Happy Monday all! I’ve been inspired by an upcoming post to create a new series called Do Something Different Mondays (DSDM)! Every Monday I will select an activity that I’ve been struggling with and make that activity the focus of attention, and hopefully improvement, for that week. On Thursdays, I will check in with an update. These will be shorter, no frills posts. Today’s DSDM activity will be record keeping/filing at work. Show of hands if you live for filling out paperwork, updating databases and wrapping up loose ends of a task completed—all while the pressure of the next urgent project is looming. Anyway, below is the plan of action to accomplish this goal because as we know, a goal without a plan is just a wish! And feel free to join me with this, or your own, mini challenge this Monday!
You may recall a previous post I wrote on how taking part in challenges helps me tackle stubborn issues that impede my growth. In that post, I introduced the Challenge Accepted series for larger endeavors that can span months. Consider Do Something Different Mondays a mini-version of that series with the same ideals.
The Problem
Record keeping is an essential duty of my position. Ever so often, there’s a bottleneck created when multiple tasks collide and there’s no room for transitioning from one project to the next. In that moment, record keeping becomes optional and so begins the pile up. It’s also not the most riveting of tasks so I sometimes need more motivation to get it done.
The Importance of the Task
Record keeping is the primary means of tracking projects, and injecting accountability, accuracy and continuity for/from myself and those who work on the project. It provides the opportunity to absorb the information collected from the project and tie off loose ends.
The Proposed Solutions
-Remind myself daily (hourly if needed) that record keeping is just as much a priority as my other tasks
-Post a reminder of mini challenge on desk
-When scheduling a meeting, if possible, schedule 15-20 minutes for record keeping
-If I have back to back meetings, block off the next available time slot for record keeping and split the time equally based on number of current projects
-On low traffic days, block off and schedule time to organize tasks.
-Group activities for multiple projects (e.g. scanning, hole punching, e-filing)
-Try not to overbook days
-Be patient and readjust where needed
-Make notes on mini challenge progress
That’s it! I look forward to completing this challenge. Perhaps I might be converted to living for the paperwork! Please send me your own tips/tricks/guides on how you wrangle your record keeping duties. Comment below!
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