The new year is here, which means it’s time to reassess your habits and try to become a better version of yourself. If you really want to be more productive and make more efficient use of your time in 2021, you’re going to need to be more organized. From new job opportunities to more free time, there are many advantages to greater organization. But how can you make your life more ordered? Here are five strategies you should consider implementing for the coming year.
Use Digital To-Do Lists
Writing things down is one of the best ways to make plans and organize your thoughts. While the old fashioned pen-and-paper method is certainly acceptable, modern technology can make this classic organizing tip even more useful. Lots of digital platforms allow you to make a to-do list that will then be visible from multiple devices.
This means that you’ll have access to your notes no matter where you are. This makes it even easier to stay organized, since you’ll always be able to double check your plan. If you find that this strategy works for you, then you can even get in the habit of making both short and long term objectives. A digital to-do list can help make everyday productive, while an annual list helps with long term goals.
Make Use Of Schedules And Deadlines
Schedules help us divide time into digestible and coherent chucks. This, in turn, keeps us organized and helps make us more productive. When your entire day is nothing but a blank slate, it’s easy to fritter away the time until you’ve wasted your opportunity to accomplish important tasks. Separating the day into clearly-delineated blocks will allow you to assign a task to each chunk of time.
All you’ll have to do, then, is stick with your plan. Deadlines, imposed in the short and long term, can serve a similar function. By telling yourself you’ll meet a certain objective by the end of the week (or month, or year), you give yourself a degree of accountability.
Declutter All Your Spaces
While organizing your time is certainly important, organizing the physical spaces you operate in might be even more important. When your house, car, and office space are all cluttered and discombobulated, you’ll have a hard time staying on task.
You’ll spend more time looking for lost items or stressing about the mess than actually working. Sometimes, a claustrophobic space also gives us anxiety and brain fog. The first step to organizing your physical space is to remove any surfeit belongings. Put a sticky note on everything you don’t need. Then, donate what you can and throw out the rest.
Store Your Belongings In Designated Spots
When items don’t have designated homes, they tend to leave any old place. This leads to a messy environment and habitual searches for things you need. By assigning every item a particular spot, you create a system that you’ll be able to navigate in the future. Every pen should have its desk drawer, every coat in the closet, and every dish on its shelf in the cabinet.
Avoid Procrastination Like The Plague
None of these strategies will work if you lack the mental fortitude to work hard and actually complete the tasks you’ve scheduled. If you want to declutter and organize your home, do it now before you have time to get distracted. Don’t let yourself develop the habit of skipping scheduled tasks, or you’re to-do list will never, ever be completed. Just by getting on with it, you’ll make organization in your life a reality.
