Ask Erin: Seven Habits of a Highly Organized Person

article by Erin Sharplin Love

Being highly-organized doesn’t just happen – there is a process that must occur, and that process starts with a change in your mindset.  Getting organized is much different than staying organized.  To stay organized, you must change your lifestyle and make a habit of being organized.  It is often said that to make an action a habit, you must do it for twenty-eight consecutive days.  If you want to become a highly-organized person but have no idea where to start, below is a list of habits that such people possess:

Following a to-do list religiously.  You will be hard pressed to find an organized person who doesn’t follow a daily or weekly to-do list.  It is typically the way we start and end each day, so adopting this habit is crucial to getting things done!

Giving everything a home.  Every little thing in an organized person’s space has a specific and well-planned home.  For instance, a highly-organized person will never pay a late fee because of a misplaced bill.   She will never lose her keys and is, therefore, never late.  She never makes duplicate purchases because she knows when something needs to be repurchased.  And so on.

Decluttering regularly.   Highly-organized people rarely have any trouble getting rid of items that aren’t needed or used on a regular basis.  In fact, they often set “cleaning-out” dates twice a year, typically in the spring and fall.

Being prepared.  Something always has the potential to go wrong, but an efficient person thinks ahead and is prepared for most mishaps.  For instance, she chooses each day’s outfit the night before to thwart any last-minute delay.  She has a kit in her purse and/or car for any first-aid or beauty emergency and she always preplans and prepacks for any road trip.   Highly-organized people do not like to procrastinate.

Putting items away.  Since everything has a specific home, it takes an organized person only fifteen minutes at the end of each day to tidy her home.

Delegating.  A highly-organized person knows her strengths and her weaknesses, and she will always delegate those things which she is not good at and doesn’t have time for, to someone else.  She values productivity.

Saving ten minutes a day.  Taking ten minutes for yourself each day is very important to your productivity and well-being.  A highly-organized person schedules at least ten minutes each day for a little “me time.”  Take that time to enjoy a cup of tea, read a book, or simply enjoy nature with a quick walk.  You will be amazed at the increase in your energy and productivity.

Now, I challenge you to become a highly-organized person!  It will take only 28 days to make your life easier.

Erin Sharplin Love, owner of Panache by Erin, is a Certified Fashion and Image Consultant, Professional Organizer, and Certified Wedding Coordinator whose specialties include outfit coordination and closet organization.  Love has a knack for creating the perfect organized spaces that work with each client’s personality, for  helping her fashion clients develop their own personal style, and for  helping her wedding clients create the wedding of their dreams within their budget and without the stress.  Panache by Erin offers the following services – outfit coordination, personal shopping, personal color analysis, home/office organization and wedding/event coordination.   To learn more please go to www.panachebyerin.com.