How do you stay organized in an unorganized world, you may ask? That is a great question. I used to pride myself in my organizational skills, but it appears as the years and responsibilities continue to add up, this task has become harder and harder to follow. This is not only harder to follow, but also harder to do well. However, as college women, it is especially important that we get ourselves together, so that we can have an easier time in our forever changing lives.
We as individuals must work on this habit, so that we don’t have to work twice as hard on our tasks than we have to, which is why being organized is so important. It can be overwhelming to start though! So, as this new academic school year really begins to dive in, now is the perfect time to perfect this imperfection, and get our organizational skills on! Need some help or some tips? We’re here to help!
1. Take five minutes.
When it comes to starting any daunting task, the hardest part is always to start. We procrastinate on our responsibilities only to be flooded with them later and regret it. The best way to end this habit before it starts is just to make it less overwhelming. Start getting organized by simply setting a timer and giving yourself five minutes to get to work. You’d be surprised how quickly those five minutes turn into inspiration to get some things done and you end up finding yourself on a roll with all of the tasks you complete.
2. Start on paper.
Another great way to get started on your organizational goals is to simply start with the basics. That could be a to-do list or a list of any kind, writing down and listing the actual tasks you need to get done actually helps you visualize what really needs to happen. For some this is pretty overwhelming, however, if you follow the five minute method, you can find yourself at ease, as the tasks finish themselves once you’ve begun. Often what would normally feel overwhelming actually motivates you to get to work to check off those boxes and unload the load ahead of you. So put it on paper. This also gives you some incentive to be accountable for yourself instead of vaguely knowing you have things that need to get done. Visualizing and writing it down makes it real.
3. Prioritize.
Another important step in becoming an organized person is learning how to utilize the twenty four hours of your day to the best of your ability. This can only be done if you are able to find a way to prioritize tasks, so you can actually get them done. You feel comfortable starting and facing that list now, so now is the time to rank the most important from the least. Whether it’s which homework to do or when to do those pesky daily tasks like laundry or cooking, picking what matters most and focusing strictly on that task helps make things a lot easier. For instance, say you have three classes in the day, you need to workout, do laundry, feed, call home, walk, and take out your dog etc., the best way to get it all done is to decide what matters most. Is the dog more important than class or homework? Is calling home going before or after you do laundry? Making these decisions will really make the work seem manageable, and therefore it’ll actually get done.
4. Find your niche.
The final and most important method on getting organized is finding your own personal touch or niche to this system. You have faced the list, and forced yourself to do at least five minutes of organizing, and you even know what needs to come first, so how do you make it less like a chore so that it will actually happen? Dare I say you begin to learn to like being an organized person? The best way to do this is to find your own unique way to make it fun. This could be a bullet journal, with doodles and check lists, or a planner you love to carry with you. Even online Google calenders organized by color coordination would be great. What ever the method is, make it yours, and before you know it you’ll look forward to being organized because it makes you feel good, makes you productive and helps make life a little bit easier.
So as this school year begins, and you think worrisomely about the months and tasks ahead, take time to figure out how you’ll use these tips! You’ll thank yourself for it,and so will your unorganized ever growing and changing life too.