10 Habits of Highly Organized People
Minor shifts in how you think and what you do on a daily basis yield major, ongoing results. Below are some low-effort, big-impact practices that I swear by.
1. Organized people avoid the big black hole.
A vast, open storage area invites mess. It’s tempting to fill all the empty space with items that don’t belong together just because they fit, but once you do that, finding anything can be a big chore. Compartments and containers could be your fix. Add bins to an armoire to separate table linens (runners, napkins) from table accents (candlesticks, vases). Keep small pouches in a large handbag so keys, pens, and lip-gloss don’t get jumbled at the bottom.
2. Organized people trick themselves with treats.
Attach a reward to a tedious task: Tell yourself you can get a pedicure after you have organized the garage or can watch The Crown after you have done laundry, and you’ll actually follow through.
3. Organized people say no to spillover.
Have too many stuffed animals to fit into the toy chest? Exile some instead of starting another bin for extras.
4. Organized people build in behavioral hooks.
When productivity experts talk about hooks, they are talking about actions that lead you seamlessly from one task to the next. Hooks are often super-simple behavior changes that propel you to action. For example, if you rinse your cereal bowl with one hand, use your other to open the dishwasher and pull out the rack.
5. Organized people spend 30 seconds now to save hours later.
Stop dropping everything into random piles. When you’re holding an item, decide where it goes right then. Otherwise, you’ll just get fed up with piles at some point.
6. Organized people move their castoffs to the car.
When you know there is a basket or box in the trunk waiting for giveaways, it becomes second nature to regularly off load old or unused items so they’re not hogging space in the closets. A full container is a cue to officially let go: Take the box to Good Will, or Salvation Army.
7. Organized people have twice as many wall hooks and nothing on the floor.
When you make the most of wall space, putting garden gear on a pegboard, hairstyling tools on mounted rack, brooms, mops on a hanging organizer your stuff stays within reach, and space looks a lot neater.
8. Organized people adjust their shelves.
It’s such a simple game changer: Vary the shelf heights so the space fits your needs. This goes for bookcases, medicine cabinets, refrigerators, hall closets, and pantry’s.
9. Organized people think in zones.
Arrange things by use rather than type. In the pantry group breakfast items: pancake mix, syrup, nut-butters, jams. In the mudroom, create a pool gear station: goggles, arm floats, beach towels. By the back door, set up a pet-stuff spot: leash, flashlight, treats, waste pick up bags.
10. Organized people never miss something they toss.
When you separate emotions from purging decisions and admit that a clean clear surface is more satisfying than having things, it’s really not tough to let go. Prioritize the greater good: a happier home.
