The top challenge most managers share is not having enough time in the day. Between crises that need addressing, HR conversations, and new initiatives to roll out, (to name a few), it is no wonder managers feel they can’t make progress with goals or even finding time to plan.
There are a lot of different factors that come into play when it comes to being successful. Today, we are focusing on two often underrated factors (being organized and being on time) that can make a huge difference in your day. Think back on some of the most successful people you’ve met in your own life. The chances are they were skilled at both of these. There’s a reason why both of these factors will make such a big difference when it comes to being successful.
Being on time and organized can help you make the best possible use of your time and energy. When referring to energy, it includes both mental and physical energy. We have a limited supply of both, along with being restricted to 24 hours in a given day. In other words, both time and energy are limited resources. Being on time and staying organized helps with making the most of those resources and focusing them on tasks and activities that help us reach the goals that define success.
There are two different ways in which being both on time and organized will help you succeed. Let’s look at both of them and then briefly discuss how to get better at them.
Being On Time And Being Organized Saves You Time
How much time have you wasted this week looking for a misplaced item or file? How much time has been wasted catching a person up that was late or even having to reschedule? How much time have you wasted because you didn’t show up on time for an appointment and ended up having to wait? Making an effort to be on time, and staying organized helps you save precious time and energy. Being on time is all about time management and awareness. Work will always stretch out into however much time you give it. Becoming more aware and better at time management will help you work more efficiently. The same is true for being well organized.
Being Organized and On Time Helps You Look Professional
Showing up late for an appointment or interview makes you look bad. So does not being prepared or having to dig around for a few minutes to find something needed. That is particularly true when it comes to first impressions. Work on getting better at both, so you get the chances you deserve, and people see you as the respected person or expert in your field that you are.
Perception is key here! I have always heard that I am either an incredibly detailed person or a mess, depending on who I was talking to. My office used to have stacks of very well-organized piles (well, at least they were to me!) I could produce something that anyone needed in seconds. This always worked for me. However, I learned that some bosses were driven crazy by my piles of organized chaos. So, I learned to file my piles into drawers to compromise between what worked for me and others’ perceptions.
How To Get Better At Both
You now know why it’s important to work on getting organized and being on time. So, let’s look at how we can improve both those skills. It comes down to getting into the habit of being conscious of time and staying on top of organizational tasks. Yes, if you’re exceptionally disorganized, it will take some up-front work to clear things up. Once completed, you only need to spend a small effort each day to put things back in their place and stay organized. That is true for physical items, digital items, and even thoughts and ideas. The short answer is to practice both being on time and staying organized daily until they become habits.
And remember, the time it takes to be on time or create organization and maintain it will never amount to the time you spend without it.