Getting Organized in a New Work Environment

Starting a new job can often cause a flood of emotions among young professionals.

There’s stress, excitement, anxiety, nerves and the thrill of success. Before starting a new job there a couple things to keep in mind to stay organized and maneuver the work world. Take some time to observe your new work environment and office politics and then be yourself and start adjusting to your new routine.

The tips below will help to get you and your space organized to prime working conditions.

Clean up your desk

While some people function well with a messy desk, us neat freaks don’t handle that well. But whether you prefer a messy workspace or a tidy workspace it’s still important to set aside some time once a week to put things in order. Taking the time once a week to organize your space will help to keep your papers in order and the tasks at hand under control.

Manage your Time

Time management is an organizational tool that never gets old. Being able to manage your time at work effectively will be noticed by colleagues and superiors and is a sure-fire way to make sure that you’re accomplishing the tasks expected of you.

Establish a Routine

Develop good work habits and put them to use. Though our work days and schedules may vary, developing a habit of sorts will come in handy. And though habits like a consistent lunch-time are a bonus, that’s not the kind of habits I’m talking about.

What I mean by habits, is using the last ten to fifteen minutes of your day to clean up your space and prepare your schedule for tomorrow; or a habit for managing emails and email correspondence. Developing a routine and habits will help to make your workday more successful and a little less stressful. 

Three Tips to Keep Clutter to a Minimum

This week, I thought it might be helpful to review some of the things that cause clutter. Everyone will have their own ticks that cause a build-up of clutter but for the most part, there are a few commonalities that are agreed on. And hopefully, after being able to recognize the things that make us tick, it will be easier to overcome them. So without further ado, let’s start breaking down a few of the common causes of clutter.

Put things away right away. This goes for mail, groceries, coats, books, new clothes…everything! Everything has a place, so once it goes into your home, apartment, car, wherever, PUT IT AWAY! This is an instant way to assure that chaos in your home is kept    to a minimum.

This one I have mentioned before but I am adamant about it so I’m putting it in writing again. If you haven’t worn it or used it in the last year then get rid of it. If you haven’t used it in a year than chances are it’s just collectingdust in your closet so time to move on.

Get motivated and start organizing. Dive into a project and set realistic goals. Give yourself a reasonable timeline to complete a project. The more progress you make the more pride you will have in the completed project. Motivation is not always easy to find but it’s worthwhile to set goals that are achievable and take pride in a job well done. 

Priorities, Priorities, Priorities

At this point we should all have an agenda, a designated workbag/schoolbag and our closet organization should be underway. So, now it’s time to talk about priorities. Priority management is a useful tool to use when separating the personal and the professional life.

There are a few tips to priority management that just about anyone can master. Try incorporating a few into your everyday activities to see what works best for you. With a few small accommodations into your busy lives a little priority management will surely come in handy. 

First, use your agenda to manage your time. If you set aside one hour a week to “clean you room” than spend one full hour each week cleaning your room. If you are finished in 45 minutes then so be it, you’re finished. But, don’t take advantage of the extra 15 minutes. If you continually find yourself with 15 minutes to spare than recognize that you are rushing and there is likely room for improvement.






Balance. It is important to understand the concept of balance. One must be able to balance their personal world and their professional world without too much overlap. Your professional world will benefit from your attention. 


The same thing goes for your personal world. Friends and family will appreciate your engagement at social gatherings. But don't go out with friends and spend the entire night on your phone dealing with work (unless of course there's an emergency) and don't spend your workday catching up with friends (texting, Facebook, Twitter etc.). Each world will benefit from your commitment and dedication. 




Handle interruptions appropriately. If your work and professional world tend to overlap than you must be able to handle interruptions appropriately and efficiently. Though there is a time and place for overlap between the worlds, there is no time during work hours. It's simply unprofessional.