The art of organising
Beck Wadworth knows about organising. The businesswoman, who went to school in Christchurch, has built a successful brand from helping people make their lives easier. Metropol catches up with Beck about her stylish stationery, and the art of organising in a chaotic world.
Tell us about your love of organising – did this spawn from necessity or want; and how did it evolve into your business, An Organised Life?
“From a young age, I was always extremely organised and loved putting pen to paper, relying daily on to-do lists and my diary. For me, prep and planning has always reduced my stress levels, allowed me to have control over the controllables and in general just made life easier.
“When I moved to Sydney in my early 20s I was working at a very fast-paced company in the fashion industry and couldn’t find a diary that housed all my to-do lists, schedule, notes and more but also looked beautiful and premium. This was when An Organised Life was born. With a background in graphic design, I created my first dream diary and the rest is history.”
Why is it important for you to be organised, and how have you seen the benefits of this play out in your daily life?
“Where do I start? I personally believe there are so many incredible benefits that come from being organised. One of the obvious ones is how much prep, planning and organising can reduce stress levels and allows you to stay in control. Being organised also can save you time and money as well.
“For example, every day I love utilising a to-do list to manage my workload and schedule – personally and professionally. To always look ahead and be proactive rather than reactive. I always write my to-do list the night before and prioritise it which mentally allows me to prep for what is to come. In the morning, I’m ready to go and power through with a clear direction.”
Your stationery goes beyond just days and months – your diaries and notebooks also help with goal setting, budgeting and more. And as we head into a new financial year, people rethink their goals and try to organise the months ahead – what are your top tips for organising your life?
“Prioritise, prioritise, prioritise. Use to-do lists and a 2021 diary to your advantage to manage your workload and schedule daily. Always look ahead; being proactive rather than reactive. Set goals – personal, professional and financial. Pick one day each week that you set aside 30-minutes or so to organise the small things like meal planning, outfits for the week, fitness schedule etc.
“Learn to say no, your time is precious – don’t over commit. And, finally, overestimate rather than underestimate: allow more time to complete projects or tasks rather than too little time. Having a buffer is key. Life can be unpredictable!”
If 2020 taught us anything, it was that you can’t plan for everything! How do you deal with the unexpected, and allow for course-corrections when life veers off course?
“Life is unexpected and there is nothing we can do about that. I’m a big believer in identifying the best- and worst-case scenario in any situation and planning for all of them where possible. Strive for the best case but be aware of the worst case. Adapting and being open minded is always important and knowing your priorities too. In our diaries we have a thorough goal planning section that covers this type of strategy. You set your dream goal but then you create an action plan of how you can actually achieve this.”
Tell us about your new mid-year diaries, and AOL’s other new moves for 2021!
“Designed with function and style in mind, the financial year diaries include a week per double page spread layout, customisable cover, thorough goal planning and budgeting sections, monthly and yearly calendars, organisational tips, monthly motivational quotes, a section for your weekly goal and favourite moment from the week and more.”
