How to Be More Organized

Something I've realized about everyday life is that the average person is so busy that organization has become a big priority. I used to tell myself I was too busy to really get myself organized, but I've learned that taking the time to do some basic things will help most people have more time long-term.

1) First, I think the most important step in all of this is taking the time to look at your daily routine.

What are your biggest daily hassles? Do you find yourself forgetting where you placed something or remembering appointments at the last minute? I'm not a big fan of organization for organization's sake (alphabetizing my CD collection is not big on my list because my time is limited), but if you give it some thought we all have areas we could focus on that would improve our lives and reduce stress we wouldn't otherwise have.

2) Finances are a big area of life that it's helpful to improve your organization.

You can start this by creating a simple budget. It doesn't have to be complicated but will let you know where you stand on things. Below I'm including a helpful budget template below from Dave Ramsey's website.

Another thing my husband and I did was buy a marker board, where we could list out when everything was due and how much needed to be paid. Put it somewhere you'll see it on a daily basis but not where guests will typically see it. We chose the hallway between our bedroom and our bathroom.

3) A few years ago, I started carrying a small notebook with me.

It was originally to help me keep track of writing ideas before I forgot them, but I found it useful for just remembering things in general. Keep one with you in your car, your home, and at work. For less than $5, you have a great organization tool. I'm a high-tech person in other areas, but storing things in my cell phone honestly didn't work as well for me. A PDA or PDA-like phone probably would work better if you're willing to keep track of it.

4) Periodically it's good to go through your home and get rid of clutter.

This way when you go to find something you need, you have less to deal with. I'm pretty quick with this process and do a little at a time. You just need two trash bags, one for things to give away and one for things to throw away.

More Tips:

• If you hate junk mail, consider canceling mailings of pre-approved credit card offers by contacting the three major credit card bureaus. This cut our junk mail significantly after about two weeks.
• Realize that this is a process and not something you just have to come up with overnight. I think a major mistake people make is that they treat organization like a fad diet and quit after a few weeks of trying--instead, you need to make minor changes that you can live with and then gradually work your way into being more organized. Over time, you'll notice a major difference if you just work on this a little each day.

Resources:

Dave Ramsey's Free Budget Template