Are you in control of things that are essential for you to complete your job? Do you tend to forget things and fail to recall pieces of information? Do you have clarity of your plan for the foreseeable future? Or maybe your desktop screen looks like a crime scene, and you are loaded with just so many unread emails. If you are always on the verge of missing the deadline and never finding things where you think they are. As a matter of fact, it is a fifty-fifty situation if you will find ironed clothes for work in the morning.
Your ability to stay organized and take control of things play a huge role in determining your success. Believe it or not but organizing as a habit is contagious. It inevitably has some effect on the people you work with. In the absence of an organized plan, there is a possibility that you will never be able to align your skills and actions in one particular direction. You will not have a clear idea of how to get where you want to? What resources do you need to get there? How do you ensure that you are motivated all the way through the journey towards your goals? Without a plan, you are much likely to get sidetracked or distracted from your path. This is why most people fail to reach even the end of February with their “New Year’s Resolution.”
5 Common habits of organized people
The more you live and work in an organized space, the better it reflects on the quality of work you can deliver. The following are some commons habits of organized people that you can try inculcating in your day-to-day life.
- Celebrate small wins: It is really important to have a small celebration if you can strike off everything from your to-do list. It could be treating yourself to a cup of coffee or giving yourself an extra 10 mins break.
- Use one calendar: If you are using a calendar, make sure it is synced with all the devices you use. If you use separate calendars, it will be tough for you to keep track and coordinate.
- Add small tasks into your schedule: Things like running errands and taking small coffee breaks should be added to the schedule. Not having these included can have a serious impact on your overall execution.
- Get organized at your home: Many of us think of getting organized as a conscious effort to increase our workplace productivity. It would help if you started getting organized from home and de-clutter where you live.
- Value your time: No matter what you are doing. Focus on how you can make every send count be it a family commitment or prioritizing tasks for your week ahead.
Benefits of being organized
We know we waste a lot of time because of our disorganization, and there is even more time we do not realize but are lost because of the same. These things could be like finding car keys before office or tracking down a particular e-mail from the past. Trivial things like these mount up to hours of lost productivity. Even if you are satisfied with the work you have been doing, know that it is still not your best work.
The benefits of being organized and operating in a clutter-free space are two-fold:
- Increased productivity
- Enhanced performance
These two are not isolated benefits; rather, they develop a greater sense of control and confidence. These things can be constructive in a crisis, stress management, and overall well-being. It can also help in better decision-making and problem-solving skills. An uncluttered environment also plays a huge role in improving the focus and ability to learn.
It also has a huge impact on what others think about you. If you are not punctual and careless with things in general, it can impact your career and reputation at large. However, if you can show that you are good with handling workload and you are someone who can be relied upon, then your competence and value will be there for everyone to see.
Start your day early
Most of the people around wake up into the daily race of their lives. They wake up behind time. Hence start chasing it as soon as they open their eyes. Waking up early and having a morning routine is key to have a well-organized life. If you wake well before time than others, it gives you the right head start. You can have the morning time as your “Me Time,” which is important. You may utilize this time planning for your day ahead, have an exercise routine, creating a to-do list. It is an important time where you can do journaling and reflect on your productivity. It is a great way to start your day on the right foot and make it less chaotic.
Make a list for everything
This is a very common tip yet not followed by many. Try not to rely on your memory too much for all your daily to-dos. Write down all that you have planned through the day in an ongoing running list. You must have a typical running list for all your groceries you need to get, urgent and non-urgent tasks, etc.
I use my mobile phone’s notes application to note everything pending instead of using the precious brain memory. The idea is not to forget even the smallest of the things that you have thought of!
Practice “one-minute” rule
This technique is a big time saver and one of my favorites. The one-minute rule says you should never schedule things you can do under a minute for any time later. Things like putting your coat in the right place when you come home instead of throwing it on the bed, clearing off your plate, and putting it in the dishwasher after finishing off your meal.
The best strategy is to brush these small tasks off your shoulder and clear your mind. These small things pile up on one another and create unnecessary chaos in your organized day.
Take simple decisions quickly
If you are one of those who spend a lot of time making decisions in your daily life, it could be potentially causing a lot of unnecessary stress and chaos. Taking a long time being indecisive about things suck out time from what is more important. It would help if you strived to make decisions on the toes. It will prevent a load of your time and energy from being wasted on activities like what to wear and what to have for breakfast, and keep your head and schedule uncluttered.
Have a room for everything
Having a dedicated place for things that belongs to you helps you to be more organized. Though, it is a difficult job to put things away and keep things neat and tidy. It makes your life easier to have a designated place for all your belongings in your home so that it is quicker to clean up and stay better organized.
Identify what is important in your life and what is not. Decluttering the amount of stuff at your home can be a big step towards making your life better organized. If you have tried doing this and have failed, you can start by writing stuff down. Make a step-by-step guide of the actionable plan to declutter every room in your house and office. It will help you feel less overwhelmed.
Start your day early
Most of the people around wake up into the daily race of their lives. They wake up behind time. Hence start chasing it as soon as they open their eyes. Waking up early and having a morning routine is key to have a well-organized life. If you wake well before time than others, it gives you the right head start. You can have the morning time as your “Me Time,” which is important. You may utilize this time planning for your day ahead, have an exercise routine, creating a to-do list. It is an important time where you can do journaling and reflect on your productivity. It is a great way to start your day on the right foot and make it less chaotic.
Make a list for everything
This is a very common tip yet not followed by many. Try not to rely on your memory too much for all your daily to-dos. Write down all that you have planned through the day in an ongoing running list. You must have a typical running list for all your groceries you need to get, urgent and non-urgent tasks, etc.
I use my mobile phone’s notes application to note everything that is pending instead of using the precious brain memory. The idea is not to forget even the smallest of the things that you have thought of!
Practice “one-minute” rule
This technique is a big time saver and one of my favorites. The one-minute rule says you should never schedule things you can do under a minute for any time later. Things like putting your coat in the right place when you come home instead of throwing it on the bed, clearing off your plate, and putting it in the dishwasher after finishing off your meal.
The best strategy is to brush these small tasks off your shoulder and clear your mind. These small things pile up on one another and create unnecessary chaos in your organized day.
Take simple decisions quickly
If you are one of those who spend a lot of time making decisions in your daily life, it could be potentially causing a lot of unnecessary stress and chaos. Taking a long time being indecisive about things suck out time from what is more important. You should strive to make decisions on the toes. It will prevent a load of your time and energy from being wasted on activities like what to wear and what to have for breakfast, and keep your head and schedule uncluttered.
Have a room for everything
Having a dedicated place for things that belongs to you helps you to be more organized. Though, it is a difficult job to put things away and keep things neat and tidy. It makes your life easier to have a designated place for all your belongings in your home so that it is quicker to clean up and stay better organized.
Identify what is important in your life and what is not. Decluttering the amount of stuff at your home can be a big step towards making your life better organized. If you have tried doing this and have failed, you can start by writing stuff down. Make a step-by-step guide of the actionable plan to declutter every room in your house and office. It will help you feel less overwhelmed.
Align your resources
Resources are significant and necessary for the completion and execution of every plan. It can be time, man-force, or money, for that matter. It is always advised if you can anticipate the resources required before you dive in.
You should try and break big tasks into smaller parts and anticipate the resources required for completion. Consider people and other resources required to complete the project. Look out for ways you can get the required resources and take action accordingly.
Have a system in place
Although we humans are not machines, it is best to have a system to function with the least error. When we command a machine to give a required output, we assume the work to be done. That is because it has a system in place. Most of us perform the same tasks over and over and still make errors. Please write down things you are required to do or create a checklist. This way, you create a guide and, if required, delegate the work to someone else.
