You may not have realized that January is “National Get Organized” month. Was getting organized one of your new years resolutions? Has it been a challenge to figure out where to start and what to do? Do you feel overwhelmed? If you are feeling this way, I can guarantee you, you are not alone. When you decide to get organized, you are making a lifestyle choice. It doesn’t matter if you are trying to be more organized at home, in your home office or at work; the first step is the same. In fact, it’s such an important step that “Making Time” is Step 1 of my 10-Step Process as documented in Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home & Life.

What I usually hear people say is that they need to “find time” to get organized. You will never find time. You need to make time. If working in an organized office and living in an organized home is your desire, it needs to be a priority. Priorities are those items that we choose to spend our time on: family, friends, faith, fitness, work, volunteer opportunities, hobbies and more. No wonder it’s so hard to make time to get organized, schedules are already full!

Since adding more hours to your day is not an option, you may wish to consider that something from your schedule may need to be removed temporarily while you tackle a new project.

Although I consider that I live an organized home and work in an organized office, I find myself getting easily distracted at times and losing focus on the bigger goals I have previously set. Thankfully, Rob is there to be my voice of reason to remind me to “remain focused” and work towards the goals I’ve set. He is a fantastic accountability partner.

Here are a few ideas to help you achieve your organizing goals.

1. Make a list of those organizing projects you want to accomplish this year. You are more likely to achieve your goals when they have been written down and you can review them frequently.
2. Determine how much time you think each project will take and multiply by 2, maybe 3. As with most projects, you will find that things take longer than you anticipate; so don’t frustrate yourself by not making enough time to accomplish each organizing goal.
3. Look at your calendar. How much time per day/week/month can you “realistically” set aside for this project? If you only have one hour/week, then that is what you have to work with – and you may need to reprioritize your list of projects and reconsider what is most important to you. Remember, it’s not a competition; you’re doing this for yourself.
4. Schedule time for each project on your calendar – just like you would a meeting at work or dinner with a friend and then honor that time commitment you’ve made to yourself. If you’ve scheduled an hour, focus and return calls or respond to email later.
5. Don’t add more to your plate than you can realistically accomplish.
6. Complete one project before you start the next. Don’t start so many projects that you don’t complete any of them successfully. You will be much more successful on future projects when you can experience the feeling of accomplishment.
7. Reward yourself for each milestone you reach. Reflect on your accomplishments and celebrate your successes.

Instead of celebrating “Get Organized Month” in January for just one month, consider the benefits you will experience throughout the year as you work towards the goals and priorities you’ve set for yourself.

I wish you the drive to remain focused on your organizing priorities and goals.

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