The Month of March: In like a Lion Out like Lamb; Get Organized Become Productive

Organization and productivity go hand-in-hand. And the truth is there's a difference in getting things done and being productive. Organization is key to long-term productivity.

While this month comes in with roar many people start off with clean slate, which gives them opportunities to create the “new you.” This is a great way to start something new and it can help you become organized. Some of the most successful people in the world are habitual and organized. Boring? Yes. Effective? Absolutely.

And at times I will admit that I do become a bit obsessed with being organized.However I do it in the end because it makes me feel good, positive and successful. The truth is, I need those type of days to get organized—even if they are organized with blocks of free time—for me, organization is key.

A few reasons to be organized:

1. Trustworthiness: Trust is necessary in all facets of life. Relationships—business and personal—are established and continued based on trust. Being organized will help you keep commitments, manage and prioritize relationships, and maintain a reputation for being reliable.
2. Stress: Stress is in excess all around us. Being organized is a habit, and habits help us to deal with all the stress in our lives. Even when things are busy and spiraling a bit out of control, you can rely on your organized system and stress less about the little things.
3. Effectiveness: Being organized leads to being effective and tackling what is in front of you with a greater focus. It allows you to be single-task oriented dedicating your full focus to the task (big or small) at hand.

But organization doesn't come naturally to everyone. Everyone has their own ways, but there are a few essentials we all need to get and stay organized.

How to get organized:

1. Passwords: There are too many passwords in the world to keep track of. Make a list of all of your passwords that you can access from anywhere (easy accessibility is a must!) and make sure you update it regularly. App suggestion: 1Password
2. To-do list: Make a to-do list every day. Putting things on paper (physical paper or on a screen) is the easiest way to see what you have to do right in front of you. It’s the best way to prioritize and knock things off the list as you get them done. App suggestion: Workflow
3.  Documents: Documents control our lives these days. Personal, financial or work related—our lives are filled with documents. Organized them. Give them folders and put them in their correct place. App suggestion: DropBox

How to stay organized:

1. Don’t procrastinate: Procrastination leads to disorganization and an overwhelming amount of things to do. Prioritize your to-do list and get it done. This will lead to productive days, every day.
2. Stick to your system: Make being organized a priority and stick to it. Having a reliable, organized system you can rely on will only help in every aspect of life.
3. Designate a place for everything: Finding and using a tool/method is easy—making a habit of it is hard. Even if it means creating a new folder or location for something that just popped up, give it a place to live, and the repeat.

And there's no better time than the present, so go get organized!