How to Be Organized

Most people don’t like clutter. Even so, the habit of being organized takes time to form, but once you get used to it, your life will become easier. To be truly organized, you need to organize your living space and time, make sure your appointments and to-dos are fully noted. You can also work in an organized manner to increase your productivity and get more done in less time. Being organized can reduce stress and anxiety, giving you more control over your day-to-day tasks.

Table of Contents

Arrange a time

Make a note of important scheduled events. Buy a calendar and hang it somewhere you can see it every day, like in your kitchen, by your bed, or in your office. You can also use the calendar on your computer or the calendar app on your smartphone. The next step is to note down important calendar events, such as completion dates, appointments, and meetings. Remember to update your calendar regularly to organize your time. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Get in the habit of checking your calendar every day, such as in the morning or at night before you go to bed.
Colorize calendar events by priority. For example, you can color important events red and yellow for regular events.
If you use a calendar app on your phone, you can set reminders a few days or hours in advance so you don’t forget an important event. You can also use other calendaring apps on your phone like 24me, Quip and Wanderlust. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Use a daily schedule. Using a daily schedule is a great way to organize your time. You will focus on each day of the week and easily note down your appointment or meeting schedule for each day. This is extremely effective when you have a lot of things to get done during the day. You will note all the to-dos according to each time frame in the schedule. Take a look at your schedule before you start your day so you know what’s scheduled and work in an organized manner. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

For example, you might note down a meeting schedule in the morning, a call with a client at noon, and a deadline for completing the plan in the evening.

Make a to-do list. To stay organized, you should make a to-do list. You’ll probably need a short-term to-do list and a long-term to-do list. Write your to-do list on a whiteboard and place it in a visible place, such as in the kitchen or bedroom. Cross off the completed tasks so that you feel energized and motivated to tackle the other things on the list.

If you want to save your to-do list on your computer, use a spreadsheet to make the list. Place your spreadsheet on your home screen so it’s easy to see and cross off what’s done.
For example, you might have a short to-do list like submitting your essay tomorrow, cleaning your room, and ordering this week’s stationery. You can make a long-term job list like spending a month preparing your college application, learning Arabic, and planning a trip.

Work in an organized manner

Schedule work every day. To work in an organized way, you need to schedule your work every day. List the tasks by importance and mark each task as complete. The first will be the most important, followed by the things of decreasing importance. This is a way to help you feel like everything is clearly planned for each day, whether you’re at work or school. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

For example, you might prioritize completing an essay or preparing lunch for your kids first. This is followed by spending time checking mail or news updates and doing other things in the afternoon and evening.

Annie Lin, MBA

Life & Career Coach

Annie Lin is the founder of New York Life Coaching, a New York-based career and life coaching company. Annie has over 10,000 hours of coaching for clients and her work has been featured in Elle Magazine, NBC News, New York Magazine and BBC World News. She provides services individually or in groups, focusing on career, relationships, love life and personal development. Trying to get an MBA from Oxford Brooks University. Annie is also the founder of the New York Life Coaching Institute, which offers comprehensive coaching certifications. Information: https://newyorklifecoaching.com

Annie Lin, MBA
Life & Career Coach

Try to schedule roughly the same time every day. Forming a routine will help you stay more organized and reduce your preoccupations so you can do more creative work.

Add a break to each workday. While your primary goal should be to complete important tasks, you should also take a few minutes to rest. You can schedule a 5-minute break after doing something so you can relax your muscles, go for a walk, or do some light exercise. You can also drink coffee or snack while resting. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Taking a break helps you avoid feeling overwhelmed or overworked, especially when you have a lot of work to do during the day. If you’re really busy, try to schedule a break during the day so you don’t work long hours in a row.

Do many things at the same time. Another way to help you stay organized is to multitask. This is a way to help you get a lot of things done in a short amount of time. You’ll also feel like everything is in order and no more burnout or stress about what needs to be done when you can get more done at once. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

For example, you can fold towels, email, and put your clothes in the washing machine while you wait for the teapot to boil. Or, you can download the program on your work computer and complete your profile or other work while you wait for the download to complete.
Be aware, however, that some studies show that multitasking can impair your ability to focus on one particular task.

Arrange living space

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Clean up the bedroom . To organize your living space, you should start by focusing on the bedroom. Take a look at each and every item in your bedroom and get rid of anything you no longer use or need. Reduce unnecessary things in the bedroom and clean up so you feel more organized living space; Only keep the essentials in the bedroom. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

For example, if you have a bookshelf full of books in your bedroom, go through all the books and put the ones you don’t read or need in the bin. Just throw away any books you really think you won’t read again. You can donate the books in the box to charity so you don’t have to fill the room.

Organize your office and desk neatly. If you have a home office, clean this area and keep it organized. It’s a good idea to review the papers and bills on your desk, and then put them in a folder or drawer. Get rid of papers you don’t need to keep originals. Put stationery in drawers or cabinets. Put pencils and pens in the pen box. ^{[9] X Research Source}

You should also place frequently used items near the working corner for easy access when needed. For example, if you often use a stapler at work, keep it in the top drawer of your desk for easy access and you always know where to find it.
Arrange electrical cords in the office by using drawstrings to keep them in place. This is a way to keep the wires from getting tangled and cluttered.

Clean up the kitchen. The kitchen is possibly one of the most used places in the house. You’ll keep the kitchen organized by checking each item and donating what’s no longer in use. Throw away broken kitchen utensils or chipped dishes. After getting rid of the unnecessary things, you will consider how to organize the things you need. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Put related things together in drawers or cabinets. For example, you will stack coffee cups together or stack all kitchen utensils in one drawer.
Try not to have too many things on the counter; instead, put only things you use often, like a large cutting board or kettle.
Some items need to be displayed or arranged rather than grouped together. Special items that are used frequently, such as spices, should be placed in an easy-to-access place, such as on the spice rack on the kitchen counter.
Perishables, such as food, should be consumed on a first-in, first-out basis. Put perishables like canned food bought long ago in the first row of drawers or cabinets.

Organize your wardrobe . Another cluttered place is often the closet, especially when you have a lot of clothes. You will organize your wardrobe by going through all your clothes and getting rid of the things you no longer wear. Usually, if you don’t wear something for a year, throw it out. You can categorize clothes, such as all jeans in one shelf or coats in the same place in the closet. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Swap out outfits for easy access in your closet so you can wear them and make the most of your existing outfits.
Place all your shoes in one area, preferably on a shoe shelf or marked box. That way, you can see each shoe and know exactly what you have in your closet.
If you find it difficult to keep your wardrobe organized, buy a wardrobe with multiple compartments to help you sort your clothes.

Regularly clean the living space. To maintain orderliness, you should regularly clean your bedroom, office, desk, kitchen, and closet. Set aside one day per week for cleaning and sanitizing these areas. This is a way to help you get rid of unnecessary things piled up in each area of the house. In addition, you also easily maintain the arrangement of items in each area to keep it organized.

You can also clean each area from time to time throughout the week to keep things tidy. Dust the house once a day. Throw away papers or bills you don’t need, instead of leaving them piled up in the house.
You’re better off cleaning your house every week. If your home quickly becomes cluttered, you can clean it more often.

Advice

The arrangement of living space also reduces feelings of stress and anxiety. ^{[12] X Research Resources} If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s also helpful to spend a little time cleaning up.
To reduce the feeling of burnout, just relax and figure out the real problem, then put everything on paper instead of thinking or worrying.
Another place that often needs tidying up is the sundries area in the house.

Steps

Arrange a time

Work in an organized manner

Arrange living space

Advice

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