping files, supplies, laptop, printer and notes. My current desk just doesn’t provide a big enough workspace for me to spread out. It’s too messy, and doesn’t look anything like the desk in the photo! Goal: get a new desk by January 31st.
2. Develop improved bookkeeping systems. I recently attended a workshop with Elizabeth Harris, who runs Resultist Consulting. The biggest aha! moment for me was learning ways to use financial reports to grow your business. I had Quickbooks on my computer, but hadn’t really worked with it. Now I’ve already gotten help from an accountant to set it up, and am promising myself to actually use it in 2012.
3. Organize my email. I get emails — lots of emails. And this is the year I organize it. I will put emails in the appropriate folder, act on it if it needs immediate attention, defer it to the end of the day if it doesn’t, or delete it if it’s not relevant. And my other goal is to respond within 24 hours! (Yes, you can hold me to this one).
4. Keep up with my contact list. (As I write this, I’m looking at literally hundreds of business cards sitting on the corner of my desk). My goal is to add them to my contacts in Outlook by the end of the month, instead of shuffling through them every time I need a phone number or email.
5. Prioritize my day. I love lists, and I resolve to keep using them, especially if I can compose my ‘to-do’ items for the day, prioritize it with what absolutely needs to get done by the end of the day, and focus on each task at hand. I find I work better when I focus on each project, turn off email (or at least have it update only every 30 minutes), and then cross each item off my list! Not only do I get a lot done, but I can track where I am on a project, and I love that feeling of completing a task!
These are my top five goals for the month. What are yours? Do you have some systems in place that work well for you? Please feel free to share at margo@margomyers.com.
Margo Myers, Principal, Margo Myers Communications
