Organized to the Max - My Task Organization System

Given everything that is going on, I have had some emailed questions on how I stay organized. Well, my trick… OneNote. Now, I want to be sure I preface this post, this process is something I have fine-tuned and continue to do such for over 3 years now. I have found what works well for me, and a digital format does because this is on my laptop, iPhone, and iPad. I have been using this system for about a solid 3-4 years now. My life (figurative, maybe not so much - but a lot of my life is on this platform, or whatever you call it. I am not a tech wizard, but I am an OneNote wizard) is on OneNote. Here is what I keep on OneNote:

1. Tasks & SMART Goals
2. Duvet To Desk Notes (Drafts, Thoughts, Completed/Posted Blogs)
3. A notebook from my current and previous career roles
4. HR Theory & Practice Information
5. Faith and Person Development

The fantastic thing is OneNote is attached to my safari browser, and I can immediately save articles with the link and information right into OneNote. But the best part is due to the set up that I have, I can look back and see progress. Do I keep a paper planner? Yes, I do - I LOVE my paper planner. But that is my journal and my physical, creative outlet. I doodle, letter, write my thoughts, and create my inspiration in my paper planner -along with weekly and long term goal setting and planning. But this beast, I mean OneNote, is really about keeping it all straight and knowing what needs to be done next. But what has already been done.

The most significant section of this notebook is the "Task-SMART Goals" section. I have been able to year over a year see what I have accomplished goal wise and task wise. The best part about this method for me, it is an intentional glimpse into the way my mind processes information and gets things done. The task pages are broken down by week, and I write down every Monday morning everything I hope to get done. (Yes, I will spend about 30 minutes every day figuring out everything that needs to be done) I start every day with this section of my notebook. It allows me to see what I plan or need to achieve on that day and what is coming. 

This 30 minutes at the beginning of every day, many times is the brightest part of my day but also allows me to prioritize my time. If I am unable to get something done by the end of the week, I just cut and paste it into the upcoming week. I have actually now found myself, over the past 6-8 months, adding a section on Home and Blog. This is information and task related to the house and things that need (or that I really want to get done) to be accomplished at home. The blog section is really associated with all the information that I need to do related to my blog (which I appreciate you reading now!). This could be updating a drafted post, editing the post for grammar (which I am really working on - you know really stepping my game up) and content, and ensuring I update all social media with the newest post (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest)

This process may seem like a lot, but as I have grown and tried to focus more on how I spend my time, this is the visualization of my time. This allows me to take time to know and understand what is coming, but what I have done. This will enable me to maintain the mindset of progress over perfect because every week, there are tasks that get "cut and pasted" because sometimes I have to choose what I will and will not do. Or better phrased, what I pick and choose not to do because I want to spend my time elsewhere.