How To: Organize Your Life

Organizational skills are necessary in our fast-paced modern world. Organizing your mind and environment will save time, create mental clarity and reduce stress. There are many ways in which to organize your life.

• Make lists to help you get organized. There is no better way to keep track of the things you need to do and what you have accomplished. Make daily lists, long-term goal lists, shopping lists and only buy what is on your list. Make lists of nice things to do for people. I love lists so much that I make lists of the lists I need to make. The beginnings of organization start with making lists.
• For one week write down every penny that you spend. You’ll be surprised how those pennies add up at the end of the week. Decide where you can save some money. Even if you can only afford a few dollars a week, save something for a rainy day. Skip that latte once in a while and put that money in the bank. Pennies add up to nickels, nickels to dimes, and so forth. Every little bit helps. You should always have an emergency fund so you don’t always have to depend on credit cards to get you out of a jam. Financial organization creates freedom.
• Be on time. Late people are unorganized people and cast the wrong impression. No one cares why you are late and they don’t want to hear tales of traffic woes or alarm clock malfunctions. They just know that you kept them waiting. You can’t be organized and stress free if you are always rushing around. There is a difference between being a fast mover and being in a hurry. Movers and shakers know what they want and go for it as quickly as possible. People in a hurry are rushing toward an unclarified goal. Better preparation will get you to life’s goals faster.
• Tidy your house and your workspace. Chaos is not a good living or working environment. Tidiness is as much of a psychological state as a physical one. Makes a list of the things you need to tidy. Some things need to be tidied every day, some once a week, some less often. Environmental organization creates peace of mind.
• Buy a filing cabinet to keep your bills and other important papers handy. You should be able to pull out a bill or an insurance policy at a moment’s notice. It’s also a good idea to keep photocopies of important papers close at hand, and keep the originals safely tucked away in a safe deposit box. Having a pile of unorganized bills will only create stress. Clerical organization creates order.