Do you often get chastised for being late at work, leave your house without your keys, or often lose things that you need? If you do, then you have a problem with organization.
Organization, as not many adults realize, is an important and useful trait that will help you throughout your life, from setting your Subaru’s car maintenance schedule to remembering your mom’s birthday, here are the steps to getting organized as an adult.
Write Everything Down ASAP
It is easy to say that you will remember to bring an important document to work or buy a gift for a friend’s party. However, can you truly rely on yourself to keep the task in mind throughout the day or week?
It is so much easier to write things down so that you will be reminded. Get a notebook or a planner where you can keep all your tasks, schedules, reminders, etc. You need to bring this notebook everywhere with you and browse it often so that you do not miss a thing.
… or Get an App
Better yet, if lugging around a notebook does not appeal to you, try using an app. Your smartphone’s calendar acts as a digital planner where you can type in important schedules and reminders. There are third-party apps that also promote organization like Any.do (available on Android and iOS) and Reminder app (on iOS). These apps will always keep you on track throughout the day, week, month, and year.
Using an app is a convenient way to organize your life. You will never be caught unprepared again.
Give Everything Their Own Places
Things get lost because people leave them in areas where they are not supposed to be. Your TV remote does not walk out of the living room on its own.
You may need to add storage space to your home. Assign which item goes where. For example, in the hallway near your door, add a bowl where you can drop your keys and some loose change as soon as you get home from work. When you leave in the morning, even if you are in a hurry, you will know where you can find your keys.
With each item having its own space in your home, you are more likely to remember where to put things and where to find them.
Get Rid of Trash
It is so much more difficult to be organized and stay organized if you have way too many stuff. Aside from not having enough storage space for everything, it is impossible to remember every item that you own. Whether it is clothes or documents, you will need to take a look at your possessions and maybe toss or give away those that you no longer like nor need.
This may also apply to both your professional and social life. If you have way too many appointments, meetings, parties, and other events and responsibilities to attend or accomplish, organization will be a challenge. Learn to say no whenever you can so you can give your planner and yourself a breather.
In the beginning, you might find yourself struggling. Organization itself might seem like an additional chore. However, once it becomes a habit, things will feel more natural.
