Do your friends tell you the party starts an hour before it does so you might be on time? Are you always looking for the one thing you need before you can leave the house? On a larger level, do you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, always running but never getting anywhere? Being disorganized and cluttered in your life is a habit like everything else, and habits are hard to change. However, the price of being disorganized is high, affecting your relationships, your job, even your health. Being organized helps you take control of your life and have a better life. Here’s how.
Organization Helps You Set and Meet Goals
Organization is more than a tidy house. Keeping your life organized includes setting goals and organizing your life to meet those goals. How can you ever win the race if you don’t know where the finish line is? Many people say they will return to college one day and get a degree. Organized people say they will get a degree in four years by enrolling at the local university in the fall, and they are already applying for student loans and scholarships. Set goals for savings, family time, travel, promotions or any other area of your life where you want something specific to happen.
To stay on track with your goals, make sure the goal has a time limit, is realistic, you can measure the outcome, and is very specific. Notice above, the goal wasn’t to return to school at some point but to get a degree in four years by taking specific action. You can break longer goals into smaller steps. Check in with yourself once a week to stay on target. Keep track in a notebook and let other people know your goals so you’ll be held accountable.
Organization Is Good for Your Health
Being organized doesn’t just help you get ahead, it keeps you healthier. When you can’t find your keys, when you forgot the presentation was due today, when you’re late for your business lunch, you’re under stress. When your home is cluttered and the thought of dealing with it makes you want to hide, you’re under stress. Always thinking about what you’ve forgotten to do doesn’t allow you to relax.
Stress isn’t good, but there are also additional risks associated with being disorganized when it comes to clutter around your house. A dirty home harbors dust and mold, potentially triggering asthma and allergy attacks. One author suggests there is a link between excess clutter and excess weight.
Start small, by clearing one area and keeping it clear. Make it a habit. Expand the area little by little. You can go full Marie Kondo, or something less drastic. Whatever you choose, remember to have a goal in mind that is measurable, so you’ll stick with your cleaning process.
Organization Increases Your Productivity
Having systems in place is a key to organization. Use a calendar, set reminders in your phone, have a place for everything in your home, have a schedule for keeping organized. When you take those steps, you’re freeing up time to get things done effectively and without panic. Instead of searching for your keys, you’ll be out the door taking a morning walk. Instead of throwing together a presentation five minutes before a meeting, you’ll be reviewing last-minute tweaks to emphasize your most important points. Meal planning means you’ll have what you need to make healthy meals all week long instead of opting for fast food because there’s nothing to cook. Organizing your work files means you can send out the reports on time, every time.
Disorganized people will tell you they don’t have time to spare to get organize, never realizing how much extra time they would have if they took the first steps. Build a habit of organization. Start small and build your skills until you know you can take on any project.