My father used to say that there were two kinds of people in the world - those that are organized and those that aren't. Maybe that was true years ago, but I see it differently. I view organization in two ways: effective or ineffective. If what you are happy with your type of organization - why change?



I believe that we spend too much time worrying about what other people think about our organizational ability. We can be very judgmental. We often make assumptions about people whose organizational style is different than our own.

What does matter is that you are comfortable with your own organizational skills. Whether you fold your underwear or color code your closet, or drop everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) into a big pile on the floor; you should give yourself permission to be who you are and not let the opinion of others' upset you. However, if you wish you were more effective. Read on!

Anyway, that's a topic for another article. What I wanted to do today is to offer a simple plan for organizing yourself in two basic 'zones': time and things. Feel free to modify these ideas to suit yourself. To be honest, a lot of it is just common sense.

Three Box System: How To Organize Your Things

First, get three boxes. In large letters label the boxes:

Write 'THROW AWAY' on the first box. The second box is the 'GIVE AWAY' box. On the third box, write 'PUT AWAY'.

Begin by sorting through a cluttered area. Ask yourself three questions to determine which box an item goes into:

1. Have I used this item in the past year? a. Yes? - Put it away if you will continue to use it. b. No? - Throw or give away 2. Does the item have sentimental or monetary value? a. Yes? - Is it something you want to keep or is it time to pass it on to someone else who would appreciate it? b. No? - Throw or give away. If you want less clutter in your space, you will absolutely need to let go of some stuff! 3. Do I know someone who could use this? a. Yes? - Great! Give it to them. If you think you might need it sometime, just ask them if you would be able to borrow it if you ever need it. b. No? - You can always donate items to the Salvation Army or another charitable society.

WARNING - Beware of the phrase 'This might come in handy one day.' You'll never be able to throw or give anything away because it's too easy to convince yourself that you are being prudent by keeping everything.

Create A To Do List To Organize Your Time

One of the great equalities of life is that we are all given the same 24 hours in a day to accomplish things. I'm always amazed at the choices - and consequences - that people experience. Some are billionaires, some are famous celebrities, some are just happy, and some are neither rich nor happy.

One simple thing you can do to get a better control of your time is to create a daily to do list. It doesn't matter what you write the list on - as long as you keep it with you. The idea is that you write down all the things you need to get done as they pop up throughout the day including appointments, errands, grocery list items, etc.

In the quiet of the morning - or before you go to bed - review your appointments and commitments for the day and pick two or three other things that you want to get done. If something keeps getting shuffled to the bottom of the list - that's okay. There will be days when you have nothing to do - except now you do :-)

One way to reduce your chores is to ask for help. Are there chores that someone else can do for you? We don't always have to do everything ourselves. You might be surprised who is willing to lend a hand or do a favor - but you do need to ask.

Organization Can Become A Habit

Whatever you are used to doing is a habit - and it will take a concentrated effort on your part to change. It has been said that it takes 21 days to replace a habit. Why do most New Year's Resolutions fade? Because we don't focus on them long enough to become a new habit.

Repetition Is Key To Making A New Habit Stick

So, in your journey to become more effective with your time and/or space be aware that it takes about a month of constant, conscious repetition to make a lasting personal change.