I consider myself an organized person; I use check-lists, organize items in folders and binders with tabs, and know pretty much where everything is (or at least the general location). Organization strategies are important for keeping track of my time and my stuff which saves me money.
Since I’m organized, I know exactly….
- When bills are due. Automating bills is terrific, but some bills I don’t automate because I pay a different amount each month. For those bills, I enter them in my calendar one week before they are due and then a reminder pops up a day or two beforehand. No late payments or charges are incurred.
- How much inventory I have (office supplies, food, etc.). Keeping closets, cabinets, and pantries organized lets me quickly scan for items I need to purchase without ending up with 50 cans of beans or 100 post-it notes.
- What appointments I’ve scheduled. No missed dentist or doctor appointments for me, my calendar reminds me of these as well. Many doctors and dentists now charge a “missed appointment fee” so I save potentially wasted money.
- What’s on my “to-do” list. My daily check-lists keep track of irregular items such as checking on an email or purchasing items I usually wouldn’t purchase.
The strategies I use aren’t mind-blowing. I clean out my desk, backpack, and cabinets every couple of weeks. I throw out papers that are out-dated and of no use to me, save one original copy of important paperwork in a folder labeled as such, and try not to use too many post-it notes and random scraps of paper. I also re-write my check-list when most of the items are crossed off.
On the flip side, being compulsively organized may not be such a good thing. If you spend all your time organizing your items and micro-managing your time, you might find that’s all you end up accomplishing. To keep things simple, don’t obsess over too many details and stick with completing tasks.
Warning: The infographic below is almost on the “compulsive” side. It’s a bit much, which contradicts what I just wrote, but if you read it in small chunks, it has some good tips.
Are you organized, unorganized, or compulsive?
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I told you it was a bit on the compulsive side. 🙂
3 Comments
I consider myself a fairly organized person. I draw the line at using labels though. I had a good friend and neighbor that had a food pantry complete with labels for each food category!
@Paul – I only label file folders, not pantries! 🙂 However, our pantry does have all the item label facing outward so you can see what’s in there – thanks to Mr. LH.
I love the idea, it’s so powerful than written articles.