Habio Blog

How to Be Organized in Life.
10 Ideas to Make Your Days More Productive

No one was ever born organized. But the good thing is that you can adopt habits that will make you organized and productive. Check out these Habio ideas on how to be organized at home.

Life throws a lot of curveballs at us. As much as you try to organize your life, it may still look like a juggling act. And most times, procrastination gets the better of us. There will be days when you applaud yourself for being on top of your finances, staying committed to a project, and tidying up your space. But just when you feel like you deserve a medal, other tasks you left behind come hurtling toward you.

So, what is the best way to organize your life and be in control? Should you ignore your daily tasks and hope that they sort themselves out eventually? Staying organized every day may look challenging, but it is possible if you work at it.

Instead of blaming yourself for the failures of yesterday or wishing you could do better, why not take steps to become a well-organized person? Discover how to be organized and productive with these fantastic ideas from Habio.

a laptop, phone, glasses, notes, coffee on the desk showing the way how to be organized in life

The benefits of being organized in life

Knowing how to be organized in life comes with several benefits and may even positively affect your relationship with others because of your new found healthy habits. Here are some of the perks of staying organized in life.

1. Less stress and anxiety

It is difficult to avoid stress if you live a disorganized life. According to a study conducted at UCLA by Saxbe and Repetti (2010) on thirty-two families, it was discovered that people who live in cluttered homes may experience more stress, fatigue, and anxiety than those who strive to maintain a tidy environment.

If your home is as restful and clean as it ought to be, you will discover fun ways to enjoy each day and feel comfortable.

2. More me time

If you learn how to be organized and productive, you can benefit from more time all to yourself each day. This isn't rocket science. If you work hard to increase your productivity and stay organized, you can manage your time more effectively.

a messy desk full of papers, cups, pens, glasses showing that no all people know how to be organized in life

3. Better physical health

Becoming organized in life can have tremendous effects on your physical health. You will gradually become more energized to exercise, actively plan delicious meals, and stick to diet plans in the long term.

4. Richer social life

Knowing how to plan your week is essential for an organized life. For example, when you make time to tidy up and are proud of the way your home looks , you may find it easier to invite friends over or just have fun with the family in your living room. You will also discover fun ways to relax, play with your kids, build a network of friends, and plan a vacation all because you lead an organized life. Isn't that awesome?

How to be organized at home

a woman declutters and puts a box on the shelves showing how to be organized in life

Clean home space is one of the things that keep your entire life organized. Cozy home atmosphere helps you to stay relaxed and reduce stress levels. These simple yet effective tips could work wonders to kick off your home organization project.

1. Create a great storage system

A sure way to organize efficiently is to create a unique storage system in your home and reduce the amount of stuff you have. For example, if you don't have a big closet, start with a freestanding clothing rack. Also, you can use your walls for storage purposes — just attach hooks and place the shelves or even bikes on the walls. It will save up the space in your room.

2. Declutter

If you're trying to unravel the secrets of how to be organized at home, start with decluttering and see how fast your home goes from being a mess to a beautifully organized home that you've always envisioned.

3. Reduce the number of new things you buy

Organized people avoid impulse buying as much as they can. If you discover a new gadget that you really want, don't rush to buy it before thinking about it. Be resilient! When you have fewer items, you avoid unnecessary clutter.

4. Create a home cleaning schedule

Planning is part of staying organized. Ensure you create a plan for tidying up your home. It helps if you can stick to it in the long run and use it as an opportunity to throw out things or donate things you don't need.

5. Delegate things

As much as you try, you may not be able to do it all. To avoid fatigue and having a stress-induced breakdown, you should try to delegate some tasks in your to-do lists if you can. It may help you create time for your personal development.

How to be organized at work

With lots of tasks on your to-do list, your boss hosting several meetings a day, and a list of clients to call every day, you might begin to wonder how to be organized at work. At first, it might look like a tedious thing to address, but you might find it easier with these tips.

an organized and clean desk with notebooks, pencils and flower standing in front of the panoramic window as an example of how to be organized in life

1. Create daily to-do lists

This is one of the steps that will get you started on becoming organized at the workplace. A to-do list will help you learn how to organize your day and make the most of your work hours. Staying organized in the workplace is crucial for your personal growth and development.

2. Monotask

As much as you can, aim to complete one task before moving to the next. This will help you stay organized to a great extent as multitasking may ultimately distract you and decrease productivity in the workplace. It can also trigger fatigue and forgetfulness.

3. Take breaks

While at work, it's easy to lose track of a project's progress when you are stressed. Taking breaks at regular intervals during work hours could gradually help this. A break doesn't necessarily have to be long. It could be as short as two minutes just to regain your mental balance before you continue working again.

You may notice how you are now able to recall the previous meeting's proceedings, pick up a paper and a pen without extensively searching for either of them on your table, and perform other activities that may seem "normal" but could be forgotten due to fatigue and disorderliness.

4. Organize your inbox

Is it always a tough time trying to find the mail your boss sent to you the previous week? That's a sign that you need to organize your inbox. This could boost your productivity more than you can imagine. For example, it can help you manage your time effectively if you mark specific emails as "important" while organizing your inbox according to their priority will help you save more time.

5. Turn off your phone during deep work

Is your phone always beeping during meetings, conferences, and other important events at work? You can consider turning it off whenever you are engrossed with a lot of tasks at work. Avoiding distractions is a good way to stay organized and focused.

As you practice how to stay organized at work and at home, you may not see results immediately. But do not relent. Most times, it takes a while to get used to these habits. Be patient, and when you eventually begin to be organized, pat yourself on the back for doing such a good job.

More proven strategies can be found in this paper by Schrager & Sadowski (2016).