Are You Too "Busy" to Get Organized?

If you're like many people, you probably wish you could get your life and home better organized. However, you might also feel as though you never really have enough time to get organized in the first place. Many people go through their entire lives putting off the entire organization process until "later," somehow thinking that next week, next month or next year they are going to miraculously have more spare time. In reality, being disorganized may be one of the primary reasons why you don't have enough spare time in the first place. If you've always thought you were too busy to get organized, here are some tips you can use right now to save time and get organized simultaneously.

Every Little Bit Counts

If you think that you have to devote an entire weekend or even an entire week to the process of getting organized, think again. Even the largest project can be completed just a little bit at a time. In most cases, getting started is the hardest part of the entire organizational process. If you don't have an entire weekend to devote to the process, why not try devoting just an hour every night? If that's still too much of a time commitment, try working on your organizational project for thirty minutes every day when you get up in the morning. As long as you stick to your plan, eventually you'll start seeing progress. Before you know it, you will have achieved your ultimate goal.

Look for Time-Saving Techniques

If you think you're too busy to get organized, you're certainly too busy to try ineffectual organizational methods that don't really work. Instead, look for time-saving techniques that can cut through your clutter quickly. Instead of getting wrapped up in the fine details of getting organized, focus on large projects that you can get completed quickly. For example, although you might want to devote an entire weekend to getting your photos neatly arranged in albums, you can get a drawer full of disorganized photos sorted into basic categories far more quickly. In most cases, you'll find that once you get the preliminary work done, even the more time-consuming portions of the project will go more quickly and easily.

You can use this time saving technique in many different ways. For example, instead of wasting time and steps putting every single item back where it belongs, use large plastic bins or cardboard boxes as a temporary "holding station." Label each of these containers with the name of a room. When you come across something that belongs in that room, put it in the container. Once the container is full, you can carry all of the items to their designated room at the same time, thus saving time and effort.

Resist the Urge to Be a Perfectionist

If you're short on time, it's important to understand the concept of "good enough." Instead of focusing on getting every single aspect of your life and home completely organized, put most of your effort and attention towards what matters most. For example, if paperwork clutter is your biggest problem, try tackling it first. Once you've conquered some of your large problems, you'll probably find that you actually have more time to devote to some of your smaller challenges.