If you are like many people, you struggle with organization. You may be intelligent, motivated, and desire to succeed, but are being held back by your inability to stay organized. For some people, it could be the only thing holding them back from being successful at work, school, or even at home. Here are some tips for getting organized to optimize performance.
First, do some research. There are thousands of books, audiobooks, videos, websites, and blogs that teach organization techniques. It’s important to explore all the options out there. Not everyone is different, so finding the right technique or method that works for you is important. Don’t get disheartened if a method doesn’t work for you, or it you stumble in the process.
Invest in things that will help you get organized. This could include paper trays, filing cabinets, and different organizing equipment for your work and home. There are plenty of storage bins and desk trinkets for holding all your odds and ends. Once everything is clean and put in a specific place, try to make it a habit to continue putting things in their spaces. For instance, put the mail in a mail sorter instead of tossing it on the counter.
Calendars, dry-erase and bulletin boards, and notepads that hang on the fridge or wall are excellent ways to stay organized. Keep these in places you can see, so you will not forget important birthdays, appointments, or due dates for bills. Keep lists for everything that you need when you run out, so you won’t end up in a panic when you run out of something in the middle of cooking. Day planners go a long way, as well; each day, write down all your goals for the day and keep referencing as the day progresses. Don’t put things off, either. Procrastinating only makes more things pile up.
Bindertek states that, “Letting things pile up is one of the worst things to do if you are trying to be more organized. Clutter can cause many problems; you can’t find important letters, you misplace keys, and you can get overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that surrounds you. Not only does it make it harder to find things and keep track of what you need to do, but it can also be distracting and stressful to have so much clutter and mess around.” Have a shredder to destroy papers you don’t need, downsize the junk in your home and workspace, and minimize distractions.
While many people aren’t born with organizational skills, they can at least be learned to improve and optimize performance in all aspects of your life. Just be patient with yourself; it takes time to build new habits.
