5 habits of organized people

I have always admired the uber-organized among us. Getting and staying well-organized does not come naturally to me – an easily distracted and creative-minded DIYer. It’s been a struggle my entire life; that’s why I dedicated an entire book to the subject of organizing.

Over the years, my methods have become more realistic, and my habits have improved a bit. But I still have a long way to go. That’s why I decided to share this post today. I wanted to do some research to see what sets apart the highly organized people out there from the rest of us mere mortals. This is what I found out:

1. They face their Goliaths. Super-organized and productive people don’t typically avoid tough projects, issues or problems. They charge into them, facing them quickly so they can move on and keep those things from becoming giant, stressful time snatchers.

2. They’re disciplined. Statistics show that organized people have the ability to identify and eliminate time wasters. They also tend to take personal responsibility quickly. They are in the habit of consistently hitting goals, meeting deadlines and fulfilling promises. In short, they hold themselves accountable.

3. They have laser-like focus. Organized, productive people are able to concentrate on the task at hand and tune out distractions. They understand that not everything can be important. They distinguish between important tasks and trivial ones and focus on the most important stuff first. They don’t get bogged down with busy work. Of course, laser-like focus isn’t a natural ability for many people – including myself. But it is a skill we can all cultivate. Check out this article on 12 ways you can find and foster focus.

4. They plan their days. Although this is probably a fairly obvious habit of the organized, it bears mentioning because it’s so vital to creating an advantage at the start of each day. Rather than taking precious time to figure out where to begin, having a plan or clear path for the day’s schedule creates a sense of urgency and momentum early in the morning.

5. They’re able to get back on track faster. When organized people are interrupted or things don’t go as planned, they are quickly able to adapt. Their normal, organized routines come in very useful at times when the unexpected happens, because all the other things that are important have already been taken care of or are on autopilot, providing the margin necessary to respond without scrambling or dropping the ball.

Getting and staying organized has been a life-long quest for me. I’m currently reading Jane Stoller’s Organizing for Your Lifestyle: Adaptable Inspirations from Socks to Suitcases. It’s helping me refocus my efforts and go back to the basics of setting up working systems in our home that everyone in our family understands and uses daily.

I think that is a key part of keeping an organized home – developing systems and holding family members (especially kids) accountable for their part in managing those systems.

Do you struggle with getting organized? Do you have any tips for how to stay on track?