As a Virtual Assistant, I am organized. There is no way I could get through my days, weeks, or months without being top notch at the organizing game.

I have three rules that I live by in order to keep myself more organized. I call them the Holy Trinity and the common thread that binds them altogether is a To-Do List.

Whether you choose to keep a to-do list on written pad and paper or somewhere on your computer is up to you. But you must have one. Yes, MUST. I honestly don’t know how people who own their own business get by without one.

Most of the time, my to-do list is on my computer. Either it’s on a document somewhere or it’s all the flagged emails within my inbox. Occasionally, I will resort to pen and paper when I need to separate what should be done immediately.

So if the To-Do List is the common thread, the Holy Trinity is the solution for keeping your work days organized.

1. Check your to-do list first thing. Before even checking emails, refresh yourself on any outstanding items. This way you can begin to get acquainted with anything that was left outstanding the night before.
a. If there are any items that you know must be done ASAP, write them down. This way you won’t forget about them after checking your inbox.

2. Keep yourself at Inbox 0. Every time you read an email, make sure that there’s an action associated with it. Star or flag it if it needs follow up. Categorize it or label it so that you know where to find it later. Respond right away, if needed.
a. Never say, “I’ll respond later” and leave the email alone. More often than not, you will forget about the email. This can lead to serious consequences depending on how urgent the email may be.
b. If you are someone who gets such a large deluge of emails that you have trouble keeping your inbox at 0, hiring a Virtual Assistant can help. I am an expert at categorizing and organizing your email so that you know which emails you have to respond to first and which can wait. Contact me to begin organizing your life better.


3. Check your to-do list one more time before logging out. By checking your to-do list one last time, you are going through everything that you swore you would do that morning, day before, etc. There have been a few times I’ve checked my to-do list when I thought it was time to wrap up and realized there were items I had to get done before day’s end!

There’s always more than that, but I have used this method for years and as a result, have had very few slip ups in my work. The Holy Trinity keeps me organized, efficient, and most importantly – helps me feel calmer when I enter and leave the workday.

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Like what you read? Want to get in touch? Check me out at DependableVA and find out how you can begin to save yourself time, money, and stress by hiring a dependable Virtual Assistant.