12 Master Lists you must make to be organized at work

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Here are 12 Master Lists you must make to be organized at work, if you find yourself all over the place at work or the office. Are Overwhelmed by tasks and not sure where to start? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered when it comes to getting organized at work. In this post, I’m sharing with you an office to do list organization to get super organized and productive at work.

These lists will help you

• Stay organized at work and not get overwhelmed at work 
• Plan work effectively in advance.
• And more importantly, never let you miss any tasks.

I have been making To-do lists for a long time just like most of us do when we have quite a number of tasks at hand to deal with. But I eventually moved to make master To-do lists of all the things that I need to take care of and this has been a game changer and has made my life at work very organized and productive. I need not spend time always thinking of things that I need to do and can plan things ahead and keep my calm.

I have a post on 20 Lists to organize your life, that you should read if you want to organize your life. However, in this post, I am specifically sharing 12 Master Lists you must make to be organized at work and productive.

So, let’s get started. 

How to organize work to-do list

Here are 12 Master Lists you must make to be organized at work. Depending on your work need and you choice you can start with any of these 12 lists and gradually move to make more.

1: List of projects

The first list I recommend is a list of projects that you are currently working on and are planning for in the coming days. By having all the projects listed you will have better clarity with all the major projects you had and be able to prioritize and plan well. It also allows you to be more productive.

If you can batch the common tasks or activities for the different projects, you can save time and work in parallel on different projects. Listing projects also help you define realistic timelines and plan ahead.

2: Monthly task list

For any job profile, there are some tasks that are repetitive in nature and have to be performed on a monthly basis. These tasks are often performed in bits and pieces over the month and just drag the work throughout the month. By listing them on your monthly list you can time block them and make sure to not spend a lot of time over them. Also, having them listed will make sure you do not miss on them and reduce your overwhelm as you need not keep planning them over and over again and stress about them.

P.S. You may like to read Timeboxing at work: An effective way to get the most done to be more productive.

3: To-do list

Be it a monotonous job or a dynamic job there are some tasks that keep coming up on a daily basis. These may be simple things like a mail to be reverted or a report to be prepared. These sporadic tasks are the ones that take most of the time and disturb our planning.  These also add to our stress as we would have not planned them. Hence making a master To-Do list is essential, this is a running To-Do list to which you keep adding tasks as and when they come. Based on this master to-do list and other list discussed above you should make a daily To-Do list. Here are 10 Ways To Make An Effective To-Do List that I follow to make a useful To-do list.

A pro tip: make a daily to-do list a day before, at the end of the workday to be more efficient and focused.

P.S. You must try my Dynamic Excel To-Do List, it is a list cum planner cum tracker. A simple system yet very effective.

4: Important event/dates list

Always have important events, and dates listed so you do not miss them. These dates can be for submission, contract renewal, conferences, or workshops to attend. Most of the time you need to apply or ensure necessary work for the same is done well in advance so having them listed for a whole year if possible or as you identify helps you be organized and well prepared for the same.

I recommend making this list a task list on Google Calendar so that they get included in your calendar and are not missed. As events that are not immediate may get skipped.

5: List of accounts and passwords

This list is very handy if your work involves using multiple portals, software, or app accounts. At the same time, it is controversial as it may be potentially dangerous to have all your account details and passwords listed out, especially if you have difficult co-workers. 

But prefer to have them listed in softcopy and password-protected the file to avoid misuse.

6: List of important links

To save your time from searching and be more effective at work you must make a list of all the important links. This list includes a link to important websites and portals you use. You can also embed frequent reference documents, files, eBooks, and publications links in this list to make references in the future easy and get more organized and productive at work.

7: List of important people and contact details

Many times we need to contact people outside the organization for different reasons, essentially to get our work done. To make things smooth it is best that you know the right people to contact and their hierarchy. 

Hence, the next list that you must keep is a list of important contacts related to work and your network. Most often we save the contact number of people over the phone but that may not be sufficient. You must keep a list of important people with contact details that include their email id, the organization they belong to, and the key tasks for which they must be contacted. You need not keep a stack of business cards and spend time searching through them, just make a quick search through your list when you need to.

This list ensures all your work contacts and network are organized, handy, and available for use when required. So, next time you attend a work conference, make sure to update this list, and need not add to your business card junk.

I like to use this notebook from Amazon to make my master list for work. It is handy to carry, with sticky notepads to help me categorize effectively

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.

8: List of goals

Without goals, you are lost in the routine tasks at work. Make sure you have a goal-planning session for better clarity and direction. And list them, these goals must not only be related to the projects and tasks at work but also, to your professional goals and things that you can do to achieve them. 

Next, you must break your big goals into small actionable, and achievable monthly or quarterly goals. 

I suggest making a monthly goal list to keep yourself aligned with the bigger picture. You must read my post on Monthly Goal Planning in under 30 min to start with monthly goals planning.

9: List of training and learnings

When it comes to your career, you must always keep yourself updated and abreast with the recent advancements and innovations related to your field of work. You cannot have professional growth if you are just relying on the information and knowledge you have. So to be better organized at work make a list of training and learnings related to your field that you wish to complete. 

By having them listed you can look out for a certification course, and reach your seniors to train you. Also, there are many free training resources and YouTube channels to help you. 

When making a list don’t just limit to the topics of your field but also include things related to professional skills, managerial and leadership training to be successful at work. Here are some examples of training program that you can consider.

P.S you may like to read 10 Things You Must Do To Be Successful At Work

10: List of holidays or vacations

All work and no fun can make you feel overwhelmed and stressed. It is good to take a break from work to avoid burnout. At the same time, you cannot let your work be affected while you are on a break. Hence to make the best of your time, ensure that critical work is not affected, and plan your work well in advance you must make a list of holidays for the entire year, look out for holidays that can be coupled with leave to plan a vacation during the period when you would not expect a critical work to arise and apply for leave in advance.

11: List of motivation quotes 

We all face a time when even the most motivated person feels low and lost. Hence I like to list some motivational quotes and phrases that I like and feel relatable as I come across them. 

There is nothing that boosts you more than motivational quotes. At times when you feel demotivated and deal with a negative mindset, you should read these quotes. You can also choose to have them displayed at your workplace to add positivity and a motivational vibe to your workplace.

12: List of ideas

At meetings, discussions, or sometimes at the most random moments of life, you come across some ideas to bring some improvements to the work or process. You must have them listed and keep adding to them. 

You can also try to have a brainstorming session with your team or draw some points based on your observations at any work meeting to get ideas.

These ideas can be great opportunities for innovation at work and bring success at work. Your supervisors would find you more valuable and you too would feel a sense of achievement.

This list may not be very long or achievable in a short duration but having it will give you an edge over others and keep your ideas and thoughts organized.

P.S. If you are looking to completely organize your life you should check the below spreadsheet-based organization system. I absolutely love it.

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Conclusion

At meetings, discussions, or sometimes at the most random moments of life, you come across some ideas to bring some improvements to the work or process. You must have them listed and keep adding to them. 

You can also try to have a brainstorming session with your team or draw some points based on your observations at any work meeting to get ideas.

These ideas can be great opportunities for innovation at work and bring success at work. Your supervisors would find you more valuable and you too would feel a sense of achievement.

This list may not be very long or achievable in a short duration but having it will give you an edge over others and keep your ideas and thoughts organized.

Here are some related posts that you will like:

18 tips to be organized at work

How to prioritize work tasks

10 habits to be successful at work

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