“I run a private practice and have three boys, ages 9-14, who are involved in year-round sports and school activities. My husband travels often for work. I’m the President of the Bucks Montgomery Optometric Association, so I have to organize a lot of local meetings and obtain speakers and sponsors. I am also the treasurer of my local rotary club. I have a dry erase calendar at home that is color coordinated, and I love making physical lists. I have a work-related list and a home-related list I start every Saturday morning. It’s very satisfying to cross things off.” -Melissa Richard, OD, MS, Chalfont, Pennsylvania
“I stay organized by setting specific goals at the beginning of each year and categorizing them, such as personal, business, financial, fitness or spiritual goals. I constantly refer back to this list on a monthly basis to make sure I’m keeping up. I use a planner to plan out my goals and things to do for each week and I set a budget every month for my finances. I make sure to keep my home and work space clutter free. Also, I do not fret if I do not complete everything on my to-do list; I believe the key to happiness is to enjoy the little moments and create harmony between work and play.” -Giulia Tinari, OD, Paoli, Pennsylvania
“I work at three different offices and do a decent amount of lecturing/writing/consulting, so staying organized and being prepared for each day is critical because my schedule differs so much from day to day. I live and die by my planner and Google calendar. If it isn’t written on the calendar, it isn’t going to happen. I try to input any plans or events into my Google calendar immediately so I don’t forget, which also allows me to reply immediately if I have a conflict when scheduling something else down the road.
“I take a moment at the beginning of every week to look at the next seven days ahead to prepare for all that I need to accomplish, in addition to my full-time job. Up until last year, I had a good ‘ole fashioned calendar that I wrote every single meeting, article due and to-do in. I have since switched to a digital calendar in my phone (#newyearsresolution2023), which has proven not to be as dependable or trustworthy.” -Jade Coats, OD, Fayetteville, Arkansas
“I stay organized by utilizing a workout calendar, a work/career calendar and a family calendar. My day is broken up into a workout in the morning, work during the day and managing my children’s sports in the evening, so these three things are organized and everything gets done. -Sally Halim, OD, Woolwich, New Jersey
I keep digital files organized by topic as well, so that I can easily find files later, and I use ClickUp to remind myself of annual processes like releasing trainings to staff and providers.” -Amy Moy, OD, FAAO, CPCO, FNAP, Boston, Massachusetts
“I stay organized by incorporating a balanced approach to my daily tasks– essentially by doing a little bit of everything every day, so that nothing piles up to a state where it becomes overwhelming. By spreading out my efforts across different tasks consistently, I maintain a sense of control and efficiency. An important tool that I utilize is a to-do list with things ranked in order of importance along with pertinent deadlines, so I can optimize productivity and maintain organization in both my professional and personal endeavors.” -Roya Attar, OD, MBA, DHA, FAAO
“Staying organized can be tough– sometimes one part of my life is more organized than others. To keep track of appointments and ‘going-ons,’ I use a synced calendar on my phone with my husband so we can see what each other has going on, including our kids’ activities. I also use Pinterest for other organization tools around the house and follow Instagram influencers who have given some great ideas to stay organized and clean around the house.” -Courtney Gonzales, OD, Carmel, Indiana
