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Life in Shambles? How to Be Organized  
HOW TO 

Tags: Organization, Cleaning, Cleanliness

Keeping organized can be a challenge with the hustle and bustle of daily life. However, with these tips you should be able to become and stay organized throughout your home.

1.	Organize your space. Whether it's your home, kitchen, office, computer, closet, desk, or locker, you need to see what's in there, throw away what you don't often use (or put it efficiently in storage) and give everything else a convenient and clearly designated space.
2.	Put it back. Right now. Once you establish where everything belongs, you need to get in the habit of putting it back there as soon as you're finished using it. Don't put it on the kitchen table or on the couch and move onto something else, thinking to yourself that you'll put it away later. That's a big no-no.
3.	Use a calendar. Get a calendar and put it in a place where you see it every day, preferably in the morning. For most people, that's on the refrigerator, on their desk, or even on their desktop. Wherever you put it, make it part of your routine to refer to it every day. For example, you can put it on the inside of the bathroom cabinet where you get your toothpaste. Every morning, while you're brushing your teeth with one hand, touch today's date on the calendar with the other, and look to see what's marked for today and for the upcoming week.
4.	Use a planner. A planner is especially useful if you have a lot of appointments and your days are so varied that you have trouble keeping track of your schedule. For example, if you travel a lot or attend classes at various times of day, it's much easier to carry a planner with you to consult frequently--you can't do that with a calendar. You can also usually fit more information in a planner.
5.	Combine similar activities. Make all your phone calls at one time. Do all your errands at the same time. Do all shopping in one trip.
6.	Write it down! Anything and everything you need to remember should be written down. Even if your memory is great, nobody's perfect and it doesn't hurt to put it on paper, just in case. Record phone numbers, appointments, birthdays, shopping lists, and things to do.
7.	Make to-do lists. But don't make every item on your list a major task. Put "take a shower" and "eat dinner" and other tasks you know you will get done. It will keep you from feeling overwhelmed that you haven't accomplished anything yet.
8.	Delegate responsibilities. Make sure the person you appoint to do the task has all the tools necessary to do the task. It's hard to be organized if you insist on doing everything yourself.
9.	Multi-task. Organize a drawer while talking on the phone. Fold towels while watching television. Listen to books on tape while driving, etc.
10.	Follow through. There's no point in making a to-do list if you don't discipline yourself to complete the tasks you've assigned yourself. There are many ways to stick to your to-do list. Stop procrastinating, remove or ignore distractions, and hop to it!

Lister: ListAfterList Wiki Contributors

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