Organization Tips for a Successful 2016

By Brittany Davies and Suzanne Quinson

In a previous blog we outlined ways to make it through the busy last few months of the year without a drop in motivation or productivity. Now that the holiday bustle is over and 2016 has begun, it’s time to prepare for another successful year! Organization and planning is the key to success. Below are a few tips to get the most out of your professional or personal life!

Declutter. Have a million and a half emails in your inbox and a thousand papers on your desk and no idea how or when they got there? We know the feeling. Clutter is sure to slow us down. At the end of every month when you have a few extra minutes, go through your inbox and delete any emails that have passed their time of relevance or involve completed tasks. For the remaining emails, flag those that still require follow-up.

Clutter at your desk is both a distraction and a hindrance to productivity. (But hey, what do we know?! Creative geniuses like Albert Einstein and even Facebook’s Mark Zuckerburg are known to have succeeded in spite of chaotic messes!). Papers seem to secretly multiply overnight.  Go through your papers and categorize each of them. Create folders and store only relevant documents in each. If you’re trying to reduce the amount of paper in your life but are afraid to toss or feel some  separation anxiety coming on, you could also scan documents into a folder on your desktop. Just remember to keep that new scan folder organized, as well — don’t move your clutter to the cloud!

When trying to reduce the amount of physical items you’ve collected, ask yourself, “If I had to pick up my life and move tomorrow, would this item make the cut?”

Use checklists! Whether you’re a litigation attorney or paralegal getting ready to go overseas, or you’re a part of a team preparing support for a client’s upcoming venture, staying organized can ease the difficulty of the task.  For a process as detailed as scheduling overseas depositions, breaking it down line by line with a checklist helps keep you on point and the process moving in an orderly fashion.  Checking off each completed step gives you that much more peace of mind that all your ducks are in a row and your depositions will go off smoothly!  You can create several checklists and categorize them.  For example, if you have a Hong Kong deposition in the future, create your Hong Kong deposition checklist and include sub-checklists.  Use the sub-checklists to track your court reporting needs (reporter, videographer, and interpreter) and travel requirements and arrangements (passport/visa requirements, hotel accommodations), etc.

Use your court reporting firm’s paperwork.  The Standing Order Form is designed to make certain your expectations are met.  Completing and returning the paperwork ensures your specifications are in hand. Does an attorney require realtime provided on a loaner laptop?  Are videos to be synchronized with transcripts?   Not only will your videos and transcripts be formatted and delivered as you request, but you can also guarantee everyone who needs a copy of the rough draft receives it promptly via email.

For help organizing your 2016 meetings, depositions, or trials, contact us at scheduling@planetdepos.com, international@planetdepos.com or 888.433.3767.