Resolve to Be Organized

For many people around the world, the New Year means turning over a new leaf and making a positive change. Below are some simple steps on how to organize your life.

Since January is Get Organized Month, there’s no better time to turn your attention toward developing the right habits for a more organized life—whether that means at work or at home.

Here are 10 great organization habits to consider adopting in 2018.

1. Figure out and write down your organization goals

While there are multiple reasons to write down your goals, there are two that stand out. Writing them down makes your goals real. They instantly go from being dreams to being more tangible—in a manner of speaking. Additionally, research has shown that those who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them than those who don’t.

2. Follow a to-do list and track your progress

Keep tasks and goals in one easy-to-access place—it can be something as simple as the calendar or reminders app in your phone or digital resources like Evernote, Trello, or Asana.

3. Plan your days a day in advance

Once you’re done with your daily tasks, take a few minutes to plan out the coming day. Each and every day should have its own to-do list.

4. Do what you can do now

You can always stay ahead of procrastination by accomplishing those little five-minute tasks that tend to build up over time—even if they aren’t on your to-do list. The longer you wait to do something, the harder it will be to actually do it. Don’t let little tasks turn into big ones.

5. Focus on one thing at a time

Although people might brag about their multitasking prowess, unitasking might lead to better performance, with a higher level of productivity. If you have a longer list than usual, plan a day to turn off your phone notifications and plow through, working on one item at a time.

6. Make your goals manageable

Keep your end goal in mind and be flexible by breaking bigger goals down into manageable bits. And as a bonus, you’ll have more boxes to check off on your to-do list. (I can’t be the only one who loves doing that, right?)

7. Stay optimistic

Things don’t—and won’t—always go to plan, but this isn’t a reason to lose your can-do attitude. Some of the best ways to stay optimistic despite issues are to anticipate potential problems, accept inevitable setbacks, and have back-up plans in place.

8. Establish daily, weekly, and monthly routines

Establishing routines normalizes behavior. Even though it’ll feel odd the first time you do something new, it’ll become more natural as you do it more often. This is the blueprint for developing new habits.

9. Reevaluate often

As you go about setting goals and establishing new habits, it’s a good idea to periodically take a step back to measure your progress and to reevaluate your goals. Take time to ask yourself if you’re on track to accomplish everything you set out to. If not, what can you do to get back on track? If you are on track, what are you doing right and what could you do better? If you’re already done, was the goal too easy to accomplish?

10. Reward yourself when you reach goals

Small rewards are a great motivation during difficult days. And the great thing is these rewards are totally up to you, so they’ll be extremely personalized. You can even have separate rewards for reaching weekly and monthly goals and a larger reward for achieving yearly goals.

What organization habit are you resolved to work on during the New Year?