Do you long to be more organized and efficient? I think this is a common desire, I know it is something that I am always tweaking in my own life. As a mom of nine, I can honestly say that being organized and efficient are essential skills in my daily life. Being organized and efficient will give you more time. It will also allow you to have less stress. Being organized gives way to being efficient. Creating smart habits every single day is a key ingredient to getting organized.

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I have learned to become more organized and efficient over time, and I have some amazing skills to share.

Here are the habits of organized & efficient people so you can get organized too!

1. Work with a deadline to get done faster

Just as with close-ended goals, having a deadline to meet is an automatic motivator. Of course we know that not everything will always get completed within the assigned deadline, but developing the habit of creating a deadline for tasks both great and small is so beneficial.

When you don’t attach a deadline to tasks, you’re likely to take much longer to get things done. And, much longer than necessary.

Like me, you probably fill the time you have. This means that if you’ve strategically scheduled less time to get something done, you’ll get it done in less time.

2. Develop a calendar, planner, and scheduling system that works for you

There can be one thing that will accomplish these things all in one or perhaps different systems for each one. But, keep working with different ways in which to plan, schedule, and organize everything that you need to keep track of.

Since I couldn’t find anything that did this well for me, I created it myself.

It’s called the Home CEO Life Planner & it is everything you need and more to juggle all the roles while getting more done in less time.

3. Write everything down

Write down your plans, your mission statement, write down your goals, bite-sized goals, steps of execution, reminders, and so much more. Keeping things in your head is a pretty good way to make sure that it is in your head that these things will stay. Writing things down serves as a call to action to complete that thing you’ve written down.

4. Focus on the task at hand

This is one of the main advantages to writing down your goals and action plans since you can stay on track without getting distracted and running off course. If you don’t have an organized and efficient plan of action written down, you are more likely to end up chasing after some squirrels that catch your eye.

5. Stay on top of paper clutter

Whether it’s mail, bills to pay, important papers to file, or papers relevant to your work or business, staying on top of them means they won’t ever overtake you. If your paper clutter multiplies like mine does, it can turn into a nightmare overnight. Therefore, staying on top of it in the first place is key.

You can read more about how I manage paper clutter HERE

6. Stay on top of digital clutter

Boy, do I need to work on this one. I am so challenged when it comes to organizing my email, photos, reminders, and messages and deleting the things I no longer need. However, I have discovered that when I do, my life is just less overwhelming.

Sorting emails into folders, having minimal browser windows open, and using folders & files for all of your saved documents all help keep lessen the digital clutter.

7. Set limits

What are your time wasters? What are your money wasters? And, what is it that you give real estate to in your brain that you just shouldn’t? Set limits on these things. Then, live within these limits.

It’s important to recognize that everything you say yet to with your time creates a no to something else. We all get the same 24 hours in a day. Only you can choose what gets your most valuable resource – your time.

Working in time blocks for everything you do always gives you a beginning and an end time.

You can grab my time blocking worksheet HERE

8. Live with less

The truth is, the less stuff you have the easier it is to manage. This is true for our kids (this is why I limit the amount of clothing, books, and stuff that my kids who are organizationally challenged have access to). But, it is also true for adults. If you are having trouble keeping up with things, it’s probably because you have too many things in the first place.

You can read more about getting rid of clutter HERE

You can read more about getting organized HERE

9. Maintain a consistent daily schedule

Schedules create order. Go to bed and rise at consistent times. Schedule household, work, and personal tasks on consistent times and on consistent days. Eating meals and even exercising at regular times are highly beneficial for both physical and mental health.

Habits are an amazing thing. A consistent schedule creates habits that let you get more done since you’re running things on auto pilot to a large degree.

10. Don’t be afraid to say no

At times you will have to say no to others, but at times you will have to say no to yourself as well. Throughout this course you’ve taken the time and put forth the effort to make lifestyle changes, to be more selective and intentional in the things you do, and to make plans for the future while also developing new skills. Keep the momentum moving forward by not letting others or the impulsive decisions you make throw you off course.

Remember that a yes to one thing means a no to something else.

Looking for more on saving time? Now is the perfect time to get your whole life in order – check out the Standard Operating Procedures manual I use to keep life with my family of 11 running smoothly!