10 Need To Know Tips To Organize Your Life Starting Today
You are not alone if you struggle to organize your life. Finances, schedules, commitments, friends, and family can all be a lot at times to keep a handle on. The moment you control one area, another goes out of control. Tasks will fall through the cracks, and mistakes will happen to the unorganized person.
Developing organizational habits and implementing them in your daily life is essential for success. Instead of throwing caution to the wind and “winging” it every day, develop habits that will stick. If you’re not an organized person, it’s a skill that you can learn as long as you are willing to do so. This article will outline 10 need to know tips to organize your life. In doing so, you should feel less stressed and have more time to spend the ways you want to.
1. Write it down
I can not stress enough the importance of writing down what you need to do or remember. Not only do you gave a written history, but as you “tick” off accomplishments, you motivate yourself to do more. Whether you use your cell phone or go old school with a note pad, write things down. We all lead busy lives, and occasionally essential items slip through the cracks if you are unorganized.
When you have an important thought, take out your cell phone and use the note section to capture those thoughts. You don’t even have to type anymore with speech to text. I record messages regularly for myself, so I remember to add a task to my to-do list or a call I need to make.
Use whatever technology or non-technology works for you but write things down.
2. Create schedules and deadlines
When I speak to and study organized people, they all have a few things in common, the most significant thing in common is that they don’t waste time. Organized people create schedules and goals and adhere to deadlines. They are always on time and execute on what they say they will. Organized people don’t spend hours a day scanning through social media feeds. They focus on what’s important, the life in front of them.
It is vital to remember that there are 168 hours in a week. How are you going to spend your time each week? That hour you waste on social media could be an hour you spend at the gym or with your children. Do yourself a favor and chart out how you spend your time over a week. Write down exactly how much time you spend on each activity in your day. You might be surprised how much time you are wasting. Be honest when doing this exercise.
The hour you waste each day can be time spent at the gym or with your children or bettering yourself.
Read more about Being On Time All The Time
3. Do not procrastinate
The longer you avoid doing something, the harder it gets to do. You can take all the time you want, but avoiding it will not make it go away. The perfect example is asking your child to clean their room. The longer they procrastinate, the more days go by, and more of a mess occurs.
If they had only cleaned their room when asked, it would have taken 30 minutes, but instead, due to procrastination, the job now takes 2 hours. The pile of dirty clothes that’s been on the floor for a week now eclipses the dresser.
Eliminating procrastination will eliminate added stress and anxiety and provide you extra time to get more done!
4. Everything needs a place
Part of organizing your life is making sure that everything in your life has its proper place. My children seem to think the appropriate place for “everything” in our home is the kitchen table, but I assure you it’s not. Everything having a place also means putting things back in their proper place when finished using them. A scissor gets used to cut a tag off a new shirt, and I find the label on the counter and the scissors next to it.
Just put the scissors back and the tag in the garbage. The more that things get out of place, the more unorganized you become. Not putting an item back in its proper place only wastes time when you need it again and can’t find it.
Use storage bins and boxes when necessary and make sure to label the outside of the box or container so you can plainly see what’s inside. We use a Brother P-Touch for all our labeling needs. They work well and aren’t expensive. The Brother P-Touch helps to organize files, bottles, jars, and all storage containers.
5. Regularly declutter your surroundings
Have you ever taken a look around your room or basement/storage closet and thought, “I have a lot of stuff.” When you have too much “stuff,” it becomes easier to become unorganized. The rule should be to keep what you need and get rid of what you don’t. If you haven’t worn a shirt in 3 years, it’s time to get rid of it. If there is a box in your basement that you never opened since the day you moved in, ditch it! (unless of course, it is full of keepsakes)
Donating your items to those less fortunate is always best. Try your local churches or The Salvation Army. A garage sale once or twice a year is still a sure-fire way to declutter your surroundings while earning extra money. We have also been successful in selling old items on local Facebook groups for our county.
6. Don’t overshop
Big box stores or club stores like Costco can be a problem if you don’t keep yourself in check. We typically only buy what we need when in these stores and usually items that we would purchase at a drugstore or grocery store like toilet paper, detergent, etc. The big-box store/club store provides larger quantities and better value. Don’t go overboard buying a 55-gallon drum of pancake syrup if you have pancakes once a month.
The same goes for clothing, shoes, and personal items. Buy what you need. How many friends do you have that buy outfits they never wear or impulse buy a knick nack in a store to clutter an end table? Buy within your means and only what you will use or need.
7. Prioritize — you can’t do it all
It is ok to say no at times. You can’t do it all, and occasionally a request might have to receive a no answer. Prioritize what is critical for achieving your goals and learn to say no. I’m not saying not to help your neighbors and friends when they are in need but do so within reason. You can’t spend every minute of your life assisting others and expect to succeed yourself.
Start each day with your most important task, and from there, decide where to focus your time and energy. Plan your day accordingly as best you can the night before.
8. Develop routines and habits
Success comes from practicing good habits and sticking to routines. Routines and habits are set up for success over the long run and not one-offs. When you practice bad habits such as scrolling through social media for hours on end, you rob yourself of time. Time that can be spent in other more positive ways.
Building good habits takes time and won’t happen overnight. Perseverance is essential when developing good habits and routines. Plans and to-do lists won’t do you any good if you don’t have motivation and perseverance.
Once you have developed good habits, use them to develop a routine. This routine should help you to manage time, eliminate procrastination, and keep you motivated and moving forward.
9. Strike a balance
Don’t get all encompassed in spending your life being organized. You can not do it all, and tomorrow is another day. Don’t overextend and take on more than you can handle. In the long run, you may do more damage than good as you spend too much time at work instead of with friends and family.
Strike a balance and middle-ground. Take care of yourself physically and mentally and allow yourself to unwind with family and friends. Socializing is an important part of life. Take breaks throughout your day and vacation from work at least twice a year as you see fit. When you are relaxing, truly relax. Stay off your phone, and work email and truly unwind and relax. It only takes one “bad” email from work to potentially ruin a vacation.
10. Adjust when necessary
You will never be perfect. There will be adjustments along the way and you will learn what works best for you and what doesn’t. Don’t be discouraged if you need to make adjustments. Routines are great, but not if they aren’t working. Sometimes it can be a little tweak or change to kickstart us moving forward again.
Be agile, flexible, and ready to change and adapt when you have to.
If you truly want to organize your life, know that it will take time, effort, and hard work. If you follow these 10 tips, you will be well on your way to organizing your life both at home and at work!
What do you do in life to help to stay organized? Share your tips below in the comment section.
Originally published at https://dadontheedge.com on February 18, 2020.