Being organised is an essential skill to have or demonstrate for success in today’s ever-busy world. Whether it be in your personal or business life, having a tool that keeps you organised and on track is of paramount importance.
I’m still an old fashioned gal in that I still keep a Filofax- style diary that sits on my desk. My diary has all meetings, appointments, day and night time events, and my kid’s commitments all listed. I love having it on my desk as I can see exactly how my day should look in an instant, and most importantly, know where I am meant to be at any given time.
Working in the travel industry, I also have a list of important client/travel file deadlines each and every day, and I use my computer diary in Outlook for this. So if payments are due (by clients to me, or to suppliers from me), they all pop up as reminders to ensure that nothing gets forgotten or overlooked. I can block out days when I am away with events, on leave, or conducting training/seminars and these can all be colour-coded so I know in an instant if items are related to my travel business, the mentoring or writing areas of my life, or my personal life.
Some people live religiously by their smartphones or laptop/tablet diaries and these are becoming easier and easier to manage. You can now direct all email and diary accounts to your phone so you have that information on hand all of the time, and you can set up a number of diaries or folders if you wish to keep your business and personal items separate. You can also make your organisers and diaries available online so that others can see where you are or request to make appointments or meetings with you at times that suit them.
If you and your partner have lots of commitments and you also have children that have sporting and cultural activities to participate in each week, a ‘family planner’ can be a great tool. Many are now magnetic so they can stick on the front of the fridge, meaning that everyone can see who needs to be where each day. Personally, I found one of these invaluable when my boys were younger so that I could plan my day and ensure my business was being looked after and covered from a staff perspective in advance if I had a tight schedule. 
A great tip for your diary, whichever method you prefer, is to also look at scheduling in time to work on business projects, planning and strategy, and also to schedule in a little ‘you time’. It is really important to ensure you give yourself time to work ‘on’ (as opposed to ‘in’) your business as it’s very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day running of your business, leaving you no time to plan. To keep progressing forward, building and achieving business growth and success,
this time is crucial. I find if you schedule time in your organiser as you would any other important meeting, then you are more likely to stick to your plan and make it happen.
The same also applies to ‘you time’ as it is vital that you don’t burn out; enable yourself to rejuvenate by taking time out to regroup and breathe. Take an afternoon off so that you can go for a walk, read a book, enjoy a massage, or do something you love but never seem to get the time to enjoy. This time is imperative and will give you renewed vigour and leave you feeling more energised. So don’t forget to schedule the all-important ‘you time’ into your diary as you would with any other meeting or event.
There is no doubt that using a diary or organiser will assist you to keep your life in order and on track, so make sure that you use and review it on a daily basis to keep things in check.
This blog is an extract taken from Zoe’s book ‘Healthy & Wealthy’. For more details check out: https://zoesparks.com/
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