How to get organised when you work from home

Graphic designer Kaitlyn Hatch shares ways to get organised

I’m allergic to procrastination. The very idea of putting off what I could do now makes me feel queasy. If it was something I could bottle and sell I would.

I cannot pass on my allergy to procrastination but I can share one of the tools I use to get organised, ensure that stuff gets done, things are prioritised and I’m able to stay on top of my workflow on a daily basis.

The agenda aka ‘diary’

I’m North American so ‘diary’ conjures up images of little book with a lock and key stashed away in a secret drawer. I have been in the UK long enough, however, to know that a diary refers to what I would call an agenda. A calendar in a book to keep track of whatever you fancy.

Personally I’ve always loved the tangible feel of pen on paper and being able to strike something out when it’s done. There’s something very satisfying about looking back at a daily list of meetings, appointments and task and seeing a bunch of lines through each one.

Computer/Online Calendars

These are great not least for the fact that these days computer-based calendars communicate with each other. You can share calendars between computers, mobile devices, and clouds. You can email someone your schedule and you can choose what you hide and what you show.

My resistance to them has been in part due to the previously mentioned love of crossing off things as I’ve done them, but also because they don’t really have a structure that works. I like to see my day laid out on a single page, and that might not mean something at a set time. It might just be a list of a few tasks I have to do in a day, the time that I do them of little or no importance as long as it gets done.

Until recently I couldn’t find an electronic calendar that met my needs. But then Apple came out with Reminders.

Reminders

I find Reminders to be a lovely way to get organised and, because I am hardly ever without my phone, it’s easy for me to add things as they come to me. I can create lists to organise the tasks into categories, assign times and dates to the reminders if I want, and even set them up to repeat if it’s something I know I’m going to do a lot. It’s all the functionality of a computer calendar without the rigidity.

Of course it’s all about finding out what works for you. These are just three options and I know there are loads more. I also know that how you organise and keep track of your time is very personal and something that you need to fit around how you work.

What is your favourite get organised tool, app or device?

Enjoyed this? Check out Kaitlyn’s recent post about making office space when your home isn’t suitable for home working.

Kaitlyn Hatch is a Creative Specialist, which means she’s really good at being creative in many different ways. At the moment she’s setting up shop as a freelance Graphic Designer specialising in logo design and print layout.