Three Things to Remember for How to Get Organized

So many people want to know how to get organized. If you need to clear the clutter because you feel like you are drowning in an unorganized mess of "stuff", then it is time to get organized and take control of your life. However, before you go out and buy a neat and tidy filing system it would be better to know about three simple truths that can help you to bring order and satisfaction to your life. Once you understand these truths, you will find it easier to get organized.

1. Control is the Goal

"Control is the Goal" is what I call the first simple truth to organized living. The goal is not to be organized. Being organized is part of something that is much larger: your need to take control over your life. If you are not organized you are at risk of being overwhelmed by a torrent of material objects that will take a permanent residence in your home or office and this often gives the feeling that everything is out of control.

Why do I emphasize "control?" This is a good question and there are a number of answers. First of all if you do not maintain some control over you life you will never be able to predict results of future actions. You will feel that you are a victim of your own life and you will most likely be living a chaotic existence in which order seems impossible to achieve.

But that is not all, if you continue to live an uncontrolled and unorganized life, your resources will be drained and life will become needlessly stressful.

To avoid all of these consequences it is imperative to achieve control in your life, and you can do that through organized living. That is why I say that "control is the goal" is the first simple truth to an organized life.

2. Organization is not a goal it is a process

Many people want to "get" organized, but in order to "get" organized you have to "be" organized! You can’t go out and buy some "organization," rather you have to learn a systematic way of being organized.

For some people, systematic and organized living comes naturally and for many others, they have to learn the skills of being organized. If you are in the latter category, then don’t despair because you can learn how to get organized.

The first step is to always remember to focus on being organized rather than getting organized. Next, you should think of your life as a "school of organization." You will be able to learn many skills of organized living from your own life.

As you go about the process of living an organized life pay attention to the following points:

• Know, understand, and assert your organization rights
• Know your own space and use it efficiently
• Know and understand the systems and processes of your everyday life
• Know your own needs and what is it you want from your own life

So, whether you want to organize your closet, your office, your home or indeed your entire life, it is possible if you learn how to live in an organized way.

2. There can be no control without understanding

The best way to solve any problem is to understand what the cause of the problem is, and this applies to the problem of getting organized and taking control in life. If you forcefully try to "get organized" without understanding how you got into the dilemma in the first place then you will never get out of the trap.

For example, if you are trying to control the amount of goods that are piling up in your home, you should first understand how they got there and then do something about it. And once you decide to clear clutter it is important to learn how to prioritize your needs and keep the things that are truly necessary and discard the rest.

Understanding goes still deeper. You need to understand your own needs, wants and desires if you want to control the purchasing process that is contributing to the build up of stuff that is cluttering up your life.

Of course if you are trying to control your time, then you need to understand the things that you are doing that are wasting your time.

Finally you can never learn how to get control your life unless you understand what you want your life to be. This requires some deep thinking, and not just chucking out the random objects that seem to be cluttering up your life.

So the next time you wonder "how to get organized", start with remembering the 3 simple truths about organized living.