Organizational Skills For Today's High Tech World?

arnie_apesacrappin asks: "Being a busy guy in an IT environment, I've noticed that there are quite a few young, technically savvy people that get handed a great deal of responsibility from their employers. A common occurrence, at least in my opinion, is that a young person doesn't always have the organizational skills to keep up with all the facets that a high pressure / high responsibility job brings. Included among the things that I'm considering are job tasks, social life, personal upkeep, money management, etc. It seems that one of these things (or one of many others) falls by the wayside in a person's new role. A feeling of having so many things to do that one doesn't know where to start sets in, which ends up affecting the ability of the individual to finish even simple tasks. So, what I'm asking is, how do you stay organized? I'm not looking for, 'buy a Palm Pilot,' but how people in the Slashdot community keep a handle on things."

Comments

A couple of things.

[Lazarus Short]

Here are a few things that I find help me out. As always, your mileage may vary:

• Make a to-do list. It may be obvious to some, but it's amazing how much more organized this one simple step can make you.
• Once you've got your list, whenever possible, work on it in order. Now, if an emergency comes up, you can deal with it of course, but don't keep neglecting that boring job thats been on your list for a week just because the newer project is more interesting. This ties into item 3....
• Don't procrastinate! It will, without fail, cause you more work in the long run. Trust me, I speak from experience on this one.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help if you get overwhelmed. Don't make a habit of trying to foist your responsibilities on someone else, of course, and always be willing to help someone else who needs it, and you'll find that there will be someone willing to give you a hand when you find yourself swamped.

Also, for those of you in college, look into organizational skills workshops put on by your school, as they can really be invaluable resources.

Good Luck!

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