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Obsessive- Compulsive’s Guide: Top 12 Organizing Tips, Plus Resources
Is your life in disarray? Do you have trouble finding things? Do you constantly forget stuff? If so, don’t worry — you’re like most of the human population.
Disorganization is a natural state of order. It takes an obsessive-compulsive (like myself) to get the chaos of the universe into some form of organization.
If you have a desire to get organized, here are my favorite organization tips … stuff I’ve learned along the way, from other sources and from experimentation. And a list of some useful articles at the end, for those who need more. :)
1. Everything in its place. If you just followed one tip on this list, this would be it. Practice this, and you can skip the rest of the tips and articles listed in this post. Seriously.
So how do you do it? It’s simple. For everything that you own, designate a place for it. You can even label some of those places, to make it easier to remember. Find something that doesn’t have a place? Designate a place for it. Then simply put things back where they belong when you’re done using them. It sounds simple, but it actually takes a lot of practice to get this habit down. Read this article for more.
2. Start small. If your life and your home and your office are all incredibly disorganized, don’t try to conquer all of it at once. Choose a small chunk (maybe the top of your desk, or at least one part of it?) and organize that. Then come up with a simple system to keep it organize, and try to practice that system until it becomes habit. Now expand your “zone of organization” further, to a new area. One chunk at a time, you can get organized.
3. Create routines. One of the best ways to keep your life organized is to make routines for everything — for errands, laundry, finances, etc. And if you do this one at a time, and make it a habit, you can optimize your life this way.
4. Clean as you go. This is a great habit … instead of having big cleaning binges, clean things as you go. Done using some dishes? Wash them right away. Clean the toilet when you finish using it, so it never gets dirty. Read more.
5. All info in one place. Use a text document, a wiki, or some other type of system to keep all the information you regularly use and need in one place. You’ll never look for it again. Read more and also see how to organize your family with a binder.
6. Put it away now. Done using something? Most people will put it down somewhere nearby, with the intention of putting it away later. But messy houses and offices are full of these intentions. Instead of letting things pile up, put them away immediately. Right now, no exceptions.
7. Use an inbox, and empty it. Instead of having papers all over the place, have one inbox for all incoming papers. Well, one for your office, and one for your home. Now you’ll never lose a piece of paper again. Empty it regularly (at whatever regular intervals work for you — daily, weekly, every other day, etc.). Here’s how to process your inbox.
8. Keep a simple filing system. If your filing system is too complicated, chances are you won’t use it. Use this simple system to keep your files in order.
9. Google Calendar. It really doesn’t matter what calendar system you use, but I’ve found that Gcal works best for me. It’s so simple and fast, and as an online calendar I can access it from anywhere (as can my wife). We share a Google Calendar, and we put everything on it: work stuff, personal stuff, our kid’s school and extracurricular events, birthdays, family gatherings, reminders to follow up on things, school holidays, and much more. It keeps all our scheduling in one place, and we never have to worry about remembering again. Other good calendar options: 30 Boxes and Outlook are also popular.
10. A simple system for pending items. One reader recently wrote to ask me how she should organize her pending items, such as plane or theater tickets. I suggested she create a “Pending” folder to hold those items, and make a note of each item on her calendar. For those that are attached to a specific date, she could note the item on that date (”Theater tickets for 8 p.m., in Pending folder”). For items that she wants to remember periodically, she could make a note on the first of each month (for example) … so on the first of next month, there is a “Pending items” notation on her calendar, with a list of items in the Pending folder she wants to reminder herself about. If she doesn’t need to remember them yet, she can move that item to the first of the next month.
11. Make your system usable. If you’re having problems with your organization system, take a careful look at what’s tripping you up. Sometimes there’s a difficulty or complication that makes the system too difficult to use. If it’s too difficult, you won’t use it. Keep it simple and usable — if possible, even fun — and you’ll be more likely to stick to the system.
12. Create a landing strip. When I get home, I empty my pockets and put everything onto a tray near my doorway. My wife does the same. Keys, purse, my ID and cash, cell phone, anything. This way it doesn’t get tossed on our counter or table, and we never have to look for it or forget it when we leave. See Unclutterer’s article on The landing strip.
Other Resources
eHow.com: How to become organized, one minute at a time
Wikihow: How to be organized
About.com: Organize your home
Organized Home: Tap the power of planners
MyGoal.com: How to be organized
suite101.com: How to help your child become organized
Associated Content: Top 8 Ways to Become Organized Financially
ezine articles: How to finally become organized
If you liked this article, please bookmark it on del.icio.us or vote for it on Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)
- Posted on 25 November 2007 in Productivity & Organization |
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Comments (26)
Mrs. Micah Says:
November 25th, 2007, 21:51 pm
I love Google Calendar. It even reminds me to take my crazy pills….very handy!
Leo Says:
November 25th, 2007, 22:12 pm
Crazy pills? They have those? I think I might need some. ;)
Tina Su - Think Simple Now Says:
November 25th, 2007, 22:26 pm
haha.. I love google calendar too. I use it to setup reminder to pay bills.
I’m also a big fan of google docs. Being able to share todo lists and tracking docs with my partner has been really useful for our home and business.
I like point #7: the use of an Inbox. I’ve tried using one for my mail, but I forget to go back to it regularly.. to it builds up and become useless. :) *sigh* I’m still working on it.
K Stone Says:
November 25th, 2007, 23:23 pm
Its’ funny how I never stop needing coaching on this topic. I have to constantly work on being realistic about timeframes. I have trouble with leaving enough time to process my inbox and take care of the mundane stuff. I want to always be working on the “fun stuff” and that’s where my disorganization stems from.
Thanks Leo. :)
Putta Says:
November 26th, 2007, 0:43 am
Hi:
I’ve followed your ZH and bought your book. Love it!!! Anyhow, I need your and others’ advice about how to deal with my mom and sis. Both are pack rats. For instance, my Mom, who was a seamstress, still keeps strips and bags of cloth allover the place, underneath her sewing machines (she got two), besides her personal plastic boxes, below her TV desk, and so on. My sis keeps every paper she got from conferences, trips (Disney’s), old calendars, highschool notebooks, etc.
I’ve tried to convince them to get rid of these stuffs but never succeeded. How can I convince them to make drastic and major changes?
Mat Brewster Says:
November 26th, 2007, 6:58 am
Excellent tips. I was doing really well for a long while, and then we moved and now nothing has a place and everything is a mess. Maybe this post will help get me motivated again.
OCDDude Says:
November 26th, 2007, 11:43 am
An OCD Guide… with only 12 steps?
Hayden Tompkins Says:
November 26th, 2007, 12:52 pm
I would add that people feel that things need to be ’spotless’ as they go.
The easiest thing I have learned is to do one run-through through the house for the purpose of grabbing things that are in the wrong room and throwing them in the right room.
THEN I go room by room for the ‘real’ cleaning.
Hayden Tompkins Says:
November 26th, 2007, 12:53 pm
And cleaning is separate from organizing.
So I guess I:
1. Corral all objects into their appropriate rooms.
2. Organize said rooms, room by room.
3. The clean rooms, room by room.
Eric Dick Says:
November 26th, 2007, 12:58 pm
I’m sold, getting Google Calendar today. I am pretty good with the other tips you suggest, the calendar is the missing link!
Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:
November 26th, 2007, 13:17 pm
Lately I’ve been starting to question just about everything, including my need to keep stuff. After two years of saving old magazines I thought I’d read (but never did) I finally threw them out. Remember that nothing is sacred! Let it go!
Lionel Felix Says:
November 26th, 2007, 13:22 pm
I’d like to add one critical tool to OCD information management for home and work: Microsoft One Note. It works like a virtual set of ring binders and I use it to keep track of EVERYTHING. web site passwords, vendors, car loans, to-do lists. etc. It’s better than using paper.
Rob Says:
November 26th, 2007, 14:36 pm
I love these ideas! I really like the idea of a pending file. I’d suggest making it alphabetical. You can buy a set of alpha tabs or an alphabetical accordion file.
Ninja Success Says:
November 26th, 2007, 15:24 pm
Great suggestions. I need one more….just do it! My problem is that I keep putting off cleaning and organizing until I get caught up with my other work! (which never happens.)
I like the Google calendar idea. I think I will set that up for my family…I just need to remember to look at it!
Silly Says:
November 26th, 2007, 18:06 pm
OCD? Step 13. Wash your hands. ;-)
Mrs. Micah Says:
November 26th, 2007, 20:24 pm
Lol, Leo, they’re not bad. My husband calls them “loony pills” which we take not to end up in the “loony bin.” What’s the point of being mentally ill if you can’t have a little fun? ;)
Shigide Shwa Says:
November 26th, 2007, 21:57 pm
I have OCD and I am offended by this!
OCD isnt some organization method, its a serious disorder that causes lots of grief, anger, and is EXTREMELY time consuming.
Sunny Says:
November 27th, 2007, 13:27 pm
Organization is so much easier to read about than it is to actually do.
Leo Says:
November 27th, 2007, 14:58 pm
@Shigide: You’re right, of course. I didn’t mean to imply that OCD was an organizational method, but was merely having a little fun with the idea that OCDs are stereotyped to be obsessive about things (such as organization).
In truth, I think I may have a mild case of OCD, but I’ve never been diagnosed.
Darryl Heron Says:
November 28th, 2007, 3:52 am
Leo:
Another great post. Maybe some of your regular readers might want to look at the post I did about groups on MySpace and Facebook on productivity and blogging. It would be great if we could get some more participation in these groups. The post can be found at:
http://systems-overload.blogspot.com/2007/11/communities-and-groups.html
Darryl Heron
http://systems-overload.blogspot.com/
Mike Chang Says:
January 4th, 2008, 20:03 pm
My son has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder problem. How can I get help?
Shigide Swa Says:
February 26th, 2008, 16:36 pm
To Mike,
I would have your son visit a psychologist, they help enormously with emotional aspects and can perscribe a medication. If you do take this path, be warned your son probably will have to try several diffent meds before he finds one that suits him.
I take 40mg of Lexipro (after trying 4 other meds), its helped me alot and reduced my compulsions ten fold.
He will probably feel uncomfortable about the first visit, and will probably get deffensive (I did) but after a while it really increases quality of life.
Trackbacks (17)
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