Do you feel like you’re surrounded by total chaos all the time? Well, maybe you are. On top of all the normal hustle and bustle of life, many of us inadvertently make things tougher than they need to be, simply because we don’t follow some basic organization strategies in our everyday activities. Get organized and start enjoying simpler time management, reduced stress levels, and a serene, clutter-free environment. Here are a few simple steps you can take right away.



Prioritize your office tools and files

Is your office, either at work or at home, laid out in a logical and ergonomic manner? If you constantly have to dig through piles of paper to find important files, twist your body into crazy positions to access frequently-used file drawers, or get up and walk across the room and back a hundred times a day, then you need to do some reorganizing.

Position all your most frequently-used objects and data at arm’s length so you barely have to move to get what you need — and move the less important stuff to the back of the room where it belongs. Add a file tray to your desk so you can organize loose papers on the fly. Don’t forget one of your most important office tools — your wastebasket. If you no longer need it, throw it out!

Corral your time

“I don’t have the time” sounds like a decent excuse until you realize that everyone has exactly the same amount of time in a given day (yes, even Beyoncé;) it’s what they do with it that counts and by organizing yours, you can do more. Start by adopting some sort of regular calendar tool, whether it’s a simple day planner if you prefer keeping track of things by writing them down helps or a full-featured computer program such as Outlook or iCal.

Today’s cloud-based apps such as Google Calendar allow you to keep your important events on the web and view or update them from any Internet-enabled device. At the same time, however, don’t create such an intricate schedule that the slightest little hitch causes the whole thing to fall apart. Schedule events that don’t require pinpoint precision in loose “zones” to give yourself some wiggle room. Once you get used to relying on such a system, you will find yourself in scheduling conflicts less often!

Be your own gatekeeper

You know those receptionists hired by super busy executives, who spend most of their time diverting those distracting calls away from the boss? You can keep your daily world more calm and organized by performing that role for yourself. Consider switching your phone to vibrate and only consulting it a few times a day to see if you missed any calls — and set a specific (and slow) time of day for returning those calls instead of being available at all times and getting distracted every few minutes.

Stop leaving your email window or tab open and turn off any annoying beeps, dings or other requests for your attention. If you can schedule a time to read and return those emails, perhaps early in the morning and late in the afternoon, then you’re free to focus on other things the rest of the day.



Master your finances

If your financial situation keeps you awake at night, sleep more soundly by getting it organized. Just knowing what’s going on can lift a huge weight off your shoulders because at least then you can take the right actions to make things better. Start by getting yourself a reasonably-prices, easy-to-use financial software that lets you create and adjust budgets, view shortfalls and their underlying causes and read up on money management tips so you can save up for special purchases, adventures in foreign lands, or some other great way to reward yourself for a new, organized, stress-free life.

Stress can wreck your health, ruin your productivity and generally make you miserable. Give the aforementioned organizing measures a try — and enjoy the new control you have over your life!

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