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14 Habits of the Super Organized
Photo credit: bigstock
Ok, so you’re organized, kind of. You have a coupon holder in your purse, you have shoe tree in your closet, your towels are neatly folded in the closet, but are you curious how some people manage to be ultra-organized? Their coupons aren’t just in the holder, they are organized by section and expiration date. They don’t have shoe trees, they have those plastic see through shoe boxes for every pair organized by the lid color, (purple lids are flats, pink lids are heels, etc.). Their towels are folded and organized by color and holiday towels are in specially marked containers. But who has the time for all that? Well, obviously someone does. Do you want to know their secrets?
The good news here is that almost anyone can be an ultra, or at least better, organized person. Being super organized is not something you are born with, but something you learn and make time for. We’ve listed the top 14 patterns super organized people follow. You may never organize your towels by color, but you can learn how to keep your calendar up to date and keeps that to-do list flowing.
1. Prioritize
Ok, that’s too general, you are thinking or you are saying to yourself, but I DO prioritize! Let’s look at this from a different angle. It’s not just about choosing the important things on your list; it’s about what time you do them. For example, if you have a project that will require you to be at your clear headed best, then scheduling that for 3PM probably isn’t the best idea. If you need to do banking on Friday but the bank closes early on that day, don’t just write in “banking”, you need to write something like “Do banking by 12”, and perhaps even put an alarm on your phone. Time flies sometimes and if you don’t have the proper reminder, it can get away from you.
2. Say No
Super organized people know that they can both graciously, and guiltlessly, say no to accepting more work or to doing things that you simply don’t have time for or simply don’t want to do. Yes, perhaps no body can throw a dinner party like you, but that doesn’t mean every party has to be held at your house. Saying no when you need to shows self-respect and allows you to do the other things you are already committed to.
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3. Buy less Stuff
This doesn’t mean you have to be a minimalist, but stop and think before you pick up something because it’s on sale or even free. Think for just a minute, where are you going to put it? Will it require maintenance? Are you prepared to clean it? Sometimes when you look at that item in those terms it becomes clear to you that you really don’t need it.
4. Choose Furniture that is Multifunctional
Picking our furniture that is double duty functional is always a winning choice. Choose an ottoman that can store magazines or placemats inside, a book case that also serves as a nightstand, a coffee table with drawers to store your remote controls and coasters. This can keep surfaces uncluttered as well as less furniture to clean and dust.
5. Put a Clock in the Bathroom
It’s so easy to lose time in the morning while you are taking care of grooming. Place a clock in the bathroom that’s easy to see (wall clocks will save valuable counter space) so you are aware of how much time you have left before you need to leave the house.
6. Coordinate Calendars with your Spouse and Children
Whether it’s on paper or online, such as GoogleCal, be sure everyone can access it so no one schedules something for a time that you already have a commitment for. Of course we are talking about older children here; say 10-12 year olds. They can learn how to use a calendar and either write or type in their commitments (school play, important soccer game) so you are not surprised by an unexpected parent child school meeting.
7. Make Decisions
Don’t be afraid to make decisions and stick to them. If you wait for the perfect time or wait until things are perfect, that time may never come. Learn to say, “This is good enough”, and move on. This doesn’t mean your work can’t be perfect but if your kid can’t find two matching socks, realize that they a wearing pants and no one will see anyway. It’s good enough! Forget about spending more time looking for the mate, or wondering all day where that other sock went, it was good enough for today, get on with your day.
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Photo credit: bigstock
8. Do It Now
When you walk in the door, don’t put your coat on the sofa, hang it up right now. You spend extra time and double the effort to put it on the sofa, then come back to it later, bring it to your room to hang it in your closet. Hang it up wherever it belongs right away.
9. Ask for Help
It’s not a crime or a weakness to delegate. You are not a superhero, no one expects you to do everything yourself every day. Avoid stress by asking for help when you need it. Your time is very valuable and things will run much more efficiently if work is more evenly distributed. This also applies at home. Teach your children to put their dishes in the dishwasher, their dirty clothes in the hamper, and to put their clean clothes in their proper place. Even 5 year olds can do simple tasks like put their toys away and put dirty clothes where they belong.
10. De-Stress
The most organized people always find time to let it all hang out, so to speak. Most of us are constantly rushing around, trying to accomplish everything on our list but organized people know that if they manage their stress effectively, they are more likely to get more done because they will feel better and will be operating at their best. Read also about foods that help relieve stress.
11. Keep Surfaces Clutter Free
Here is a good rule everyone should follow: If you use it every day, it can stay: if you don’t, then put it away. Think about which items you use frequently and which items you don’t use very often, then apply the rule above.
12. Arrange Like with Like
In the kitchen, put canned goods all together on one shelf, cereals on another. In your bathroom, put hairbrushes and combs all in one drawer, make up in another. You get the idea. This is a huge timesaver that will keep you from searching for that one thing.
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13. Think Vertically
Make good use of space that is generally overlooked. Shelves above doorways, hooks on the back of bedroom doors, cubbies on a shelf on top of your closet can make them into organized spaces, an adjustable shower curtain rod over the tub or inside the laundry room for drying delicates, look for room up above and you will be surprised at all that unused space.
14. Be an Optimist
Every super organized person is an optimist. Even when things go wrong or don’t go according to plan, they can make a joke about it and move forward with positive thoughts about next time. Even if things are only moving forward an inch instead of a yard, they will see it as a positive result. They don’t over focus on it, they don’t waste time dwelling on what went wrong, they go forward with a smile.
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