January is GO (Get Organized) Month!
Tips on getting organized:
- Visit NAPO.net to find out more about the National Association of Professional Organizers!
- Don’t make New Year’s resolutions, make goals – each day, week & month are opportunities to start over. Don’t wait until the end of the year to make changes.
- SMART goals:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
- Rather than saying “I need to organize my whole house”, pick a specific area to focus on. For example, say “This week, I’m going to organize the top of my desk” or “By the end of the month, I want to have my entire filing cabinet cleaned out”. Break that goal into smaller pieces. In order to have the entire file cabinet cleaned out, you will need to clean up 3 files per day or 10 per week. You will be more successful and more likely to follow through.
- Tell other people about your goals or work with someone else to achieve it. Help each other by holding each other accountable or physically work together to get it done.
- Habits & routines to support your goal are essential. Schedule time to accomplish your goal, don’t just say you want to do it. Set up small habits/routines like cleaning off your desk every day before you leave the office to maintain the organization you’ve already put time and effort into.