You’ve worked really hard to get organized. It feels great doesn’t it? It seems like the hard part should be past, right?
Not quite! Staying organized takes effort. Thankfully, with these quick tips you should be able to stay on track with no problem at all.
Choose Three Goals for the Day
If you already have a pretty good handle on what you need to get done, start with this new habit. Every day, set out three goals you would like to accomplish. This helps you to focus and stay organized without being distracted by other, less important tasks.
Do It Now!
Nothing creates chaos all over again like procrastination. Getting in the habit of doing things as they come up will help you to maintain organization, and keep you from getting bogged down by your To Do List.
Declutter Daily
Look around the room. Are there things which are not where they belong? Take a few minutes to tidy up every single day. This will keep you from falling into clutter again.
Put Things Away When You’re Done with Them
Much like the last item on this list, this item is about not allowing clutter to get a toehold again in your life. Except here you will learn the habit in never setting something down in a place where it doesn’t belong.
Deal with Mail Daily
One of the big sources of paper clutter is your daily mail. By keeping a handle on this by sorting through it as it comes into the house, you will keep paper clutter under control. start by tossing out advertisements and pointless items. Add scheduled things to your calendar and toss the reminders. Pay the bills rather than putting them in a place for payment later. File everything else. There! Your mail is dealt with!
Use a Whiteboard
Whiteboards are great places to keep notes about your day. Put one in the workspace and another one in a handy location where you can see it often. Add notes as you think of them. This will help you keep on track, and also not to forget things which are important.
Do Weekly Checkups
Finally, do a self-examination every week. How are you doing and staying organized? What things are working, what things are not? Address any problems and spend time reorganizing what needs to be managed. This will also be a time to manage goals and determine if you need to shift priorities in the week to come.
By staying on top of organizational matters, you will help to maintain a calm and serene household and will accomplish more at work. The trick is to pay attention to what you’re doing, and to keep organizing as you go.