An administrative assistant is the backbone of any organization. The responsibility they hold can be highly demanding, but they are also very rewarding. Creating a daily work routine can help set you up for success.
If you’re an aspiring administrative assistant (or an experienced admin), you might want to know how to establish the perfect daily routine.
Well, I think we all know there is rarely anything “perfect” in our professions, but we can aim for “perfect for us.”
But first, as a foundational passive, yet ever-present rule, try to incorporate the following as a just in case.
- It’s not easy to maintain a healthy work-life balance, and you can’t afford to burn out. To start, have an administrative system in place that begins with “be kind to yourself.” You want your day to start off with on a good page and an open mind. Remember that your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
- Try to find a good work-life balance will improve your mood and health. It will help you avoid burnout or stress-related issues in the long run.I know it’s a lot easier said than done, but continuing to strive for this is totally worth it.
Your Daily Administrative Work Routine
In order to make sure that your day goes smoothly, it is important to create your daily office schedule. This will help you be more consistent and realistic about what kind of day and week you’re about to have.
Creating an administrative schedule will also ensure that you can plan for any delays. By having a set plan to start your day, you can be more productive and work with intention throughout the day.
The first step in creating your daily office schedule is determining what tasks should take priority on your list of things to do each day.
Some people find it helpful to divide their tasks into “morning” and “afternoon” groups so that they can know exactly when they need to complete these tasks. While other make a list and sort by difficulty level or priority level.
Try out some different ways and find what works best for you.
As you know, I use Trello to help organize my work life. I plan every event, project, and task (or as many as I can) in detail and assign due dates, so when I walk in to work, my To-Do list is already waiting for me. Trello has truly made it possible to keep up with my very demanding job.
No, they don’t pay me to say this (though they should. Do better, Atlassian)!
If you find that your mind is full of too many details and your desk is a sea of post-it notes – I strongly suggest you check out any project management software to help you conquer your day.
Benefits of a Daily Administrative Work Routine
One benefit of a daily administrative work schedule is that it helps you (and everyone else) know what and when tasks need and should be done.
You can plan your administrative week in advance and set specific tasks for the entire week. Especially if your tasks include helping to drive timelines, meet deadlines and help coordinate schedules.
Taking the time to help yourself in order to help others can help you stand out and make you feel more confident.
Additionally, a work routine provides a clear overview about how much time we spent on each task and lets us plan our workload in advance. If you plan your workload beforehand, you have the opportunity to take care of all our tasks efficiently or prioritize them accordingly.
This opportunity is especially helpful when you know you have “hell week” around the corner. Armed with the right information and planning, you can work ahead if you have time, and build up your mental strength.
3 Tips for Setting Up Your Administrative Routine
It may be hard to remember your day-to-day administrative tasks when you are busy managing your company. But it is important to have them planned out so that you can keep up with your business without having too many distractions.
Here are the three tips for setting up your administration routine:
1) Decide how you want to set your administrative system.
As any admin knows, the right amount of preparation is often the key to success. It’s no different for you and your system. Take the time to figure out what you want/can do, and how you want to accomplish it.
2) Be flexible and open to change if your routine is not working for you.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein
If your routine isn’t working for you, woman/man/they up and change it if it’s within your power. This should be within our power, but sometimes it’s not. So, for those of us who can, do it! Do it for yourself, your sanity, and for the other admins who can’t.
For those of us who can’t, be kind to yourself and remind yourself this process is not under your control. Reassure yourself that your opinions are still valid. Remember, all you have to continue to do is your best – even if it’s not your preferred decision.
3) Be kind to yourself.
Shit happens. As long as you don’t choose to swim in it, you won’t stink. You like that? No? OF COURSE YOU DID! I don’t believe you. Well, it felt good to me.
But seriously, you can’t control everything or anyone other than yourself. Remember, you are human and you can’t do everything, and you can’t do everything perfectly. Just like working in Excel, there are many ways to get the same result.
As someone who struggles with perfectionism, sometimes, you have to just keep reminding yourself that you’re doing your best. The best is literally all we can do.
If you miss something in your routine or there’s a kink in the cog of the routine, fix it and move on.
Admins don’t fail, we learn.
Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash
