You did it!  You are finally here.  You have an organized life…

{At least you should be well on your way if you have been following our Organizing One’s Life Goals Series}

But now what?  Does it stay this way forever.  Absolutely not.  You can only stay organized if you work at it and commit to it.  That’s why the final post in this series is all about staying organized with a smart maintenance plan.

Organizing – Maintaining the System

Now you have everything organized just the way you want.  Upkeep and maintenance of your new system is just as important, if not more, than the initial organization process and will help to ensure smooth and stress-free future operations.

First thing you need to keep in mind is that you should regularly monitor inventory and discard papers, items, etc. that you no longer need or use.  Routine and habit are key here.  The more time you work on maintenance, the less time it will eventually take.

Set up a date for this maintenance – weekly, every month, every three months – whatever works for you and makes sense.  Keeping familiar with contents will ensure that you find exactly what you want when you want it and will give you the opportunity to easily decide what has to be updated, what can be thrown out and when.

Don’t rely on memory.  Compose a checklist of papers and items that you have on hand and/or always need to have on hand to make this process easier and more effective.  And keep it simple.  If you develop a process that is too lengthy or cumbersome, chances are you are not going to stick to it.

Put things in their place right away.  Instead of letting a pile of papers build up or a stack of clothing or tools lie around, put everything away as quickly as possible.  This way there will be no build-up of clutter to foil your organizational system.

It’s easier to spend a few seconds putting a paper in a file or hanging up a shirt than having to spend considerably more time sorting out a pile of clutter.  Plus the space around you will just be more pleasant to live and work in.

Yes, it all sounds very simple when reading it – but now its time for you to take action.

1. Make a list of all the things you need to maintain
2. Then make checklists of tasks associated with maintaining each of them
3. Put these checklists somewhere close where you will review them daily
4. Commit!  Put that reminder in your phone or in your calendar to check things off the list if you are not doing them daily.
5. Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back too.  Another task checked off the list is another great accomplishment.  Appreciate that.

Have you been following the previous blog posts in this Organizing Ones Life Series?  If not, please take a moment to preview them as they do lead up to this one and the certainly get the ball rolling.

But lets talk for a moment about motivation.  Why do you want to get organized?  Are the walls closing in on you?  Is it getting harder and harder to find things or keep your living / working spaces free of clutter?  That’s definitely motivation – there’ s no question.

But lets also look at the benefits.  The benefits you get from having an organized life pay off in more ways than just clean, tidy spaces.

 Organizing – The Benefits Revealed

Have you ever stopped to wonder why you should organize things, whether in your home, office or life in general?  Spend a little time organizing and you will quickly find out.

1. You will feel more relaxed.  When you are having a moment of panic trying to find that document, you will surely wish that things were more organized as it is not much fun to have your stress level go through the roof.
2. It will give you more time for yourself.  By having things organized you will save precious moments that can be instead devoted to efficiently working on your project or to yourself or your family.
3. You will be a better role model.   Whether at home or work, having an organized environment will have the effect of showing that someone who is in charge of their environment has an easier time dealing with things.
4. You will create a nicer environment.  It is much more pleasant to live in calm than in chaos.
5. It will be good for your health.  Apart from just feeling better in general about your environment, an organized environment tends to be cleaner as you do not have so many hidden dust collectors.
6. You professional life will benefit.  An organized office, in general, will give a much better impression to clients and the confidence to know that they are dealing with someone who has everything in order.
7. You may save money.  Rather than having to go out and buy something that you are not sure whether or not you have, if you have things organized, you will know exactly what you have and what you need.
8. You will achieve more.  Without obstacles impeding you due to disorganization, you will have a clearer outlook of what you want and more time to get there.

Motivated yet?  Have any other motivators?  Share your thoughts below.  We love to hear from others who are truly living the reality of getting organized.  If you can help inspire others with what motivates you – the world may very well be a better place.

Please share your insights below.