Are you messy as a person, or do you prefer being organized? Have you asked yourself if you need to change how you order your life or why being organized is an important skill to learn for you this year? Indeed, until an act is done with intention, it can’t be instilled as a discipline. Here are some useful tips on how to organize your life and boost your productivity.

Being organized: Digital vs Paper

There are two ways you can organize your things. You can either have papers, documents, files, and folders all arranged in a cabinet; or you can keep a paperless system, where all your documents are saved electronically. Paper organization is going out of date, but some fields still use paper, so you must learn how to set your office space as well as other aspects of your life.

How to organize your life and work: 7 useful tips

Here are the different methods you can adopt when organizing your documents or folders:

1. Alphabetically: You can use the letters A to Z to arrange your documents alphabetically, like when arranging the names of your students or files.
2. Numerical: This is when you use the numbers 1 to infinity to organize files. For instance, numbers are better for arranging the order of the program.
3. Geographical: If you work remotely or with a team consisting of people from different locations, you can use cities, countries, and streets to put your documents in order.
4. Chronologically: Some items might need to be ordered according to time.
5. Categorize: You can also use similar traits and characteristics to sort your files.
6. Color coding: This is very common for journals, notepads, and things of that nature. The police department also uses color coding.
7. Order of Importance: Finally, you can sort your files by the level of importance they carry. This is the best method for arranging to-do lists and goals.

Benefits of organizing your life and work

What better way to describe something than to discuss its advantages? Here are a few perks of being organized: 

1. Saves time: Rather than wasting time looking for what you left on the table or where your folders are, you can save time by going straight to where you left something.
2. Setting your life in order can save money, especially if you would need to buy what you already have again because of a messy space.
3. Reduces stress: When you have your space decluttered, you can reduce the stress that comes from looking for things.
4. Being organized enables you to feel more in control.
5. Improves efficiency: The fact that you’ll have all you want ready and in the right place helps you work better since you are more put-together.
6. Organizing your life can help you achieve your goals better and faster.

Takeaways: How to organize your life

Note that you cannot control everything, so focus on what you can control. Don’t worry about the aspects that are beyond your control. Do you let confidential information linger carelessly when it comes to organizing your workspace? It is better to step into the new year with improved organizing skills. 

Sorting your life is the core of progress, as it enables you to make the most of your time and resources, in addition to boosting your productivity. Follow the golden ratio to arrange your life and create aesthetically pleasing spaces. However, being so organized that nobody is allowed to touch your stuff might not be a good thing. Knowing the utility and functionality of each space is key to organizing.