According to professional organizer Monica Ricci, there are about four basic work styles that most people fall into. Identify your style, and you'll know how to best organize your work life, she says. Peter talks with Monica about the four work personas and how to overcome the organization challenges they face in order to be more productive and less stressed out.
The Planner
This is someone who's organized, reliable and has a great work ethic.
Challenge: The planner's problem is that she tends to keep everything and suffer from information overload, Monica says.
Solution: Remember to purge and get rid of excess paper on a regular basis. Destroy confidential materials with a crosscut shredder.
The Perfectionist
Like the planner, the perfectionist has an excellent work ethic.
Challenge: Assuming no one can will do as good a job as she can, the perfectionist is afraid to delegate tasks and can become overwhelmed, Monica says.
Solution: Find trusted resources you can delegate to so you can have a great delegation experience to build on. Hire an outside service to do certain projects for you if necessary, she says.
The Go-Getter
The go-getter's can-do attitude means he's always on the move and always busy.
Challenge: Since the go-getter is often traveling for work, his information is scattered, perhaps on different computers and lots of little notes, Monica says.
Solution: It's all about consolidation—get a three-ring binder and store all your important information in one spot, Monica says. Consolidate electronic documents on a portable flash drive, she says.
The Procrastinator
The procrastinator is well-intentioned.
Challenge: Late to meet deadlines, the procrastinator can't get her head around the concept of time. "It's very abstract," Monica says. "So they run out of time, all the time."
Solution: Make time concrete by creating timelines on paper and using a color-coded planner. Track where you spend your time, and break up tasks into a series of small deadlines.
