8 Habits of Organized People (Page 2)

4. They write things down.

You know that super organized friend who never forgets to send you a card on your birthday? Her considerateness is probably not because she’s memorized the day every single person she knows was born. More likely, she’s written down your (and everyone else’s) big day and given herself a written heads-up a few days beforehand so she can pop that card in the mail in time to get to you. From small tasks like grocery-shopping lists and play dates to big events like parties and anniversaries, writing down and reviewing important dates and appointments is as critical as keeping your lists somewhere where you can easily access them and checking them regularly.

5. They create schedules and deadlines.

If you’ve got a list of things to do, the path to maximum accomplishment is to prioritize your tasks and set deadlines for completing them. Setting personal goals helps keep you focused on the clock and your intentions rather than playing around on Facebook (or reading Shine articles!). And the sense of accomplishment you get every time you check a chore off your list fuels your ambition!

6. They don’t procrastinate.

When you don’t get today’s chores done, they get added to tomorrow’s to-do list. Try this for even a few days and you’ll be overwhelmed by the tasks ahead. But that doesn’t happen to seriously organized individuals because they don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today. From folding laundry to straightening up the closet the second it sees disarray to washing the dishes, attacking chores the minute they need to be done perpetually keeps you ahead of the game.

7. They clean as they go.

Professional chefs, who are amazingly organized and neat when cooking, know that cleaning as you go is the most time and energy efficient. The same is true for any organized person. Whenever a mess is made, clean it up immediately and you’ll streamline your chores. And every time you leave a room, create a habit of grabbing any rogue item and returning it to its rightful home. Soon, cleanup will be a breeze.

8. They purge regularly.

The sister rule to “keep only what you need,” the practice of getting rid of unwanted, ill-fitting, outdated, or useless stuff ensures you won’t build up clutter.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Latoya B.

7:44PM PDT on May 8, 2013

This week I need to:

deep cleanse the carpet in my bedroom (my dog peed and now the room smells really bad)
find large picture frames for some of my wall art
find bookshelves so that I don't have hundreds of books stacked on the floor
organize my closet (hard to tell what clothes I own)

May 8
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Melania P.

10:38AM PST on Jan 29, 2013

Thanks! Sharing this

January 29
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Keri F.

3:44AM PST on Jan 5, 2013

Thanks for the tips!

January 5
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Victoria U.

2:38PM PST on Jan 1, 2013

I so agree! Thanks!

January 1
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Sheri S.

12:56PM PST on Jan 1, 2013

Thanx.

Franco D.

9:33AM PST on Jan 1, 2013

Good to know.

Fred H.

7:27AM PST on Jan 1, 2013

Thank you Molly, for Sharing this!

Patricia H.

4:51AM PST on Jan 1, 2013

great article, thanks for posting

Lynn S.

2:02AM PST on Jan 1, 2013

"And the sense of accomplishment you get every time you check a chore off your list fuels your ambition!"

It does that! I can attest to it.

Some great ideas. Now not to procrastinate.

When I think of this, I already know it. So why does't it all get done? I procrastinate until I forget what I was going to do. How many are like me?