Are you looking for a simple organizational system to manage your tasks for your Virtual Assistant clients and your own business?
If you find yourself running out of time or forgetting about things you were supposed to do, you may need a better task management system.
People often ask me how I stay organized. I guess I look like I’ve got it all together LOL. But I assure you, that’s not always the case!
I do have a great system in place, though, and it has worked well for me for many years.
Working with multiple VA clients, we can often lose focus and the priorities can shift from hour to hour.
So I have a tip for you that will help you get and stay organized:
Find a task or project management system that works for you… and use it.
I have used the same system for many years. It’s simple. I use Asana, a spiral notebook, and Google Calendar.
I use Asana to coordinate things with my team, a spiral notebook to manage my daily to-do list, and Google Calendar to manage deadlines for everything.
After I speak with a client or a team member, I go in and update Asana with any task and deadline info that we discussed on our call. Then I go and add or update the relevant dates into my Google calendar.
Every morning, I add the tasks for the day to my spiral notebook so I don’t have to leave Asana open all day. As further instructions or more tasks come in, I add those to my spiral notebook and Asana.
My notebook has one page per day, and I keep it up to date for the current month.
I have tried a variety of different project management systems but I like Asana best for coordinating work tasks with others.
Here’s the key to this piece of advice:
Develop a routine around task management so that you are not dropping any balls that should remain in the air.
For instance, when your client phones or emails you, go directly to that project management system and update it.
That way you won’t miss out on anything that needs doing, and you can appropriately schedule time in your calendar to complete it.
I have relied on my memory a lot over the years and honestly I’ve made mistakes that way by forgetting to do things.
I find that keeping on top of what you have to do every day is the one thing that helps you manage your workload.
This not only helps you to make sure you don’t miss any tasks, but it helps you stay more productive because you are never wondering if something is missing.
You should have a complete task list all the time, and you can pick and choose what you will do from it.
I love the system I use. It’s simple and effective, and that’s why I continue to use it and recommend it.
That’s the main thing you need to figure out – what will work for you.
Some people love online project management systems.
I like the simplicity of my spiral notebook – with one page per day it’s versatile and complete.
I add phone calls and other meetings to each day too, so I can see my whole day at a glance. I also record my time for everything I do to my spiral notebook so I can easily see where my day disappeared to.
It also helps me to know when I can easily slip in a break or lunch!
Being productive is a direct result of getting organized.
And getting organized is easy when you have a system in place that works for you that you use properly.
Getting and staying organized is just one of the tips in my free Stop Struggling! 12 Actions to Make You More Money Ecourse. For practical tips to help you develop better routines and habits so you can make more money in your VA business, sign up for this 14 day ecourse now: Stop Struggling! 14 Day Ecourse. I’d love to hear the changes you have made to your routines after you finish it!