Don’t Just Get Organized – Stay Organized
We’re always talking about ways to get organized – but it does no good to get organized if you can’t STAY organized. These tips will help you stay organized once you’ve achieved some success.
PUT IT AWAY WHERE IT BELONGS
One of the easiest ways to become disorganized all over again is by having poor habits. We’re used to just tossing everything in the junk drawer or putting the laundry on the chair. It takes effort and practice to remember, ,every time, that it’s better to put it away where it belongs then. By adopting this habit – whether it’s putting away your clean laundry or going the extra few steps to return something to the room it belongs in – you can not only get organized but STAY organized.
DON’T PROCRASTINATE
“I’ll do it later.” Those are the famous words of every person who was organized. There are certain jobs that you should not procrastinate:
Make the bed every morning
Do the dishes after every meal
Run and unload the dishwasher every day
Take the laundry out of the dryer and fold it
Take out the trash
Sort through and throw away the junk mail
Doing these little chores as they need done will help you remain organized and prevent stress and overwhelm from taking over.
DEVELOP THE HABITS OF ORGANIZED PEOPLE
People who stay organized aren’t just good at doing chores; they find systems that work for them. There are no right or wrong systems. Some people use to-do lists. Others use a basket to gather up everything at the end of the day and return it to its rightful place. Others spend 10-20 minutes every day organizing and decluttering. Some people use planners; others make lists in their phones or use an app.
These habits help you remain organized:
Be realistic about perfection vs. functional organization
Allow yourself to be organized your way
Prioritize between what must be done and what you’d like to get done
Rely on organizing apps or planners to help remember everything
Hold yourself accountable for organizing goals
Enlist the help of a friend, accountability partner, or organizing professional
DON’T WASTE THE EFFORT YOU MADE TO GET ORGANIZED
If you get organized and it only lasts for a day or a week, it can feel like a wasted effort. It’s just as important to find ways to remain organized once you’ve achieved it. You can apply it to one area of your life at a time, too. If you’ve organized your closet, you can commit to putting your laundry away as soon as it’s done. If you’re organized your bathroom, you can commit to putting everything away when you’re finished in the room.
Getting organized is tough, but staying organized can be challenging, too. These practices can help.