Being organized is the prerequisite to achieving success in life. Even though this could seem overwhelming, tiring, and sometimes impossible, you must understand one thing – being organized is not innate. It is a quality that you need to build over time with loads of practice, patience, and determination. The best part is that you can adopt some habits to stay organized.
If you struggle for the first few days or find yourself off track, do not beat yourself up over it. Habits are hard to build, but consistency is the key. Keep your eyes on the end goal – learning to be organized. Once you adopt this quality, your work life, as well as private life, will get easier.
Here are some habits you can build to stay organized:
Habits to Stay Organized:
1. Build a Routine
Do not underestimate the importance of building a routine. Your routine does not have to be similar to your best friend’s routine. After all, when you discover habits to stay organized, you find that what works for you may not work for someone else.
Before you go to bed, figure out what you would like your routine to be. Find a routine that helps ground you and prepares you for the day ahead. For some, meditation may work well, while others enjoy exercising. To be successful, you have to build a pattern that you can religiously stick to every day, without fail.
2. Ditch the Negativity
Your mind is the most powerful tool of all. It has the ability to control your actions, desires, feeling, and even physical needs. This is why to stay organized; you must say goodbye to negativity and bad vibes.
Wake up every day feeling grateful and always count your blessings. Do not start your day with any regrets or bitter feelings. Remember, there are two kinds of people – those who see the cup as being half-full and those who see it as being half-empty. Which person do you want to be?
3. Reply to Emails, Messages, and Calls Daily
For some people, this may become extremely annoying. In fact, many individuals simply do not reply to texts unless they have to. This is unhealthy as you can miss out on some important information. When building habits to stay organized, you should set aside one hour to handle all your emails, calls, and text messages.
When doing this, keep a notebook with you. Jot down the important bits of information and get rid of the next. This will help you be more organized, and you will learn how to sift through important information.
4. Learn to be Conscientious
The Center for Organizational Excellence conducted a study that proved that those who were conscientious were more likely to be organized. Such people do not focus on all the wrongs going on in the world. Instead, they wish to offer their services so that the world can become a happier, better place.
Moreover, conscientious people tend to be self-disciplined. They are well aware of the things they can handle. They do not shy away from telling their boss in case they feel like they cannot handle a task. Only disciplined individuals have this quality. An unorganized person will usually take up more responsibility than he can handle, only to flake at the end minute.
5. Be Systematic
Organized people always create space for all their belongings. They do not store things haphazardly, neither are they messy. They keep things at a set spot so that they do not have to waste time looking for them. If you are trying to build habits to stay organized, you must be systematic. Everything in your life must have a place, and once you are done using it, you must keep it back.
Many organized individuals keep very few things at their disposal because they have learned that they do not need many things. The more things one has, the harder it is to keep track of them. Always keep essential things by your side so that you do not have to get up to search for them. This will only distract you.
6. Make Lists
Making lists will help you stay organized. If you have too many things to do and accomplish during the day, it is best to make a to-do list. Clearly state the things that you need to do, depending on their priority level, depending on their priority level. This will help you understand the urgency of each task. Do the important things first and then come back to the lesser important tasks. This will also help you divide your time appropriately.
Never trust your memory. It is always best to note things down as your memory can always fool you. Remember to always finish bigger tasks first and then move on to the ones that are not as time-consuming. Moreover, do not over-complicate your to-do list. Do not make it unrealistic. Only add things that can genuinely be done. Otherwise, you will only overwhelm yourself.
7. Keep Some Buffer Time
When making lists or schedules, do not plan tasks too close to each other. This is because you are human at the end of the day. You must give yourself enough time to breathe, take breaks, or even panic if needed. Remember, things will come up.
You cannot control absolutely everything. Instead of completely going off track, it is better to leave some buffer time between each task. This way, if anything unexpected comes up, you can still be at ease. Do not shy away from giving yourself some time to breathe. Overworking yourself will only lead to feeling burnt out faster. Read a book, do some jumping jacks, or watch your favorite show. Reward yourself for working and use these breaks as an incentive.
8. Always Finish Your Tasks
A disorganized person will never finish the task they start. But of course, if you want to build habits to stay organized, you must always finish your work. Learn to be disciplined enough not to get off your chair before you finish your work.
Maximize every minute of the day so that you can do your best each day. You can even strive to accomplish short-term goals. However, the key is to never give up. In case of an urgent situation, make sure to tell your supervisors beforehand. If you are a freelancer, always complete the remaining work the next day. Moreover, try to ensure that you get back on track as soon as possible.
We hope these habits to stay organized help you become more disciplined, achieve your goals, and you learn to value time better. Good luck!
