Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be organised? There are some things that organised people do that make us think they have everything under control. In fact, they have developed habits that are ritually followed to make sure that jobs get done.
I need to be organised. With a business, blog, studies and a full-time job there is no way at all that I would be able to get everything done if I hadn’t developed a system. The key to organisation is consistency. If you want to be more organised, begin by making the following changes and develop them into a habit.
Download and use this free habit tracker to help track your new habits.
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THEY HAVE A ROUTINE
Organised people start the day organised with a morning routine. Routines help you to focus on the tasks that need to be completed. They don’t have to be complicated or even long. In fact, my morning routine is really quite basic:
- Wake up
- Brush teeth and shower
- Dry hair and make-up
- Get changed
- Have breakfast and check phone
- Take the dog for a walk
- Feed the dog before leaving the house.
Nothing complicated in that whatsoever. In fact, my morning routine is drummed in my head so much that I don’t even think about it. I just move on automatic until my first brew of the day!
Related: Master the Perfect Morning and Evening Routine to be Super Productive
THEY PLAN THEIR WEEK AHEAD
Organised people know what their week looks like. I’ve found that I’m most prepared to face the week ahead when I put side 30 mins on a Sunday to plan the upcoming week in my planner. I look at what appointments I have, figure out what meals I want and review Monday’s to-do list. Is there something that I could start on Sunday to make Monday a little easier? Sometimes I set out what I’m going to wear the next day or get a head start on the cleaning. It’s amazing how a little preparation can mentally prepare you for the week ahead.
If you haven’t yet got a planner then I definitely recommend trying the Filofax or Erin Condren Life Planner.
THEY WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN
Those who are organised create a place where they can write down their most important information. You can use your planner, an app or a notebook. I prefer to write down my thoughts on paper so the paper planner will always be a winner for me. They are tons of gorgeous notebooks on Etsy that will your productivity to the next level, like this Floral Hibiscus Notebook.
Use your notebook to jot down dates, phone number, ideas and reminders that you can review later on. I also hang this minimalist monthly planner in my kitchen so that I have a constant reminder of my appointments when I go into the kitchen.
THEY REGULARLY GET RID OF CLUTTER
You’ve heard it before. Cluttered desk, cluttered mind. It’s so difficulty to stay focused when you’re surrounded by a total mess. Organised people are aware of the impact that clutter has on their productivity and so keep things tidy.
Get into the habit of chucking things away that aren’t needed. Don’t put it aside and hope that you’ll need it some time down the line. If it has no purpose then toss it. Once you’ve cleaned, get into the habit of keeping it clean. Put things back in their place when you’ve finished with them and have a good clean out every 3 months. You’ll feel much more organised in a clean environment.
THEY SET DEADLINES
Organised have goals and they know when they want to achieve them by. Setting goals is a great way to be more productive but the goal must be broken down to be attainable. I use the SMART technique to create realistic and achievable goals.
SMART works by breaking down the goal so that it’s specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time manageable. If there is no time limit attached to the goal then there is no sense of urgency. Get into the habit of setting deadlines for all of the tasks on your to-do list. Need to pay off a bill? When by? Constantly ask yourself when the task has to be done by.
THEY USE THEIR TIME EFFECTIVELY
Sometimes it feel that there just isn’t enough time in the day. That’s why organised people know how to use their’s effectively. If they find that a job is too large, they break it down into smaller task. This helps to prevent procrastination. One technique that I like to use to help complete large tasks is the Pomodoro Technique. If you’ve not heard of it yet then it’s a brilliant method that encourages you to focus for a certain amount of time before taking a break.
Related: How to Use the Pomodoro Technique to Boost Your Productivity
THEY KNOW WHEN TO TAKE A BREAK
Regular breaks increases productivity and creativity. Working for long periods of time without a break can cause cause stress and exhaustion. organised people forces themselves to take regular breaks every 90 minutes or so. Even if it’s just for 15 minutes. Don’t feel guilty for pulling away from your work and taking a break. You deserve it! Get up and stretch or grab a snack and get back to work. Just don’t get too carried away when checking your social media…
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I have a sticky notes program on my computer that keeps track of what bills are due when and how much is generally is so at a glance I can look and see what I have do coming up. My ex would set alarms on his phone to go off on the day that the bill was due to be sure that it got paid and that he wouldn’t forget about it.
I also in my main checking account have many accounts because I use a bank app called simple and I can put money into these many accounts every week based on a predetermined amount so that I can book up my savings accounts for different things like my vacation fund, emergency fund, business expenses, things like that. Then I have a lot of money saved up for if and when I need it for something.