Organized people are a mystery to many of us.  They seem to effortlessly handle household duties while managing a family, a career and relationships.  They never look disheveled; their birthday & greeting cards always arrive before the important date, arrive on time or even early.  Drop in on a moment’s notice–you’ll always find their homes tidy. We admit reluctantly we are envious, but how does such order happen?

Organized people live by 5 habits that help make the before-mentioned happen–at least most of the time.  By incorporating even one of them, you too can experience a life you are driving instead of one that drives you.

1.Design the Day

Having a game plan, to do list or list of tasks is the basis for being in control of your time & your day.  Reserve “Days of Spontaneity” for vacations or stay-cations.  In the day to day, reflect for 10 minutes on the last 24 hours & devise a plan for the next to give each day it’s purpose.

2.Write it Down

Once you have created your day in your head, write it down!

a.A written list will free your mind & eliminate the stress of trying to remember what needs to be done next.

b.You won’t forget an item

c.You can check items off as you go

3.Complete the Cycle

Peter Walsh coined the perfect phrase for the Kindergarten rule we all learned the first day of school; Complete the Cycle.  Remember when your teacher told you to finish what you started before starting something new?  She was telling you to put away tools/toys you were using for that task before starting a new task.  Following that rule will keep you from getting to the end of the day with tasks started but not completed.  The definition of frustration!

4.Sorting & Editing

Organized people automatically begin a process by sorting like things together.    Another handy lesson learned in Kindergarten.  With things sorted, it’s just a matter of editing out items for trash/recycle or donation.  The items left are the ones looking for a home.

5.Be Real

Organized people allow for extra time to complete a task knowing that not every traffic light will be green & that most jobs take longer than you plan.  It prevents over-scheduling and ensures that you get most items, if not all, checked off the list at the end of the day & you get to enjoy that wonderful feeling of success.  Not much is better than that.

Which of these 5 habits will you choose first to incorporate into your day?  Just pick one to see results & become the organized person other people envy.