Planning and Organizing - 5 Simple Steps
This post is sponsored by Office Depot OfficeMax. All opinions are my own. My creative partners and I really appreciate your continued support.
In the last few months working in the studio, I have really had to shift and reorganize priorities. My heart goes out to all the small businesses that have been affected by this global pandemic. I have been working to optimize workflow and organization and today I am excited to partner with Office Depot OfficeMax to share some things with you from this happy place. I thought I would share some ideas and insights to help infuse more of what you love back into your life, whether you’re a small business owner, perhaps doing something as a side hustle, or you just want to live your best creative life.
Having well thought out systems in place can help you plan and organize. I was able to take advantage of products and services from Office Depot OfficeMax to help create this 5 step action plan using the acronym SPARK.
Set aside time to start and schedule it. - Making sure I set aside time, even if it’s just 15-30 minutes a day to look at the big picture and write things down is of utmost importance. By scheduling projects and just taking the first step to start something lays the groundwork nicely.
Prioritize and plan. As much as I depend on my computer and online calendar that syncs to my phone and other devices, you know I have a big love for analog. By making lists of things to do - even if it’s just good reminders for your own well-being, something powerful happens when you put it down on paper. Color coding your plans makes it easier to reference too.
Arrange and assign (label). Getting a new label maker was a really good idea. Don’t you just love fresh new tools that you know will last for years to come? The great thing about it is the portability factor so I may even keep this in the house to label things accordingly. I also ordered these file folders as I was really tired of having loose papers and projects piling up in various places.
The R is for Reflect. Relax through the process of bettering your systems and business organization. - Sometimes it’s overwhelming to tackle too much at once, so I like to break things down and make sure I do something creative every day. By keeping a simple record, similar to a habit tracker, you can use grid paper and make a mark on the days you achieve your goal. Looking back you can see the progress and how far you’ve come. Remember, setting small goals - even setting aside 10 minutes a day for creativity - will likely be easier for you to accomplish than if you try for an hour a day. Be realistic and practical, and if you spend more time on what you love, consider it a bonus!
And finally, the K in Spark stands for: Keep what works, let go of what doesn’t. I used to think just because something was working for me for a long time, I should just keep going with it. Well, also recognizing and making sure I am cognizant of being in tune with what’s aligning with me, my clients, well-being, and business is something that can be different from one year to another, and even one project to another. Be mindful of your approach and be willing to let go of what no longer is working for you. I am personally letting go of the things that are outside of my control and focusing on the wonderful ways I can create and make a tiny difference in my world and hopefully inspire others to do the same.
One final idea that was sparked was the need for some custom labels as we started to ship packages that are ordered off of our website again. There are a lot of options you can customize and order easily through . So don’t forget to check them out for custom printing needs and find out more about the product selections I’m using to organize and save time.
Hope you enjoyed hearing these tips on planning and organizing and that you can adapt some of the takeaways from SPARK in your life too. Keep the creative juices flowing, my friends.