Secrets of being systematic & methodical

Secrets of being systematic & methodical

Being systematic and methodical is not everyone’s strength. Some people in fact find procedural tasks boring or too hard for them to do. This blog post explores some of the secrets of being systematic and methodical. You may find you apply many of them already or you may find some good tips to try for yourself. Why not have a read?

 

Overview

  1. What is the difference between systemic and methodical?
  2. Why should you be systematic and methodical?
  3. How to be more systematic and methodical?
  4. Conclusion
  5. How Busy Lives! can support with this

 

 What is the difference between being systematic and methodical?

Why do people want to be systematic and methodical? What are the benefits and how do you become a systematic and methodical worker?

Whether you own your own business or simply want to take charge of your life, being systematic and methodical when working can help boost your productivity and help you tick off that to-do list you’ve been procrastinating about.

But what does it mean to be systematic and methodical?

Systematic people are people who do things using a plan or procedure while methodical people do things in an organised way. Both work hand in hand.

 

Why should you be systematic and methodical?

Being methodical with your decision making often means you’ll be making better decisions. For example when choosing a supplier it may seem easy to just pick the cheapest or the nearest one but if you conduct a little research you may find that although Company X is the cheapest their products are subpar whereas Company Y has the best ratings but in actual fact their products aren’t what you’re looking for. Making the best decision first time around will save you both time and money and prevent the hassle of having to switch suppliers.

Being systematic in your approach to things – by making a plan or following a procedure – can often save you time and effort as you are not wasting time doing things that ultimately will not get your task done any quicker or easier. For example if you are organising paperwork making a list of things to keep, things to shred and things to recycle will make the job easier as you are not wasting time wondering whether or not you should keeping a particular piece of paperwork.

 

How to be more systematic and methodical?

Being systematic and methodical is not a hard thing to do. Here are some simple steps to help you become a more systematic and methodical worker:

  1. Make a to-do list then cut it in half

Making lists and plans is a simple and easy way to become a more efficient worker. However, when your list becomes too long it can be counterproductive. To avoid this, make your to-do list then strike off anything that doesn’t matter – while it would be nice to reorganise your pen drawer, will doing that really help you complete your deadline task?

I have a Busy Lives! to-do pad at the side of me, so the number of tasks always has be on the one page. The list often lasts for the month but can at times be for a week depending upon the time of year.

  1. Plan out your day

Most people are more productive in the mornings when their brain is fresh. Start your day with the biggest tasks and aim to get them all done before lunchtime, try and schedule meetings for the afternoon. This should help you to boost your productivity and get all those hard tasks done.

  1. Break bad habits

Most of us will have picked up a few bad habits, whether that’s checking your phone constantly for social media updates or putting off tasks until it’s too late. Breaking your bad habits will help you get more done, and free up time. For example, by putting your phone away and getting down to work you may find yourself finishing all your tasks ahead of time meaning you have some spare time to scroll through social media without worrying you’ll get behind on work. Or being methodical with your approach to big tasks can prevent you from having to do the whole thing in one go the day before the deadline – when you receive a large task break it down into smaller tasks and aim to accomplish one or two of them a day.

  1. Stop multitasking

Trying to do ten things at once is counterproductive. List things in order of importance then work your way down the list. Often, you will find you get things done faster than if you tried to do them all at once.

  1. Keep it simple

Working methodically and systematically can take some time to implement. Don’t try to follow fancy or complicated, planning systems. Keep it simple and you’re more likely to stick with it.

 

Conclusion

Implementing the above steps and learning what it is to be methodical and systematic with your work can help you become a more productive worker which can translate into more money earned and more time saved.

Learning to prioritise your time and get more work done will ease the burden on you overall and guarantee you have healthy work habits as well as ensuring you get all those to-dos done and prevent any of those ‘impending deadline day mad dashes’.

 

How Busy Lives! can support with this

Busy Lives! was created when I left a busy career that left me time poor and unable to give sufficient priority to what really mattered to me. I now provide a wide range of business support for people especially who own their own small business in that position.

Everyone has different superpowers, mine are being systematic and methodical especially when it comes to organisation and getting things done. If you find you’re become overwhelmed or just don’t know where to start why not let me help and do it all for you!

Let you help you gain precious time back. Ring Busy Lives! 07565 722 031

Drop me a message on this website, LinkedIn or Messenger on Facebook

Or Email: karen@busylivesnottingham.co.uk

 

 

Five Top Tips for staying on top of paperwork and electronic files

Five Top Tips for staying on top of paperwork and electronic files

High powered jobs often also come with large amounts of paperwork for the business and in many cases the leadership and management of employees. Sometimes you’re grateful for a sustained block of time without interruption to concentrate on getting through your ‘to do list,’ let alone sorting and following through on the paperwork it’s creating or is coming in.

I’m the sort of person that didn’t like piles of paper as it made me worry there may be something really important somewhere within that pile, that needed addressing quickly. Equally, I had employees with lots of files sat on their desktop screen not saved elsewhere, which would have also been a total disaster if their computer crashed, as they wouldn’t be able to recover them.

If you are one of those people that does have mounds of paperwork around you or files on your desktop screen and doesn’t know where to start to improve upon this, these are my five top tips for sorting and staying on top of paperwork and electronic files:

  1. Make a list of your key roles/workload areas.
  2. Create lever arch folders/electronic files on your storage drive or cloud labelled with these areas as your headings.
  3. Sub-divide the level arch folder using file dividers/sub folders if electronically, breaking down into key areas. (for instance: a board meetings folder would then be broken down into finance, personnel, strategic planning, agenda, minutes…)
  4. Set aside and block off 1 – 2 hours in your diary each month to file what you have accumulated.
    1. Paper: Use a large clear surface and using post-it notes put your papers into common areas of your business and label with the post-it. This then makes it quicker, as you file all the related papers into the same folder all at once.
    2. Electronic: Open each main folder on your desktop and drag and drop the files into the correct window systematically.
  5. To avoid getting to that massive pile next time with paper, why not try using one of these methods below, so that you’re starting to file the smaller sub-sections as you go along day to day. The coloured plastic wallets worked the best for me!

 

How Busy Lives! can support you:

I am happy to help with organisational support including optimising the space and storage you already have at your business premises or home office.

I can help by:

  • Design a system that will work for you with how you store and stay on top of your paperwork.
  • Create clear and effective filing systems.
  • Provide the additional option for me to revisit on a quarterly basis to file new papers and maintain your system.
  • Enabling you to become paperless if you have the proper securities in place electronically by scanning, creating and saving your electronic home paperwork systematically on your behalf.

Drop me an email and let me book you a slot: karen@busylivesnottingham.co.uk

 

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