Ten Easy Ways To Get Organized
Getting organized and staying that way are elusive, seemingly complicated jobs for most of us. We try other people's tools, methods or ideas for organizing our lives, then end up frustrated because we stopped using those tools. I've always had the desire to get and stay organized, but lacked the discipline. Using complicated methods and planners which are more work to maintain, which only made me give up quicker.
When the embarrassment of being unprepared for meetings, not being able to find important papers, forgetting important dates and appointments got to be too much, I made up my mind once and for all that I was sick and tired of being disorganized.
Over time and with study and practice, I have found that these 10 simple tips for getting organized finally worked for me. Keeping them simple is the key to finding tools that will work for you. Hopefully, these organizing ideas will help you too! Let's take a look.
1. Use Lists To Organize Your Tasks
Lists help us remember stuff.
Ever had so much stuff to remember, that you forget one or two? Like remembering to send a package or birthday card? Or did you forget 5 out of 10 things you needed from the store? Yikes!
Making lists can actually be a good way to relieve stress because you won't have to work so hard at remembering everything. You won't have to worry about forgetting something. Committing things to writing puts YOU in control; that's a BIG stress reliever. Enjoy the satisfaction of scratching off tasks as you complete or delegate them! Having lists of different types can also be a huge relief!
List making can help you prioritize tasks so you won't miss deadlines, appointments, events, etc. Reviewing your list often can help find items you can delegate or even decide that you don't need to do, too!
- A Master To Do List. If you don't have a to do list, you use the sticky note method, or you have several forgotten lists, it may be easier for you to start with a simple Master To Do List. Everything goes here ~ work, home, kids, hobbies, medical, pets. If you need to do something, add it to this list. Get it off your mind! It's a brain dump ~ list EVERYTHING!
- A Daily To Do List. Take items from your master list and add them to a daily list. Ideally, 3-6 items at a time will help you get things done quicker than you might think. Looking at your master list every day could be overwhelming unless you have nerves of steel. Taking 3-6 items from it and working them into your day, every day, will have you buzzing along at a comfortable pace daily.
Don't try to remember everything! Write it down!
Home Organization: Organize Your Life!
Some excellent organizing tips here
2. Use A Calendar To Keep Track Of Important Dates & Appointments
Calendars Give You Super-Powers!
A calendar is one of the basic tools for getting organized. Duh, right? Well, you'd be surprised how many times I *still* say "I can remember that" and later miss that appointment. Got a date? Write it down!
- Keep track of everything that has a date to it. Doctor's appointments, garbage pick up days, school events & holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, conventions, brush pick up days, recycling days. If you need or want to remember it, write it down.
- It doesn't matter what kind of calendar you use, so long as you USE it. It helps if the blocks are big enough to write several things in them. You can use a daily, weekly or monthly calendar - whichever is most convenient for you. That's the secret to our calendar success; make it convenient enough that we WILL use it.
- Ideally, you should only use ONE calendar. This keeps things at the simplest level. Use the one calendar to combine school activities, medical appointments, volunteering activities and household schedules.
- Use your calendar as a tool for saving time and money. Do you have a doctor's appointment? "Schedule" your errands for that day too and save gas. Do you have several calls to make on your to do list? "Schedule" a morning of phone calls. Are there several birthdays or other special occasions in one month? Plan ahead and do all your shopping at once. You control your schedule ~ it shouldn't control you.
Find A Calendar Style You Like & Will Use
There are styles for everyone!
3. Review Your To Do List & Calendar Weekly
Look ahead and plan accordingly
Maintaining your to do list & calendar is important to getting & staying organized. Weekly reviews help you remove items that you've completed, add any new items and incorporate scheduled appointments or other activities.
- Review your to do list to remove or mark off any items that are already done. Enjoy that feeling of accomplishment! Add any new tasks that you can think of now. Enjoy the feeling of knowing you're in control of your time!
- Look at the calendar for the week ahead. Double-check that you haven't missed any new appointments or errands. Incorporate some items from your to do list for each day. Are there any school activities this week? Do you need to do anything special for those activities? Doctor or dentist appointments? When is trash day? Need to schedule an errand day?
4. Gather & Keep All Needed Information Handy
Don't waste time, stress or energy looking for what you need
- Find the most comfortable method of maintaining a to do list, whether it's a notebook, planner, or even a small spiral note pad. The easier it is for you to use, the more likely it is you'll keep using it. Pick a calendar that will be convenient to you. Whether it's a small pocket calendar, a desk calendar, a planner or a wall calendar, make it a habit to use one. Ideally, try to find a way to keep your to do list and calendar together if you're using a portable calendar.
- Do you have people or businesses that you call frequently? How many of them do you have to look up every time? A simple one page list of frequently called numbers might help. Or, if you prefer ~ add all your phone numbers to an address book. No more loose business cards, sticky notes, numbers written on the front of the phone book. Keeping these numbers all in one place where you can easily get to them will save you time and stress. While you're at it, add some of the more important ones to your cell phone address book.
- Some handy & important numbers to add to your cell phone and address book: your primary care physician, your health insurance provider, your home and auto insurance agent's number, lost or stolen credit card number/s, a local locksmith, a towing company or your AAA number, a trusted neighbor or two. For your immediate family, include work and home numbers. Keeping these numbers where you can quickly get to them will go a very long way to providing peace of mind. Being able to get to them quickly in an emergency will reduce stress.
- Choose ONE "workstation" place to keep mail, bill paying items, stationary & supplies, household information & possibly a simple filing system. It can be in a closet or an extra room. You can keep everything in a pretty basket or set up a desk. At one point, I used a microwave cart as an impromptu "home office." The important part is to bring everything you need for home management, time management and reference together into one place to save you time. Always keep new mail & bills at this station in an in basket, folder or box. No more leaving it all over the house.
Home Organization: How To Organize and File Paper
Easy To Use Tools To Keep Your Important Information Organized
Choose what you like & what is easy for you to keep up with
5. Keep Any Organizing Method You Use Simple
Don't go overboard!
This was my weakness. As I struggled to get organized, I found lots of great information, methods and tools. What I found was that I kept picking the most complicated systems, then quickly giving up when I discovered they didn't work.
Actually, they do work ~ just not for me. I ended up spending way too much time (not to mention the MONEY I spent) building these systems, only to get lost in trying to use them.
What I do now works for me. Some or all of it might work for you. The best way to go about getting organized is to START simple. Then, as you go along you can add another tool you need. The best thing I ever added to my "system" were my notebooks (binders). What a revelation! Once I built them, each for their purpose, I found that it takes very little time to keep them current. I love my binders so much, I made lenses about them too! You'll find links to them elsewhere on this page.
- Consider whether you want something easy to carry along or something to keep at your workstation. If carry along is what you want, remember that it should be light. Who wants to lug around a brick for the sake of getting organized? There are small, medium and large binders available where you can insert your lists, calendar and address book. Pocket folders are also handy ways to keep your information handy. Take some time to think about what you need most ~ think hard about each topic to keep yourself from going overboard.
- Depending on how much "life" you want to organize, consider *what* you want to keep track of. Including your children &/or spouse's needs, your household management needs and especially YOUR needs are probably the most important.
In your cell phone, and in any portable address book you carry with you, mark your emergency numbers with ICE in front of the entry. Many emergency responders now know to look for contacts marked ICE - In Case of Emergency.
Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos (Paperback)
One of my favorites ~ I refer to it often!
Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos
Amazon Price: $8.74 (as of 02/17/2012)
List Price: $16.95
America's leading housekeeping expert shows you how to de-clutter, organize, and clean your home, with easy-to-remember tips for every job, from keeping your bathroom clean and doing the laundry to sorting out paperwork and organizing the family photo album. Where there is hope, there is help. You can win the chore wars!
6. Establish Routines To Help Keep Tasks Under Control
Another of my very favorite tips!
Some tasks you do every day, some every week, some monthly. It's easy to say we have our daily routines memorized and we remember everything we need to do every day. But how many times do we actually remember to get those things done!
When I studied my favorite organizing gurus' tips and suggestions, I thought it interesting that nearly all of them suggest establishing and keeping to daily, weekly & monthly routines. Well, I tried it, worked and worked on it and realized that my house was cleaner, the stack of unopened mail & unfiled paperwork was gone and the huge pile of laundry was also gone.
I hate housework ~ it messes with my crafting time! But once I had some actual routines set up & stuck with them, I found I actually had MORE time to craft, garden, read, etc. Who'da thunk?
- My very favorite tips came from Flylady.net. Daily routines are a good way to remember what to do DAILY that will help you keep your house clean or your work flowing, etc. She recommends a Morning Routine, Afternoon/after school/after work routine, and an evening routine. I wrote mine out and keep them in my household notebook. It takes time to create the habit for your routines, but I personally have found it extremely worthwhile. And yes, I still refer to the list to make sure I haven't skipped anything.
- Routines help us accomplish more over time, without feeling overwhelmed. For example, laying out the next day's clothes as part of your evening routine takes only a few minutes, but the time it saves in the morning is much more obvious. Doing a load of laundry every day divides that effort more evenly, saving you time overall. No more whole days spent washing, drying and folding! I loved her suggestions for keeping the bathroom tidy too ~ a daily "swish and wipe" routine done after my shower. Boy, has that reduced the dreaded time spent on deep cleaning the bathroom!
- Weekly routines help incorporate those tasks that we might otherwise forget. Saturday is always Bill-Paying Day for me. Mondays are whole house cleaning day (adapted from Flylady's Weekly Home Blessing Hour). Sundays are my Plan and Play days. I do my weekly calendar and to do list review on Sundays ~ then I PLAY!
Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos?
The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons
Sink Reflections
Amazon Price: $7.73 (as of 02/17/2012)
From Publishers Weekly
In her debut book, Cilley, a.k.a. "The FlyLady" to the thousands who log onto her FlyLady.net Web site, reaches into the everywoman's home to help make her housecleaning more fun and her life more organized. Beginning with "Shiny Sink 101," Cilley explains how a spotless kitchen sink can direct even the most discouraged housekeeper onto the path of well-ordered domesticity. Through several straightforward routines, including the 27 Fling Boogie (the cut-throat practice of quick junk disposal), the Five-Minute Room Rescue ("another step on the road to clutter recovery") and the Hot Spot Fire Drill (for an area that, like a forest fire, takes over your home), Cilley advises her "FlyBabies" on how to overcome clutter and CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). Filled with testimonials from online followers, the book aims to help readers establish manageable daily and weekly habits by incorporating spirituality and family into the program. Detailed and direct, this is a guidebook for the stay-at-home or working woman who wants to have it all, including her sanity.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
7. Set Goals For Yourself
What is it that you would like to accomplish?
"The thing about goals is that living without them is a lot more fun, in the short run.
It seems to me, though, that the people who get things done, who lead, who grow and who make an impact... those people have goals." Seth Godin's Blog post, The Thing About Goals
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The SMART method of setting goals:
Specific; The more specific the goal, the better chance of reaching it, because you can clearly see what it is you want. Saying I want to lose weight, quit smoking or even be a Squidoo giant lensmaster isn't very specific. Setting a goal like, "I want to lose 25 pounds." is much more specific. It gets your mind to work visualizing and figuring out how to get there.
Measurable; Which is more measurable? "I want to lose weight." or "I want to lose 25 pounds?" Know exactly what the mark is that you want to reach. 50 lenses? You can do that! For a goal to be measurable you need a way to measure how close you are and when you've reached your goal. Seeing your progress is very important for staying motivated.
Achievable; Make sure that your goal is achievable. I may like to set a goal of going to the Moon, now that NASA is working on that again. But considering it seriously, it's not a very realistic goal for me. It's not achievable for me (although if I lose 40 pounds...oh sorry). One of my own goals is to reach 200 lenses. Considering I've already made 107 as of this writing, this is a goal that's much easier for me to achieve. Make the goal challenging, but reachable.
Rewarding; How will you feel when you reach your goal? If something is important enough for you, visualize what reaching that goal would be like. I can definitely *see* myself losing these extra 25 pounds. I *know* I would feel better and believe I would look better. Feeling and looking better are my rewards for achieving my goal.
Timely; Challenge yourself with a deadline. Without a firm deadline for your goal, other "stuff" will get in the way of your achievement. I want to reach 200 lenses by December 31, 2009. I want to double my Squidoo income every quarter (each quarter is a deadline). Having a deadline is related to the goal being measurable. We focus and prioritize when we have deadlines. You won't have time, unless you make time.
Zig Ziglar Setting Goals 1 of 3
Zen To Done: The Simple Productivity E-Book
One of my favorite organizing tools...
Zen To Done takes some of the best aspects of a few popular productivity systems (GTD, Stephen Covey and others) and combines them with the mandate of simplicity. It makes things as simple as possible, and no more.To get the ZTD system in a handy e-book, with additional material, resources and forms, you can purchase it here:
Why buy the e-book?
Of course, the Zen To Done series is still available for free on his blog, so that option is still available. So why would you buy the e-book? A number of reasons:
1. It's handy. All the articles are gathered in one easy-to-read e-book, making it easy to print stuff out, read it on any computer, or take it with you.
2. There's more material. Leo says the series of Zen To Done posts was incomplete because he didn't have the time to write all the posts he had planned. So when he set out to write his e-book, he decided that he wanted to include everything that he had planned and more, from the 10th step (not available as a post on his blog) to an FAQ to a practical application of ZTD in his everyday life to resources to forms and more.
3. Forms. There are some samples of how you could set up ZTD with some simple forms. Of course, ZTD is flexible and you don't need to use these forms.
4. Resources. Links to articles and tools are available in the e-book.
5. FAQ. A number of readers had questions/comments about ZTD that are answered in the ebook.
6. Snazzy new look. The e-book is much nicer looking than the blog and is easier on the eyes. It was designed by James Wondrack.
And because Leo wants to make sure you're satisfied, he includes a 100% money-back guarantee. If you aren't completely happy with the Zen To Done e-book, email him and you'll get your money back right away.
Pricing: To keep the book affordable, it's priced at only $9.50 ... less than $10 for something that can improve your life right away!
8. Declutter & Simplify Each Area Of Your Life
Cut the chaos!
Clutter around the house usually consists of trash, clothes, books, magazines, dishes, and newspapers. Actually just anything that doesn't belong, doesn't make you happy or you don't want or need, is clutter.
If left to pile up and keep growing, it just takes all the energy and joy out of our spirits!
It can be crippling to a pack-rat collector, like me. Promising myself to lose the weight to wear my old jeans, pledging to read all those magazines and newspapers just didn't cut it and I was overwhelmed.
I've had declutter sessions where I've worked on it all at once and I've also made it a habit to declutter daily. What a huge difference! It feels wonderful to look around at the things I do have and know that I have them because I love them or use them.
- At the Get Organized Now site, I learned about "Toss 10." Every day, toss 10 items you no longer want or need. This can be trash, paper, clothes, kitchen items...whatever. It became a game with me and it works! Donate it, sell it or trash it.
- At FlyLady's site, I learned about Super Fling Boogies. Set a timer for 15 minutes and TOSS CLUTTER!. It's fantastic & fun & she even has a clutter-meter where you can enter the number of pounds of "stuff" you've decluttered. What a hoot!
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Most organizers describe "a declutter session." These are great for getting a jump start. I still use these sessions as needed.
Set aside a block of time when you can work uninterrupted - no phone, no TV, no kids (if that's easier for you). Get 3 bags or boxes. One is for trash, one is for donate and one is for 'belongs somewhere else.' If you have a big job in front of you, break it down into manageable pieces. Just work on the closet this session for example. Or your dresser. Or one set of kitchen cabinets.
It's easier if you start at one point and work your way left or right, up or down. Never take out more than you can put away during that session.
When you're done for that session, put everything away! Items to be donated should go in the car immediately, for your next trip out. Or if your favorite charity picks up, schedule the pick up right when you finish. Take the trash out! Go through the 'belongs elsewhere' box quickly & return items to where they actually belong. Take a good look at your handiwork! WOW! It looks great!
Be A Clutter Buster!
Throw Out Fifty Things
Clear The Clutter, Find Your Life!
Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life
Amazon Price: $10.71 (as of 02/17/2012)
From Publishers Weekly
Blanke (Between Trapezes), a motivational speaker and former columnist for Real Simple, shovels aside detritus to make space for cleaner rooms and clearer minds. She challenges readers to follow her example in discarding 50 things; tossed items range from old clothes to the need to be right. The authors suggestions range from the humble (Have a swap party for your outgrown clothes) to the ambitious (Clarify who you are), and her scope and environmentally conscious mind-set make the book a rousing call to total transformation one mismatched sock at a time. (Mar.)
Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
9. Reward Yourself For Your Accomplishments
You deserve it!
We deserve to treat ourselves to special rewards. Giving ourselves a treat provides a morale-boost. Rewards encourage us to keep going & not burn-out. What kinds of rewards? Here's some ideas. Can you think of more?
- How about a spa day? Take a bubble bath. Get your nails & hair done & a pedicure. Don't want to spend the money? Do it yourself & enjoy doing something a little special for yourself.
- Treat yourself to that new book you've been wanting to read & spend an afternoon reading outside (at the park, at the beach, in your backyard).
- If you have a hobby, indulge yourself with a hobby day or afternoon. Nothing refreshes me more than working on my crafts. =)
- Whip up your favorite beverage and sit down to enjoy it. Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate? Take time to really enjoy your break and the beverage.
- Take a walk. Just walk around your neighborhood or down to the park. A 30 minute walk can refresh the brain, not to mention how good it is to get some exercise. Listen & watch for birds, kids playing or pleasant landscape.
- Watch a movie. DON'T fold clothes, open mail or pay bills while the movie is on. Enjoy a good comedy and have a belly laugh.
A Helpful Reminder For Your Desk
10. Never, Ever Give Up On Yourself
You are worth the effort!
Don't think about the things you can't do. Think about the things you can do. There are no limitations to what we can do except the limitations we put on ourselves.
We all have the ability to totally transform every area in our lives. Nothing meaningful happens by itself, though. We have to make it come our way, by our own efforts. Organize your thoughts into plans. Then make your thoughts reality by taking some action.
Be patient with yourself (hard for me to learn). We can do anything...one baby step at a time.
Excellent Resources For Getting Organized
From my treasure chest of links!
- How to Use a Todo List to Make 2008 Your Best Year Ever - Stepcase Lifehack
- Ah, the humble todo list. With all the high-tech, whiz-bang productivity applications, mobile gadgets, office tools, and genuine Corinthian leather
- FlyLady.net: Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home
- Your free online coach, cheerleader, and fairy-godmother for decluttering and organizing your home and life! Find out how daily reminders can help you clean your house, keep the clutter away, and best of all, bring peace to your home and family!
- Get Organized Now! - 10,000+ Tips and Ideas
- The Get Organized Now!TM (GON) web site is overflowing with thousands of tips from our
hundreds of Organizing Articles, 60,000+ current posts on our Organizing Forum, Reader
Tips, Organizing Clinics, Checklists, Newsletters, Challenges, Blog, Quick Tips, Web
Polls, SIide Shows, E-courses, Organizing Idea-Pak, and more! Come back a thousand
times and you'll still not see it all. - NEAT & SIMPLE LIVING: Do you make To Do lists but then don't follow them?
- The topic of "to do lists" came up in the Neat and Simple Living Cafe the other day. This is an issue that many people agonize over, so I thought I'd write about it here, too. If you are like the hundreds of people who tell me they make lots of lists, but have difficulty following them or
- Zen Habits - Simple Productivity
- Zen Habits is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives. It's about clearing the clutter so we can focus on what's important, create something amazing, find happiness. It also happens to be one of the Top 100 blogs in the world, is uncopyrighted, and goes well with anything chocolate.
- Zen Family Habits - Simple Happiness
- Zen Family Habits is a celebration of all things family. It's about living simply and with presence of mind. It's about cultivating healthy, meaningful, relationships with loved ones. It's about just having fun and enjoying life's simple pleasures. Zen Family Habits provides practical articles on: home and organizing, education and learning, fitness and nutrition, family, and simplicity.
- Organized Home | Clean house, cut clutter and get organized at home!
- get organized! checklists, articles, tips and printables
- Divine Musings of an Average Goddess
- Kristy Nichols is the author of the wildly viral ebook, How To Be An Average Goddess. She is an expert at helping today's busy modern women fit ALL of the pieces together to create a life of harmony and balance in their health, relationships, career, and dreams.
- Organising Queen
- I help small business owners break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and space, and get important projects done.
Some Of My Pages About Getting Organized
People, Books And Sites That Help Me Get & Stay Organized
Follow Me On Twitter
- boutiqueshops
- aka boutiqueshops
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- Best Selling Toaster Ovens: This year, I'm asking Santa for a new toaster oven. So before I write my letter to S... http://t.co/SfaGtThy
MORE of My Organizing Pages
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Kris
Jan 13, 2012 @ 6:51 am | delete
- Inspiring! It isn't difficult for me to organize my work, but it's a challenge to stay organized. Mobile calendar, alerts, Google calendar, do to apps, sticky notes on the desktop... and nothing works as I wanted. My tip for everyone is to find one, good tool and stick to it. Mine is kanbantool.
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Kris
Jan 13, 2012 @ 6:50 am | delete
- Inspiring! It isn't difficult for me to organize my work, but it's a challenge to stay organized. Mobile calendar, alerts, Google calendar, do to apps, sticky notes on the desktop... and nothing works as I wanted. My tip for everyone is to find one, good tool and stick to it. Mine is kanbantool.
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Reply
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Kris
Jan 13, 2012 @ 6:50 am | delete
- Inspiring! It isn't difficult for me to organize my work, but it's a challenge to stay organized. Mobile calendar, alerts, Google calendar, do to apps, sticky notes on the desktop... and nothing works as I wanted. My tip for everyone is to find one, good tool and stick to it. Mine is kanbantool.
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ChrisDiamond
Sep 17, 2011 @ 11:14 pm | delete
- GREAT LENS, I can't help it but +1 squidlike it :-)
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corteeze
Jul 10, 2011 @ 9:46 am | delete
- Nice lens. You've inspired me to become a Clutter Buster!
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by boutiqueshops
I am a wife, mother, and grandmother with a real passion for knitting, crochet, reading, and Squidoo. Here on Squidoo I am a Giant Squid, member of the... more »
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