The Top 10 Habits of Organized People

Have you ever wondered how some people seem to have "it all together ? all the time," while you struggle with deadlines, misplace items, and run late for appointments? Are you interested in learning the secrets to their organizing success? If so, implement the following strategies and you too will experience the joy of more focus, time and success.

1. Assign a place to keep all of your belongings.

Isn't it interesting that we never misplace our car (except in a big parking lot). It's because we've chosen to designate a space for it ? the garage. Allocate a room and a specific drawer, shelf, basket, or other container for each kind of possession. Keep like things together and store each type of item closest to the place where you will be using it.

2. Design processes to manage paper flow.

We have more information delivered to us on a daily basis than ever before so it is imperative that you set up systems to touch paper once and keep each type of document where you know you will be able to find it. For example: When at home, collect your mail from the mailbox and immediately toss the junk, place all invoices in a special container (throw away any promotional material included with the invoice), file important documents right away, and place magazines into their own container (be sure to pitch the oldest issue).

3. Know how long to keep important papers.

Educate yourself using the guide at the following web address to determine what to keep and for how long. Then shred all unnecessary documents. http://www.oprah.com/foodhome/home/housekeeping/print/home_print_200409_chart.jhtml

4. Regularly, dispose of items that are broken, torn, stained, or haven't been used for a period of time.

Purging items that have lost their usefulness will make it easier to find what you want ? when you want it plus, give you room to store new items should you purchase more. You can toss items, sell them, or donate them to your favorite charitable organization.

5. Put each item away as soon as you are through using it.

Avoid the mentality?"I'll set this down for now, it's just temporary." All too often, temporary turns into days, days turn into months and soon you'll have a mountain of stuff to sort through. You have a choice?a minute now or hours later.

6. Use a calendar.

A calendar is a great tool if you use it consistently. For instance, it's harder to overbook yourself when you only have 24 hours per day on your calendar. More importantly it requires that you make choices?you can't do it all and be successful. Try this strategy:

Make a list of all your goals. Put them in PRIORITY order, from most important to least important.
Estimate how much time it will take to complete each goal.
Fill in the current month of your calendar with your PRIORITY goals. (For example: work 8 - 5, Monday through Friday; family time 11 - 3, Sunday; personal development 7 ? 8, Tuesday and Wednesday; gym 5:30 ? 6:30, Monday through Thursday; etc.)
If there is still space in your calendar, record more goals from your list.
When your calendar is full, look at the goals left on your list and decide if you can delegate or dismiss them, if not, record them on successive months of your calendar. This will keep you from feeling guilty as you have assigned a time and place to tackle these other things and you don't have to worry about forgetting them.

7. Only buy new items when you have sufficient space to display them, store them, or you are prepared to let something else go.

Its false economics for you to keep buying more stuff if you can't see, easily access, or enjoy it.

8. Say, "No thank you" to family and friends who want to give you their excess.

If your parents or friends are downsizing or moving and offer to give you a number of household items, don't take them into your home unless you love them and will use them immediately.

9. Organize everything in your life.

Organizing isn't a one time task, it's a habit. You will reap the greatest rewards if you organize everything in your grasp: your space, your time, your projects, your briefcase, your calls, your errands, your purse, your computer, your play time, etc.

10. Adjust your organizing system for new and changing circumstances.

You would make adjustments in your life if you lost your job. The same is required of your organizational system if your circumstances change. Adjust for a new baby, new projects, another hobby, loss of an assistant, or a dependent leaving the nest.

Your environment isn't just any ole space. It's your safe place, creative place, productivity place, and the place that reflects what you value most and supports your interests and lifestyle. Honor it, organize it, give it the attention it deserves and you will be amazed with the results.

Pam N. Woods is co-author of a bestselling book, Create the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies from the World's Greatest Mentors; endorsed by Ken Blanchard and Dr. Stephen Covey. She is a Coach U graduate and President of Smart WorkLife Solutions, a coaching and consulting company devoted to co-creating customized solutions to fit clients business and personal organizing needs. Prior to founding her own firm she had a successful 20+ year career as an insurance executive and Vice President of Human Resources. For more free how-to articles and advice, or to contact Woods, visit http://www.worklifecoach.com. Copyright 2004 - Pam Woods

tidy up service Winnetka ..

In The News:

New Instagram parental controls allow families to manage teen screen time and content limits through the Family Center with stricter safety settings.

Third-party security breach at Discord exposes sensitive user information including government IDs, highlighting cybersecurity risks from external service providers.

Survey of 1,000 students shows teens using AI for personal relationships while two-thirds of parents remain unaware of their children's AI usage.

Cybersecurity experts warn about a ShadowLeak vulnerability that weaponized ChatGPT's Deep Research agent to steal personal data from Gmail accounts through hidden commands.

Tesla's Full Self-Driving system faces federal investigation following 58 reports of crashes, with six vehicles running red lights before colliding with other cars.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest developments on artificial intelligence, with news on OpenAI moving to soon allow erotica for adult users.

Eric Schmidt alerts that hackers can reverse-engineer AI models to bypass safety measures, citing examples like the jailbroken ChatGPT variant called DAN.

Cybercriminals exploit Microsoft Teams through impersonation, malicious links and fake profiles to gather intel and deliver ransomware to personal and work devices.

Google, Dior, Allianz and dozens of other companies lost sensitive customer data in Salesforce-related breaches affecting millions of records across multiple sectors.

Apple launches iOS 26 with new Preview app that combines document editing, PDF annotation and scanning features into one streamlined iPhone experience.

New AI road monitoring system uses sensor-embedded fabric to predict infrastructure problems, potentially reducing maintenance costs and traffic disruptions for cities.

Holiday charity scams target retirees through lookalike organization names, untraceable payment requests, and data broker information to steal donations.

The Federal Trade Commission says criminals are posing as IRS agents, law enforcement officers or other officials, often over the phone or online, to steal thousands of dollars at a time.

AI phishing scams now use voice cloning and deepfake technology to trick victims, but Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals warning signs to watch for.

Inversion Space unveils Arc, a reusable reentry vehicle that can deliver up to 500 pounds of cargo from orbit to anywhere on Earth in under an hour.

Red flags like processing fees, urgent countdowns and requests for full Social Security numbers expose fraudulent settlement sites targeting consumers.

Comprehensive analysis of Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps examines usability, routing accuracy, data handling and features across the top navigation platforms.

Expert analysis reveals whether wired Ethernet or wireless Wi-Fi connections are safer for home internet use, plus practical steps to secure your network from attackers.

Australian construction robot Charlotte uses sand, crushed brick and recycled glass to 3D print fireproof, floodproof homes with reduced carbon footprint.

Cybercriminals are using fake invitation emails to trick recipients into downloading malware and stealing personal information and data.

Flying drones could help retailers fight a 93% increase in theft rates as Flock Safety promotes airborne security systems to track suspects and deter crime.

The Fox News Artificial Intelligence Newsletter brings you the latest news on the emerging technology every Saturday, highlighting top stories.

Hacker group Radiant stole data from 8,000 children at Kido nursery chain, demanding ransom and directly contacting parents with intimidation tactics.

As 18 states implement bell-to-bell cell phone bans, creative students use Google Docs, iMessage on MacBooks and Post-It notes to stay connected in class.

A sheriff's captain says deputies often spend hours writing reports between calls, but Axon's AI program, Draft One, helps them save crucial time in the field.

The Top 10 Habits of Organized People

Get Organized - Organization