ORGANIZE is Not a Four Letter Word

Organize is not a four letter word…
It’s actually eight letters.

When you look around your home or office, do you often get that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach thinking, “Where do I start?” And then because there is such a sense of overwhelm with the notion of even starting, that you decide not to begin at all? That is the common feeling for those who are organized challenged.

So today, I am going to break it down for you into eight easy steps. You don’t have to do them all at once, big changes begin with small steps, just promise yourself, that you will start.

Here goes…

O – Observe; look around and write down some of the areas that seem to be the most troubling to you. Identify the areas that need to be organized.

R – Rank and prioritize what should be done first, second, etc.

G – Game Plan; (This is important!) What supplies will you need? What are you going to do with the stuff you don’t need and what are you doing to do with the stuff you do need? What will be your reward for finishing?

A – Allow Time; set a date. Make an appointment with yourself to get started. You must make organizing important or you’ll never do it. Be sure to allow enough time to get it done. You may have to break the project down into manageable tasks if you don’t have a big block of time. But that’s okay, some organizing experts even recommend that you tackle small areas for 30 minutes each day as apposed to doing it all at once. If you get overwhelmed easily, this may be the best tactic for you. Either way, set a deadline for yourself. (Remember the article on SMART goals…the T is for Time Limit.)

N – Navigate; go through your stuff and say, “No,” to the things that you know are not necessary anymore. Then get rid if it! It often helps to take everything out and then sort through it as you begin to put things back. That’s usually a sure fire way to get you to finish the task. You can’t leave the junk drawer contents on the kitchen table if you ever want to have dinner there again, so you might as well put things away.

I – Identify what’s Important. Placing it back in well organized containers will make you more likely to know where it is and use it in the future. This will save you time and energy in the long run. Being unorganized is a time stealer.

Z – Zone in, as you put things back in the room, try to give everything a place. This zone is for books, this file is for bills, cups are by the sink, etc. Try to think of logical, easily accessible places for everything.

E – Energize, by taking back control of your room, you will find you have more energy and more time to get the things that are important accomplished. So now the only thing left to do is reward yourself for a job well done. And remember, this part is not selfish, it is actually very important that you reward yourself for getting the task done. It gives you something to look forward to.

So, what are you waiting for? Get to it! You actually have a lot to look forward to, and being organized is just the beginning…

Here’s to your productivity!