Have you ever been at the airport or mid-flight and realized that you forgot something important at home, such as tickets to an event or your suit jacket? Those moments of panic can be avoided by preparing for your trip effectively. To have a stress-free travel experience this holiday season, follow these 3 tips:

1. Plan ahead for what you will pack

Create a packing checklist of everything you will need for the trip a couple of days before your trip so that you can add to it as you remember certain items. Then when it is time to pack, you can check items off of your list when you have put them in your suitcase. When you write everything down you have less of a chance of forgetting something.

2. Bring chargers in your carry on

Ensure you have your chargers with you in your carry on bag just in case you get stuck in the airport for an extended period of time due to a delay - you wouldn’t want to be without your computer or phone when you are stuck for an extra 3 hours at the gate!

3. Pack emergency clothes

Most people have experienced their bag getting lost by the airport at some point in their lives. Avoid being stuck wearing the same clothes for multiple days on your holiday vacation by bringing a set of fresh clothes with you in your carry on. This is especially important if you want to wear comfortable clothes to the airport but have a dinner or event with a dress code that you are planning on attending.

Want access to more tips for the holiday season? Check out The Productivity School on Facebook and Twitter!

Whether its your 1st or your 50th Thanksgiving meal that you’re hosting, you still probably panic a little just thinking about the day. Here at Innovatively Organized, we love the holiday because we can implement our productivity skills into planning the meal. To help you stress a little less this Thanksgiving, we want to share with you some productivity tips that will help you execute a successful thanksgiving meal. Here are our Thanksgiving Productivity Tips:

Create a schedule

Create a schedule this weekend to plan for the big day. Break down the holiday feast into phases such as planning, shopping, prep, cooking, serving, cleaning, etc.

Make a to-do list

Write out your to-do list for each phase. You’ll be really glad you wrote down potatoes on your grocery list when you almost forget to buy them at the store.

Delegate to family members

Delegate certain tasks to family members, whether its certain parts of the cooking process or simply part of your shopping list. You can also assign certain family members a certain dish to bring so that you don’t have to do all of the cooking. Hosting a Thanksgiving dinner is a lot less stressful when others help you out.

Don’t try to do everything at once

As long as you plan out your time effectively and implement the previous tips, you won’t have to worry about this tip. However, just remember that no one can do everything at once! You should relax and enjoy the holiday.

Want additional help with your productivity? Check out our individual productivity consulting!

http://www.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2012811/reg_1024.ab.voice.091112.jpg

With season 5 of ‘The Voice’ in full swing, our team at Innovatively Organized realized that the show is not only entertaining but also full of productivity lessons! The contestants and their coaches have been working tirelessly to make it to the final 12 announced last week, so how did they make it? Although their talent is undeniable, their drive and productivity is what has separated them from those that have been voted off. Here’s the 3 productivity tips we’ve learned from the contestants on ‘The Voice’:

Practice makes perfect

For everyone that watches the show, we’ve all heard the stories of the practice that each artist put in to have such an amazing voice. The show also highlights some of their practice they put in with their coaches. Those contestants who are serious about their practice time show vast improvements and avoid elimination each week all the way through to the end. This can be applied to everyday life because those who practice and stick to what they’re doing end up finishing, even if there are struggles along the way. No matter how difficult, doing something over and over again will lead to more success with that task in the future.

Commitment makes it easier

The contestants coming in with experience seem to know how to memorize and perform. Even the ones that lack experience but come into the show with commitment go far in the show. Being committed to something builds muscle memory and helps habits stick easier. When you are passionate about something, such as winning ‘The Voice’, there will be a much higher chance you will succeed. Even if you don’t like a task or find the steps to reach a goal are difficult, if you tell yourself that you really want it, you’ll achieve it.

Confidence leads to success

‘The Voice’ contestants are some of the most confident people out there considering they are willing to sing in front of millions of Americans on National television. We can all learn from them on this. Being confident and positive helps you stay committed. If you think a task seems too tedious or a goal too unreachable, you’re setting yourself up for failure. However, if you tell yourself that you are smart or talented enough to complete something, it will seem more realistic and will thus motivate you to finish.

Need additional help with individual productivity? Check out our Individual Productivity Consulting page to see how we can help!

Look around at your desk. If you have papers sitting next to you that you aren’t using for the task you are working on, then consider creating a file flow for all of your paperwork. An effective file flow solves the question of how you deal with incoming paperwork and where you store it all. First of all, you’ll want to schedule time for yourself for filing on a regular basis. This will ensure you’ll spend less time filing and looking for paperwork and more time being productive. You’ll also want to ensure that you and whoever else shares your filing system creates a file structure that everyone follows. If you still aren’t sure how a file flow could increase your productivity, take a look at our 3 reasons for developing a file flow in our office:

3 reasons why a file flow is important:

1. You won’t set papers down once you’re done with them, which creates piles of clutter around your desk or office

2. You can find what you’re looking for later - and so can your co-workers

3. You are saving time by batching tasks that the files represent into blocks of time. Don’t forget to put on your calendar though!

Need help creating an effective file flow for your office? Check out our file management consulting to see how we can help!