The Top 10 Habits of Organized People
Have you ever wondered how some people seem to have "it all together - all the time," while you struggle with deadlines, misplace items, and run late for appointments? Are you interested in learning the secrets to their organizing success? If so, implement the following strategies and you too will experience the joy of more focus, time and success.
1. Assign a place to keep all of your belongings. Isn't it interesting that we never misplace our car (except in a big parking lot). It's because we've chosen to designate a space for it - the garage. Allocate a room and a specific drawer, shelf, basket, or other container for each kind of possession. Keep like things together and store each type of item closest to the place where you will be using it.
2. Design processes to manage paper flow. We have more information delivered to us on a daily basis than ever before so it is imperative that you set up systems to touch paper once and keep each type of document where you know you will be able to find it. For example: When at home, collect your mail from the mailbox and immediately toss the junk, place all invoices in a special container (throw away any promotional material included with the invoice), file important documents right away, and place magazines into their own container (be sure to pitch the oldest issue).
3. Know how long to keep important papers. Educate yourself using the guide at the following web address to determine what to keep and for how long. Then shred all unnecessary documents. http://www.oprah.com/foodhome/home/housekeeping/print/home_print_
200409_chart.jhtml
4. Regularly, dispose of items that are broken, torn, stained, or haven't been used for a period of time. Purging items that have lost their usefulness will make it easier to find what you want - when you want it plus, give you room to store new items should you purchase more. You can toss items, sell them, or donate them to your favorite charitable organization.
5. Put each item away as soon as you are through using it. Avoid the mentality?"I'll set this down for now, it's just temporary." All too often, temporary turns into days, days turn into months and soon you'll have a mountain of stuff to sort through. You have a choice?a minute now or hours later.
6. Use a calendar. A calendar is a great tool if you use it consistently. For instance, it's harder to overbook yourself when you only have 24 hours per day on your calendar. More importantly it requires that you make choices?you can't do it all and be successful. Try this strategy:
- Make a list of all your goals. Put them in PRIORITY order, from most important to least important.
- Estimate how much time it will take to complete each goal.
- Fill in the current month of your calendar with your PRIORITY goals. (For example: work 8 - 5, Monday through Friday; family time 11 - 3, Sunday; personal development 7 - 8, Tuesday and Wednesday; gym 5:30 - 6:30, Monday through Thursday; etc.)
- If there is still space in your calendar, record more goals from your list.
- When your calendar is full, look at the goals left on your list and decide if you can delegate or dismiss them, if not, record them on successive months of your calendar. This will keep you from feeling guilty as you have assigned a time and place to tackle these other things and you don't have to worry about forgetting them.
7. Only buy new items when you have sufficient space to display them, store them, or you are prepared to let something else go. Its false economics for you to keep buying more stuff if you can't see, easily access, or enjoy it.
8. Say, "No thank you" to family and friends who want to give you their excess. If your parents or friends are downsizing or moving and offer to give you a number of household items, don't take them into your home unless you love them and will use them immediately.
9. Organize everything in your life. Organizing isn't a one time task, it's a habit. You will reap the greatest rewards if you organize everything in your grasp: your space, your time, your projects, your briefcase, your calls, your errands, your purse, your computer, your play time, etc.
10. Adjust your organizing system for new and changing circumstances. You would make adjustments in your life if you lost your job. The same is required of your organizational system if your circumstances change. Adjust for a new baby, new projects, another hobby, loss of an assistant, or a dependent leaving the nest.
Your environment isn't just any ole space. It's your safe place, creative place, productivity place, and the place that reflects what you value most and supports your interests and lifestyle. Honor it, organize it, give it the attention it deserves and you will be amazed with the results.
Pam N. Woods is co-author of a bestselling book, Create the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies from the World's Greatest Mentors; endorsed by Ken Blanchard and Dr. Stephen Covey. She is a Coach U graduate and President of Smart WorkLife Solutions, a coaching and consulting company devoted to co-creating customized solutions to fit clients business and personal organizing needs. Prior to founding her own firm she had a successful 20+ year career as an insurance executive and Vice President of Human Resources. For more free how-to articles and advice, or to contact Woods, visit http://www.worklifecoach.com. Copyright 2004 - Pam Woods
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Click the image above to see storage solutions for toys!
Sticking to Your New Years Resolutions: Ten Tips for a More Organized Life
1. A calendar is an essential organizing tool - start the year with one that works for you! And whether you use a paper or electronic version, using Post-it® notes as reminders will help you "stick" to your resolutions.
2. Identify a specific goal for getting or keeping in shape - 10 minutes a day (yes, professional trainers say a small amount of time can make a big difference!) or three times a week. Share your commitment with someone else - a professional trainer or a friend -- that also wants to exercise more.
3. Take steps to make it easier to eat healthy. Keep a shopping list of healthy food, and make sure there is always good food easily available. Whenever possible, go to restaurants that specialize in healthy food, but when you can't, order a baked potato instead of French fries. If you eat junk food for lunch, forgive yourself, and plan a healthy dinner.
4. Design a yearly plan for spending time with family and friends. Booking airline travel well in advance will save money and ensure your commitment to your plan. Plan a once-a-month event with friends. Keep a Post-it® Note list in your calendar or on your computer of the potential invitees.
5. Plan a yearly budget. Learning to controlling the way you spend your money is a lifetime investment. If you're not sure how, check out your local college for a continuing education or start reading on the subject. The longer you wait to learn, the more difficult it will be.
6. Make a commitment to volunteer your services to an organization that makes other people's lives better. One evening or Saturday a month won't take a lot of time out of your life, but can make a big difference to someone else. Make it a family activity.
7. To minimize the stress of daily family life, and make it easier to put things away when company is coming, put all like things together - e.g., photos, bills, love letters and give- always - and label them boldly. Post-it® provides a variety of colorful options. Store items according to where and how often you will use them.
8. Keep only those things that you know to be useful, think to be beautiful, or love. Put a box in an easily accessible place in your closet -- with the lid off, so you don't pile other things on top of it. Label it "Give Away" and donate the things you don't use to someone who needs them.
9. Establish an effective filing system at home and at work. File information according to how you will use it, not where you got it. Always keep Post-it® Notes handy, and jot down key words for filing papers as you accumulate them. This will save filing time later. Keep a File Index (a list of the names of your files) handy, so you won't make a file for "car" when you already have "auto."
10. Don't expect perfection from yourself in carrying out your New Year's resolutions. Remember you are in this for the long run. Use Post-it® notes to remind yourself of your commitments, and have the best year ever!
© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com
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Click the image above to see how to get kids organized!
Creating The Perfect Closet
Your closet is often the first thing you see in the morning, and its condition can determine your mood for the day. There is something about an orderly closet that makes a person feel stylish and in-control. But digging through a cluttered closet, trying to find a matching outfit can dampen even the brightest of spirits. Not a very good way to start the day!
WHAT'S IN YOUR CLOSET - The road to organization begins with an honest evaluation of your wardrobe. Is your closet filled with clothes that don't fit, are out of style, or haven't been worn in the last year? They're out of here! Are you guilty of owning a garment that you can't wear because it doesn't go with a single thing in your closet? Make a decision right here and now -- either find something to match that cool paisley shirt or get rid of it.
Now separate out any pieces that need to be mended or cleaned. You may want to put a couple of labeled baskets in your closet for regular laundry, dry cleaning, and alterations. Try not to hang anything in your closet that is not CURRENTLY WEARABLE. And if you want to keep your closet under control, plan to purge your wardrobe every few months. Now that you have pared down, let's set up your closet so that you know where everything is.
BY SEASON - Start by separating your clothes into "fall / winter" and "spring / summer" items. Make sure to do the same with your accessories, lingerie, and outerwear, as well. How does your wardrobe balance out? Do you have a closet full of summer clothes, but only 3 winter outfits? That's okay for someone who lives in South Florida -- but if your home is above the Mason-Dixon line, it's time to go shopping! If you find that you are short on space in your bedroom closet, consider storing the off-season in another part of the house. A spare bedroom closet or portable armoire in the attic might be the perfect answer. Just be aware of climatic concerns and guard against insect infestations -- especially when storing wool clothing.
BY CLOTHING TYPE - Now, you will want to sort through the current season's clothes, creating logical categories based on the way that you normally think about your wardrobe. You can arrange your clothes according to PURPOSE, breaking out formal, work, and casual outfits. Or, you could organize by TYPE -- grouping jackets separate from blouses separate from pants. And in either situation, it's always good to create different categories for each STYLE of clothing -- such as storing short-sleeve shirts in one place and long-sleeve in another. Whichever method you choose, clearly delineate your categories -- either put labeled divider discs on your rod (like the ones used in department stores) or assign each section to a different part of the closet.
BY OUTFIT - I am an inherently lazy person. I don't want to spend time deciding what blouse goes with which pants, so I hang entire outfits together. What a time-saver! Of course, if you like to mix and match, this system may not be the best choice. If you do go this route, consider labeling each hanger with a list of accessories that accompany that particular garment. Feel free to include any small items, such as scarves or belts, right on the hanger with the outfit. One client of mine (who loves hanging her clothes in outfits) came up with a creative organizing idea -- she has a pair of earrings that only go with her navy suit, so she clips them right on the lapel!
BY COLOR - The final step is to organize each section of clothing by color. Going from light to dark, group items of the same hue together. You don't have to create a scientifically accurate color spectrum -- just generally group reds and pinks in one place, blues all together, etc. Now, when you need a black blouse, they will all be hanging in the same place. This will also allow you to see excesses and deficiencies in your wardrobe. One woman I worked with told me that organizing by color was the dumbest thing she had ever heard of -- until she tried it! She never knew she owned 12 different red T-shirts until re-arranging her closet. She also swears this technique saves her 20 minutes getting ready each morning!
Ramona Creel is a Professional Organizer and the founder of OnlineOrganizing.com -- a web-based one-stop shop offering everything that you need to get organized at home or at work. At OnlineOrganizing.com, you may get a referral to an organizer near you, shop for the latest organizing products, get tons of free tips, and even learn how to become a professional organizer or build your existing organizing business. And if you would like to read more articles about organizing your life or building your business, get a free subscription to the "Get Organized" and "Organized For A Living" newsletters. Please visit http://www.OnlineOrganizing.com or contact Ramona directly at ramona@onlineorganizing.com for more information.
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Organization Tips - How to Organize Your Computer Files
Every time Mary had to find a file on her computer, she always had great difficulty. And it was no wonder why. Every file had been saved under the folder "Mary" and that was it. There were no other categories. Consequently every time Mary searched her folder she spent ages sifting through all the documents.
Now Mary is a real smart cookie. She's the Marketing Director of a very well known organization. She knows her 'stuff'. She is fortunate to have her own personal assistant. However Mary still has to type many of her own letters and prepare a multitude of documents in relation to her demanding role. She also receives around 60 emails a day, most of which contain relevant information to the variety of projects she works on.
In Mary's situation, other team members in her organization occasionally are required access to her electronic files and in the past they wasted unnecessary time sifting through them.
Just like many other businesspeople I have worked with, no-one had shown Mary how to handle the basics of organization, including how to organize computer files so they are stored logically and can be easily accessed.
So how do you store your computer files?
In my opinion they should resemble the same categories as your paper filing system. If your paper filing system is a disaster, then take careful note of the points made and make changes as soon as possible (today).
Before you do anything else, delete all old or obsolete files.
Write down the categories of information you need.
ie. Admin
Clients
Projects
Staff
Resources
Note: Always have a general area to cover anything else.
Create folders for each of these areas.
Now work out if you need to expand these categories.
ie. Admin
Financials
Marketing
Vehicles
Clients
Brown & Co
Jax
Monogram
Projects
Building
Newsletter
Quality Assurance
Create sub-folders for #3 if required.
Transfer existing files to the appropriate areas.
By the way the same applies to emails, the same folders can be set up to store incoming and outgoing email. It will be up to you to decide what will work best for you. And of course you have to be mindful of specific procedures which may be in place in your organization. Just make sure you keep everything simple and take action.
About The Author - Lorraine Pirihi is Australia's Personal Productivity Specialist and Leading Life Coach. Her business The Office Organizer specializes in showing small business owners and managers, how to get organized at work so they can have a life! Lorraine is also a dynamic speaker and has produced many products including "How to Survive and Thrive at Work!"
To subscribe to her free ezine visit www.office-organiser.com.au
This article may be reproduced providing it is published in it's entirety, including the author's bio and all links. For further information please contact Lorraine Pirihi; lorraine@office-organiser.com.au
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