The most organised people get a lot done. They manage their to-do lists and they don’t seem to forget about anything, all while maintain composure and managing stress levels.

So it’s not surprising that the vast majority of Fortune 500 executives and VIPs interviewed by Daniel J Levitin, a neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author, don’t feel frantic or disorganised despite having so many responsibilities. He says that their levels of organisation enable them to be “in the moment”, that they stress less and they aren’t trying to beat the clock.

Some of them have assistants and external help- teams of people who help them decide what the most effective way for them to spend their time is. But there’s more to it than that and good news at that- multi-tasking really is not the most effective way to get more done. And even better: implementing the right systems means you don’t have to hire an entire staff entourage to help you through it. Here’s how.

Get Your To-Do List Out Of Your Head

Using a task management system like Cosapien enables you to engage with your to-do list outside of your head. This takes the weight of mental organisation off your shoulders- and places it into an automated system, which is easier for you to manage.

According to Levitin, the world’s most efficient and successful people collate all their essential information in one place (as opposed to using lots of different platforms to make notes). In his words, it’s “scattering” all your different tasks across different media, platforms and notepads that can leave you feeling “scatterbrained”, like you’ve forgotten something and ultimately feeling anxious.

Once you’ve got your list out of your head, author of Getting Things Done, David Allen, recommends that you subdivide your to-do list even further:

1. Do it
2. Delegate it
3. Defer it
4. Drop it

Why is “dealing” with it effective? Well, recording or documenting your to-do list stops you from going through rehearsal loops. A rehearsal loop is your brain’s way of trying to stop you from forgetting things- so your important tasks are thrown into a rehearsal loop to remind you about them.

Recording tasks in Cosapien gives you greater control over your to-do list. You can assign yourself tasks or delegate them to co-workers, suppliers and colleagues, while you are sitting in a meeting. You can set due dates (which assists with time management) for yourself and for others, review it once done and then move forward.

Your Most Creative Times Are Sacred

Remember that your most creative times are early in the morning, and just after breaks or exercise, so don’t waste them by booking meetings.

Cosapien collates all your task reminders for you, and for the people you have delegated tasks to. It lets you know what you need to prepare for your next meeting, as well as what colleagues and suppliers need to submit, to make progress on projects. It also encourages you to assign time to the tasks you need to complete ahead of time.

Filter Out Distractions

Sure, we may be overloaded with information, but whether we choose to engage with it is a choice. If you find yourself getting distracted too easily, it is time to start filtering out everything that is unnecessary.

If you have allocated time to complete a certain task and you do not want to be distracted by a ringing telephone or an assistant, make yourself unavailable. Assign specific times of the day to handle telephone calls, answer emails and work on certain projects. If it is not your time to answer emails, that “high importance” message will have to wait.

Decide What’s Good Enough

Set your own benchmark for what you consider to be “good enough”. And stop there. Overthinking and overdoing leads to unnecessarily high stress levels, and ultimately “wastes” your limited mental capacity on small matters. Conserve your mental energy for your biggest and most important decisions. Everything else you do should be done satisfactorily- and you are the person who gets to decide what that is. In doing what is “good enough” with minimal effort, you optimise your return on your investment.

Adapt To Change

In an ideal world everything would run according to schedule, but in the real world, it doesn’t. Having a plan is important, but it’s agility and flexibility that can help you to manage stress when things don’t run according to plan. Ritualising your life conserves mental energy and gets optimal use from your precious cognitive resources. When you are under stress, the rituals are especially important.

Cosapien allows you to update tasks and due dates, and to issue early warnings when there is a chance a due date may not be met.

Allocate Spaces For Specific Mental States

The research tells us that a messy desk really does reflect a messy state of mind, so maintaining organisation outside of your head can influence what goes on inside it.

When you need to focus on something really important, have a dedicated space available, so you aren’t distracted by ringing phones and colleague conversations.

If you found this article interesting, Cosapien’s time management and meeting minuting capabilities will work for you. Get an invite below.