How To Be More Organized

Ask yourself…

Does your house look messy? Do you feel disorganized? Or is clutter weighing you down? If you said yes to any of these questions, it’s time to make changes for the better. This includes breaking cycles that don’t work as well as making short and long-term improvements that are lasting and effective.

Learn by example

Before you start emptying closets and rearranging things, let’s examine some shared traits of organized people so we can learn from them.

1. They practice minimalism. People who are minimalists tend to own fewer things and live uncluttered lives. They typically keep and use things that serve them well and let go of unnecessary items. Practicing minimalism makes homes easier to manage and clean.
2. They establish regular routines. Regular routines or daily practices add structure to a day. People with routines keep daily tasks consistent to manage time and avoid overlooking responsibilities. A morning routine may include making coffee, reading emails, and reviewing the appointment calendar at the get-go to plan the day and prioritize what’s important.
3. They don’t procrastinate. Procrastination is the act of postponing things. This can produce negative consequences. Organized people dislike putting things off and live with the general belief that acting now is better than later.
4. They give items in their home a place to go. An organized person puts things back in the same dedicated space of the home, such as a closet or drawer. After use, they don’t leave things out and about. Putting things away makes a home look neat. Additionally, returning items to the same spot makes them easy to find and retrieve.
5. They group similar items together. An organized person will put like items together. For instance, they will hang coats in the coat closet, place shoes on the shoe caddy, and put canned goods together in the pantry.
6. They continually seek order. An organized person will not only group similar items together, but they will do so in an organized way. For instance, not only will they keep kitchen spices in the same drawer, but they will alphabetize them. Or they may divide the closet into his and her sides and arrange similar items together.
7. They don’t overcommit. An organized person will check his or her schedule and agree to tasks that are manageable. If they are unavailable due to another commitment, they will unapologetically state that they are otherwise engaged. They strive to be dependable.
8. They are mindful of time. Organized people tend to carefully watch the clock. Many view lateness as a weakness, so they strive to be on time for work, appointments, and engagements.
9. They seek serenity. Serenity is the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled. Organized people care not only for the physical space in which they live, but they also seek mental peace to achieve full satisfaction. They typically partake in calming activities like reading, journaling, or yoga.
10. They donate goods generously. Being organized means implementing policies to maintain structure, such as making donations each new season. When one new item comes into the house, another is likely donated. They enjoy donating items in good condition to organizations such as Goodwill to benefit the community.
11. They arrange household items well. Organized people tend to label things and make smart use of bins and storage containers to consolidate items.
12. They don’t keep junk. Organized people behave sensibly by immediately tossing junk mail and other unwanted trash items that serve no purpose. They don’t let junk piles build up.
13. They keep tidy homes. Organized people dislike clutter that gets in the way of managing the household and cleaning. They put things away promptly after use and clean up spills as soon as they happen to maintain order.
14. They aren’t afraid to delegate. Organized people possess leadership qualities and are willing to delegate chores to other housemates to get things done. Having helping hands reduces pressure and keeps homes running well.
15. They take pride in their homes. People who are organized appreciate their own efforts in making their homes look clean, appealing, and orderly. They take great pride in entertaining and making others feel welcome.

These are just some of the many great practices and qualities typically found in organized individuals. While some people seem to be born with natural organizing abilities, others work at it to achieve a well-functioning household. With a positive attitude and a little perseverance, being an organized individual is well within everyone’s reach.