11 Habits Highly Organized People Avoid Every Day

Is there more to being organized than just knowing your way around a spreadsheet and to do lists? Are their mysterious ways to those of us not so organized any better?

According to a study, people who said they were organized, also said it actually improved their work performance. Being organized can cause people to feel more in control and have more mental energy. If you would like to benefit from this, the good news is that anyone can learn to be organized according to the National Association of Professional Organizers.

Now while people act differently in different situations, there are a few habits that are common amongst most organized people. Here is a list of things that they avoid in their endeavors and routines.

1. They don’t start the day without a plan

Organized people take charge of their day even before it begins. They plan out their day a week or at least a day in advance, and that takes away the stress from what needs to get done. You can begin each day knowing what needs to get done and in what order to do it. If you can’t possibly get your week planned out in advance, try planning it out the evening before.

2. They don’t try to remember

Organized folk know that if it isn’t written down it probably won’t be acted on. So no matter whether it is part of a grocery list, article idea, design idea, etc., write it down. This clears your mind so you can continue to remain creative and focus on the tasks at hand.

3. They don’t use more than one to do list

It seems so easy to have an abundance of to-do lists. No matter what the project or where you keep them, just you use one to do list. The point of a to-do list is to remind people of what needs to get done. Having more than one to do list just increases the chances of things falling through the cracks and not getting things done. Use an app or a notebook. Avoid post-its that can go missing very quickly.

4. They don’t spend more than 30 mins addressing emails

Most of us battle with our inboxes in that they are always filling up, and we waste a lot of time trying to prioritize and figure out what to do. Commit to spending no more than 30 mins a day focused on emails and the intention of how many emails you need to address and clear out of your inbox. Also consider an Inbox Zero strategy to keep on top of email and not let it control your day.

5. They don’t live each day without harnessing psychological triggers

Organized people tend to understand psychological triggers and how some external cues help them stay on track and be organized. For example, they might color code their schedule, use color-coded post-its in books they refer to regularly, set alarms and timers. They might have small rewards on hand for accomplishments. They tend to use time chunking and be known to listen to music to boost their creativity.

6. They don’t follow circumstance and feelings every morning and evening

Routines and rituals are very much a part of an organized person’s life. They tend to make the start and end of the day the same as that sets the tone for much of the rest of the day. Whether it be stretching, a morning run or working on personal projects the time allocated to your morning routine and activities never changes. The same goes for the evening routine.

7. They don’t spend without tracking

Part of the secret of staying organized includes knowing exactly where your money is being spent. Organized people have a system of tracking spending, income and returns on investment. You can start with a spreadsheet but also use tools like YNAB.

8. They don’t leave a mess

The more your work and living space are free of clutter, the clearer your mind is. Here’s why…

Your mind is always working to solve problems including problems like – how to clean up my desk or how to clean up the living room.
Get these done, and you free up processing power for other things. Think about this – Ever been looking for something that was misplaced and felt frustrated by the time, stress and energy spent on it?
So have an assigned place for everything, so when you need it, you know exactly where it is.

9. They don’t miss out on lunch breaks

When you don’t assign time out for lunch, lunch breaks often don’t happen. Whether it is a half hour or an hour, organized people ensure that they are well fuelled throughout the day. They also understand the value of taking a break and getting out of the workplace to recharge themselves.

10. They don’t say yes to everything

Organized people are not afraid to say no to things that are not related to achieving their goals and objectives. That does not mean they would not lend a hand. But rather that they value their time and energy and so are not afraid to say no to opportunities that they don’t have time for or that don’t fit their lifestyle.

11. They don’t try and do it all by themselves

Organized people tend to know their strengths and weaknesses, and they delegate accordingly. They know they can’t and don’t have to do it all by themselves and so reach out when they need the support or help. Thinking about time as a resource that has value will help you decide how to prioritize and allocate all other activities across the day.

Organized people recognize that their time is worth more than having to figure out every single detail and so use other people’s strengths to make things run more efficiently and save time for everyone involved. In doing so, they also manage stress and their goals a lot better.

While these habits are not a magic solution to becoming more productive and successful, creating and maintaining a few of the practices mentioned above will get you on the path to bettering yourself and accomplishing more.

Author Bio:

This article was provided by the team at Rising Tide, a leading financial planning company in Melbourne, Australia. Visit their website: catchtherisingtide.com.au