5 simple tips to stay organized

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I am finding myself very busy lately, and the only way to make things happen without losing my mind is to stay organized and become very good at time management.

Today, I have 5 simple tips to get you on the path of organization and possibly helping you free some time in your life.

Organization is not a boring task, but one that requires a lot of creativity, seriously, it can be fun! Photo by Horia Varlan.

Get used to writing things down

I have a pretty good memory, but when I am rushing from one thing to another I can forget certain things. There are many ways to fix this problem, and the one I like the most is to write things down. When you write something down you are using a different part of your brain to record that information and are more likely to recall it later. Sometimes, I don’t even have to refer back to my agenda, because by writing it down I had to stop a moment and think about it and that action made it harder for me to actually forget what I had to remember.

Divide your day into sections

Don’t think of the day as a whole. Instead, divide it into fragments. You can get very creative here, but there are a few things you need to establish. First, you need to determine how long each fragment is. It can be every 3 hours, or anything that works for you. Between fragments, you can add “cool down fragments” designed to keep you from burning out. Make it a goal to get something done in each fragment of time (except cool down time). This will keep you on task and focused. Don’t think “I have all day to get this done”, instead think “I have this fragment to get this done, and next fragment to get the next thing done”.

Give your belongings a “home”

If you spend more time looking for things than actually doing things, this might help you. Make a little home for each of the things you use the most; grouping things by category will also save you a lot of time. Each night, put everything you will need in the morning back in their “home” and ready for when you wake up. Inside a bowl, you can put your keys, your wallet, your bus pass or anything you must have. Work hard to make it a habit to keep things where they belong and you will soon find yourself loosing fewer things. (Note by Alex: You can extend this one to your computer files!)

Make reminders and place them everywhere

If you need to turn the lights off when you leave but every day you come home and realize you forgot because you left in a rush, then perhaps a sign will help you. Place a friendly reminder in the exit door. You can make it look as original as you want; maybe a frame with a picture of a light bulb? Anything goes as long as it does the job. Apply this skill with anything that needs reminders. The principle is the same.

Simplify

Spend some time figuring out everything you have to do and find ways to simplify without compromising the end result. As they say, work smarter, not harder. For example, I have a design class and an art history class that both require a lot of work at home. To save time, I listen to my audio E-textbook while I draw my designs, killing 2 birds with 1 stone. I have also made other decisions to simplify my life, by grouping things that go well together, and getting rid of things that are not important. But be careful, you must remember not to compromise the end result.

Bonus tip – Plan ahead

For daily living things, planning ahead works great. Set Monday-Friday’s clothes in groups and store them that way. Even better, you can do this while you fold your laundry. Instead of putting shirts and pants aside, fold your clothing into “sets” of things for each day. Then put them all in your drawers and when the day comes you will have 5 minutes that you didn’t have before.

This rule can apply to many other things, like cooking, buying groceries, etc. The basic concept here is to think ahead for a moment and take action.

Remember, it’s all about time management. And don’t forget to stop and smell the roses!