(This post was last updated on: 10/17/24.) Have you ever wondered how some people seem to have it all together? Do you work with a person that seems to always be on top of things? The secret to their success is actually quite simple, they are highly organized. And you can be too! Read on to learn the best 6 daily habits of organized people!
Learn The Best 6 Daily Habits of Organized People:
Declutter Daily Correspondence Highly organized people set aside time everyday to declutter all correspondence whether it’s paper or digital. This means they read and respond then either delete, shred or save all emails, texts, phone calls, memos, snail mail, sticky notes, etc. on a daily basis.
It is as important to manage your digital life as it is to manage your in-person/paper life. Keep the volume of your in-boxes down as well as piles of mail and paperwork by going through these daily.
Establish Good Morning & Bedtime Routines Having productive routines throughout your day, especially at the beginning and the end of your day, will set you up for organizational success. We have blog posts full of ideas for establishing your morning and bedtime routines to help get you started.
Utilize a Planner To become a highly organized person, you must use a planner. I don’t care if it’s digital or paper, just get one that suits your lifestyle. Organized people live and die by their planner.
They also use a daily to-do list prioritized with must get done items and lesser important tasks that can be completed during downtime throughout their day. To stay organized, you must remember everything that you need to get done, all of your appts./mtgs., deadlines, etc. so you must write it down.
Another great tip to stay organized is to set alarms and reminders via your digital calendar, smart phone or smart watch. Our previous blog post “How to Get Organized + Prepared for 2021” contains lots of tips and ideas on planners, digital calendars and keeping a running to-do list.
A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place This old saying couldn’t be more true for keeping your space organized. Only purchase new items that you truly need and have a plan for in your home or office space. Declutter all of your living and working environments. Rid yourself of anything that doesn’t serve a purpose. As you go throughout your day, put everything back where it belongs. If you are working on a project or chore, clean as you go.
Finish What You Started Leaving projects or work half done at the end of the day will only compound disorganization. Make sure to complete what you start and don’t procrastinate tasks that can be completed and checked off your to-do list today. This includes even the tiniest of daily tasks. For example, when you get home from work or running an errand, take the time to hang up your coat and purse, put the groceries away, put your shoes where they belong, etc.
Be Decisive & Flexible Becoming a highly organized person means that you will evaluate situations, choose the most logical solution and execute your plan. No matter how big or small the decision may be, just make the best decision you can at the time, handle the situation and move on.
Do not dwell on making choices throughout your day. You probably have a million choices that you make during one day, so you can’t afford to spend a lot of time on just one simple decision.
Also, be flexible and learn how to pivot and change course as needed throughout your day. As you move throughout each day, unexpected things will pop up, and you need to be able to adjust accordingly. You cannot get stuck in one spot just because the situation didn’t pan out the way you had planned or hoped. Extremely organized people anticipate this so they incorporate extra time into their daily schedule.
What are your best tips on getting or staying organized? Do you feel that you are an organized person? Is getting organized a goal you set for yourself this year? Leave a comment below, I would love to read about your organizing successes and flops. Because we all have them!
