We can feel when our lives get a little more out of control than under it. Some red flags? High stress, anxiety, and the dreaded procrastination, all of which can stem from one thing — disorganization. Maybe you’ve tried to get organized and never seem to get there. Or maybe you’re not sure what organization looks like or what it means. So let’s start there. What is organization really and how can we declutter our brains, calendars, and to-do lists to get off the hamster wheel for good?
We can help.
Let’s take a look at the definition of organization, some easy and actionable ways to get and stay organized, and three systems that make organization automatic. You in?
What is Organization?
So what is organization? The term has several definitions and applications — you can organize people, your to-do list, or even your sock drawer — but why is it such a buzzword?
As humans, we have the inherent need to add structure to everything. Without it, our world can feel chaotic. Research shows that our brains naturally gravitate toward order, and when people feel organized, they feel a sense of calm and relief.
(But be careful here — studies also show that different environments can produce different results. For example, one study suggests that disordered environments are connected with increases in creativity. So be sure to suit your space to your task.)
How to Organize Your Life
If people are known to do some kinds of work better in organized environments, what happens when you extend that organization to your entire life? Magic, that’s what. Here are some research-backed benefits:
- A recent study found that being in an organized space made people more likely to eat healthy snacks and donate to charity than those in cluttered surroundings.
- It’s not just about organized spaces either. Organizing your schedule and priorities by using a simple to-do list has been shown to improve memory, and jotting down tasks before bed can even improve your sleep.
But how do we get our lives organized?
Firstly, consider what you mean when you say you want to “organize your life.” What aspects of your life specifically? And in what order will you take those on? It’s a good idea to start with a list of goals and then rank them in order of priority or importance. In other words, what’s the most important thing you want to get on track?
The second step is to choose a goal, just one, and dig into the details. Per the SMART goals system, get really specific and then determine how you’ll measure your progress, if it’s a realistic goal for you (and why), if it’s a relevant goal for your life right now (and why), and set a timeline for achieving it.
Then, take that goal and break it down into small and actionable steps.
How to Get Organized
Organizing your life is all about making a plan to take on the things that feel chaotic. Listing your goals, prioritizing them, and then breaking them down the SMART way is that plan. But now you actually have to follow it. How?
Getting anything organized, from your friend’s bachelorette party to your overall life goals, involves some kind of change. You have to change your system, or create one, change how you act, and in some cases, change how you think. In short, there’s a lot of change. And we all know, change is hard.
One way to make change less overwhelming is to build habits that support your overall goal. Habits are automatic actions you do every day that take up very little brainpower because they’re so deeply ingrained. If you can build habits that get you to your goal, your success can become automatic. That’s a big win.
Building habits involves a bit of experimentation. The general idea is that you make it easier to do what you want to do by setting up cues and rewards, adding accountability, tweaking your environment, anticipating obstacles, and breaking things down into tiny, tiny steps.
How to Stay Organized
So you have your big-picture plan and your steps for getting it done. Now it’s time to get it all on your calendar and start tracking your progress. To stay organized, we recommend tracking daily, especially if you’re working on a new habit.
You also want to create checkpoints for yourself to reassess your goals and make sure you’re staying the path. Weekly, monthly, and even quarterly assessments can keep you on track and make sure you’re keeping those promises you made to yourself.
3 Ways to Get Organized Now
Another thing that helps when you’re trying to organize your life, space, and more? Having the right tools. Below, we break down three organizational tools and systems that can keep you on track.
The physical act of jotting down your goals is a staple for a reason — it makes them real and tangible. Plus, research shows that writing things down helps you remember them.
One of the top science-backed tools to organize your schedule, goals, and more? Panda Planner. This little notebook allows you to plan, execute, and reflect, which ensures you get things done. And enjoy your life in the process. While Panda Planner comes in different versions, those who need an at-a-glance view might prefer the Weekly version, which gives you a bigger picture perspective on your schedule.
All Panda Planners are undated, so you can start your organization process at any time. It’s broken up into three sections: monthly, weekly, and daily.
- Monthly: Plan those big-picture goals.
- Weekly: Reflect on your productivity from the previous week and plan the week ahead. Note your big wins and point out ways you can improve yourself and your productivity. Refer back to the tasks you included in the monthly section to see what you need to accomplish this week to reach those goals.
- Daily: Start each morning with a morning review, acknowledge what you’re grateful for, what you’re excited about, what your focus for the day is, and your planned exercise. Set priorities, dedicate time to completing them, and review your wins and improvements.
Panda Planner’s system is based on scientific data that is proven to help get your life organized and help you achieve your goals.
Grab a Panda Planner Weekly to start getting organized now. Use code ORGANIZATION15 for 15% off your purchase.
The Eisenhower Matrix
Another proven method of getting your life organized and crossing off all the to-dos on your list is the Eisenhower Matrix, or the Urgent-Important Matrix. This method was theoretically developed by President Eisenhower to organize his never-ending list of tasks and help him focus. So it might help you too.
To start, break your list of tasks into four quadrants. The two columns are “urgent” and “not urgent,” and the two rows are labeled “important” and “not important.” Here’s how to fill it out:
- Your urgent and important tasks go in quadrant one.
- The urgent but important tasks go in quadrant two.
- Any urgent but not important tasks go in quadrant three.
- Neither urgent nor important tasks go in the fourth quadrant.
Once your tasks are sorted, you know to do the tasks in quadrant one, plan to do the tasks in quadrant two, delegate the tasks in quadrant three, and eliminate the tasks in quadrant four.
The idea here is that you get done what you really need to do, pass off the things that are less important for you in particular to accomplish, and cut out anything that isn’t serving you or your goals.
The “I Did” List
Instead of creating a list of things to do, take time at in or at the end of your day to write down what you did accomplish. Every task you complete (big or small) goes on your “I did” list.
A list like this takes the focus off the million things you still have to do and shows you all the amazing things you’ve already done. The theory here is that seeing a list of things you’ve already accomplished will motivate you to get more done. And it works. Research shows that listing out your accomplishments can help you be happier
In order to make your “I did” list work, you need to take time at the end of your day or first thing the next day to reflect on what you’ve accomplished. Then, create new goals for yourself the next day. These goals don’t need to look like a traditional to-do list, but they should keep you organized and in line to work on what you should be working on.
To sum it all up…
It’s not easy to get your life organized, and truthfully, organization means different things to different people. But figuring out what organized means to you is critical in taking steps toward your goals. Thankfully, science and some science-backed tools can make this process way easier.
Soon, you’ll be living the life you’ve always dreamed, and it all started with a little organization.
Your turn: What is organization to you? Tell us how you kick into gear in the comments below.
Want a few more ways to declutter your headspace and workspace? We break down 51 of them.
Author: Kelly Heitz
Kelly Heitz is a freelance writer and social media guru. When she’s not scrolling through her Instagram feed, you can find her outside—usually hiking, painting, or patio drinking.