Train Yourself to Be Organized

Posted by Ian McKenzie

Written on December 30, 2009

Contrary to popular belief, people are not born organized, it is a learned behaviour. Some may have the good fortune of learning at an early age, from organized parents; some have to figure it out as they go along; and some never learn.

Also contrary to popular belief, being organized isn’t rocket science. It is a habit based on basic principles and tips.

The first thing you have to do is train yourself. Being organized begins in the mind. Once you have brain wired-up, you don’t have to stop and think about what you need to do, it will be second nature.

Start with a plan

You have to start with a plan. Your brain needs to know where it is going and why. The more you know about what neds to be done, the more easier it is to make decisions about next steps and actions. One of the simplest planning tools is to ask the 5 w’s: what, who, when, where, and why. Add the question “How?” and you have a powerful tool to set a concrete plan.

Know why

Why do you want to get organized? If you haven’t determined why, it will be difficult, if not impossible to set the process. Are you trying to save time, save money, reduce stress or improve productivity?

Take a few minutes now to decide on your “organizing mission statement”. For example:

I want to get organized so I can spend more time with my family.
My mission is to get organized so I have time to persue further education.
Our team objective is to facilitate communication through the use of effective processes.

Once you have a mission statement, write it down where you can refer to it easily and frequently.

Set goals

This is a little different than setting the mission. These are the specific objectives you want to achieve. Do you want to organize your workspace? Is it the family room or the garage that needs attention? Do you need to get a handle on your time management? Sometimes the plan is short-term: prepare dinner for the party tonight. Or it might be as large as reorganizing the department at work. Regardless of size, you need to have goals.

How do you set goals? Read: Six Guidelines for Setting Effective Goals.

Take some time to set your goals for organizing and write them down.

That’s it for now. Next week we will look at making effective use of time in being organized.

6 Tips for Getting Organized in the New Year (ismckenzie.com)
Time Management is Mostly About Energy Management (myventurepad.com)
6 Productivity Principles to Live By (My Personal Productivity Manifesto) (litemind.com)

Meet the Blog: Get Organized Now

10 Tips to Help You Stay Organized

2 Simple Keys to Being Organized

Productivity

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