There are two kinds of people in this world—those who are organized without fault and those who would lose their heads if they weren’t attached to their bodies. If you find yourself in the latter category then you’ll probably be very interested in learning a few organizational tips.
There are habits organized people keep that make their lives a whole lot easier. One of which is putting things where they need to go instead of dropping them on the nearest table and getting back to them moments before whatever they’re looking for is needed.
A good example of not just dropping something the moment you get home is your mail. HGTV says that organized people don’t drop their new mail wherever it’s convenient, instead they have a dedicated place they file it to make reviewing it a whole lot easier.
One of the first things you should do if you actually want to get more organized in your life is to create a list of what you need to get done, and you shouldn’t be doing this just once according to Apartment Therapy. No, your list creation needs to be a daily habit.
Apartment Therapy says while making your list is all well and good, you also need to be reviewing it daily if you want to feel more organized in your life. Look at it during the day, review it again at night, cross off what you’ve done, and then make your next list.
Nothing is ever going to change if you don’t hold yourself accountable when you fail to get more organized. That’s why the University of Rochester recommends you regularly check in with yourself on your goals and develop an accountability system with others.
Say for example you want to make sure you’re sticking to the timeline you’ve written out on your to-do list for the day. You could let a friend or coworker in on what you need to get done so they make sure you don’t flake. The social pressure will totally work, right?
The space you operate in on a daily basis can affect the way you work, which is why the Harvard Business Review recommends you keep your workspace clean. “When our space is a mess, so are we,” and it’s not some hocus pocus—the advice works.
In 2017, a study published in Current Psychology found that people living with clutter in their homes to the point that it felt overwhelming were more likely to procrastinate. It’s easy to see how cleaning up your space could have really beneficial knock-on effects.
Talking about clutter, don’t think that you can hide everything on your desks and tables in closets and drawers. HGTV recommends that if you truly want to get organized then you need to start properly maintaining the spaces out of public view in your home.
That doesn’t mean you can’t have a junk drawer according to HGTV. You should just be using things like baskets to keep your spaces organized so you can easily toss items guilt-free into their new homes. You can even go as far as labeling your baskets if you want…
Getting organized doesn’t just mean tidying up your home and getting things done. It also means managing your digital life. Luckily, the Follow app’s website has listed some easy solutions to help you get started on removing the clutter from your all devices.
The first step is to back everything up so if you make a mistake then you have a copy of whatever it is you need. Once your backup is done, you should delete everything you think you don’t need. Then turn your attention to your web browser and email inbox.
Follow says you should choose your web browser wisely and set up different accounts to keep your different online needs separated. Focus on using bookmarks strategically, hide apps in folders, and aim to get your inbox down to zero on a regular basis.
This piece of advice might seem a bit hacky but it really is the best thing you can do for yourself if you want to change your unorganized ways. “Don’t get organized just to make things look good,” Julie Morgenstern told Real Simple, do it for important reasons.
“It should be a gateway to a bigger goal: saving time, saving money, or simply getting access to the things you own,” Morgenstern added. Thinking about it, staying organized in terms of something that is freeing rather than stressful can go a long way in making your new habit stick.
