Journal Entry

Four secrets how to get organized and stay organized

Have you ever run out the door only to realize halfway to your appointment you’ve left some crucial item behind? Are you consistently late for appointments or events? Are there items in your house that you sometimes just can’t locate? Maybe your cupboards are just overflowing with stuff and you just don’t know what to do?

If this is you, take a deep breath and comfort yourself with the knowledge that you are not alone! There are many women just like you, all around the globe, and I have been one of them. That was before I had to live for 12 months in a one-bedroom granny flat with my husband and four children! Survival required dramatic change. I had to downsize and get organized. As a mother of four who is notorious for taking on too much and achieving it, people have often said to me, “I don’t know how you do it”. The truth is I have learned a few secrets about how to get organized and stay organized.

Secret 1: Do it now!

Adopting a do-it-now-mentality changes your life. Procrastination creates disorder, just as action creates order. My mother always told me and it is true, “Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today and don’t do half a job!” Take action; you can get organized.

Secret 2: Everything in your home needs to have a home

Order begins by creating a space for each item and training your family to return that item to that space every time they use it. To create this order, you need to be brutal about what you allow to remain in your home. If you haven’t used it in the last six months, get rid of it. Only keep useful tools to your life or things that really make you happy. Clutter creates frustration. De-clutter and enjoy the peace it brings.

Secret 3: If you want to remember something, write it down

As a business trainer, I can validate that writing something down helps you transfer it from your short to medium-term memory. Lists really work for me because there are so many different demands on my time and brain space. If I jot down the items I need to take and the tasks I need to complete, I can simply tick things off as I go and have the confidence I have covered everything.

Secret 4: Think ahead

This one is crucial, but so many people fail to do it. I sit down at my computer, at least once a week, and look ahead to see what is coming up to make sure that I have prepared fully. This was especially important when I was delivering training, as I often had to prepare handouts ahead of schedule to allow time for photocopying, pick up and delivery to sites. This trained me to do lists and to use my calendar and task lists effectively. This discipline has now spilled over into all area of my life organization.

You will be amazed what a difference these four little secrets will make if you implement them. I once was a mother of four children under five, pulling my hair out in frustration. Now I have my children trained to maintain order and I have streamlined what I allow into my house. This alone has created so much time for me to do things I enjoy. One of these is the satisfaction of sitting down in a clean and tidy house after a productive day where I have completed what I set my heart to do. You too can get organized and reap the rewards!