You weren't born to be a neat freak, but you're getting tired of having to dig through closets and pull out drawers every time you need to locate an important piece of paper. Fortunately, you can learn from those who are always organized. Even if you only implement a few of these habits of organized people, you'll be on your way to a more organized and less cluttered life.
1. They have a routine.
Morning and evening routines make the busiest times of the day go smoothly. Sure, there will be changes every now and then, but organized households have a routine in place to keep every member of the family on task.
2. They only touch paper once.
Piles of paper are one of the organized person's worst nightmares! When mail comes in our home or papers arrive in your child's backpack, set a goal of only touching each piece of paper once. Instead of putting that form in a pile on the table, take a minute to sign it and put it back in your child's folder for tomorrow. Don't put junk mail on the counter. Instead, take a couple of extra steps and toss it in the trash.
3. They clean every day.
Some people think that those with organized households spend countless hours cleaning, but that's usually far from the truth. Instead, organized people clean every day, even if it's just for 15 minutes. This keeps messes from piling up and getting overwhelming.
4. They love lists.
Your daughter needs a hair cut, your son has a spelling test tomorrow, and your spouse needs to make a dentist appointment. Organized people use lists to make sure that nothing gets forgotten in the busyness of life.
5. They give everything a home.
You've heard the saying, "A place for everything and everything in its place," and this is the creed of people who love organization. When you know that the bread maker always goes in the top cabinet or the DVDs go on the rack, you're much more apt to put them back in their home after usage.
6. They complete projects.
The beginning of a new project is exciting, but it gets frustrating as time goes on, and you end up with a table full of unfinished ideas. Organized people don't deal with this because they complete one project before moving on to the next one.
7. They clean up after jobs.
An organized person knows that no task is truly complete until everything is cleaned up. Therefore, well-organized people take a few extra minutes to clean up when they are done doing something. If something gets taken out, it gets put away.
8. They can't stand clutter.
Clutter is the enemy of the organized person. That's why they are constantly going through the items that they own and throwing away, selling or donating things they no longer need.
9. They keep first things first.
Organized people know that everything can't be at the top of the list. They set their priorities, and they make decisions based on those priorities.
10. They use goals to stay motivated.
Written goals are a great way to increase your motivation and help you stay on task. If you want to have the garage cleaned out before the 4th of July, write it down, and get started today!