Organised vs Disorganised

There could be many reasons you’re so disorganized 

There are many reasons for disorganization including perfectionism, lack of skills, our beliefs and indecision, as well as mental health and brain-related conditions. When we understand the reason, it can help increase our ability to become more organized (and stay that way!).   

Signs of a disorganized person 

Okay, you may or may not have sweaty palms as you listen to this list and realize that some (or all!) of these apply to you! 

But the good news is, I’m also giving you an action step you can take to try to fix it! 

• You’re often late for appointments. 
• You can’t find anything (I see you – reprinting things you’ve already printed, buying another stapler because your other one went walking!) 
• You always seem to be hit with surprise deadlines (What do you mean it’s her birthday… again?!) 
• You’re making the money, but you never seem to have enough money. 
• You run out of household supplies when you need them – ever had that moment of being in your lav and you turn for toilet paper – its gone!! 

• Communication in your life is causing havoc, your phone storage is always full, your computer files are everywhere (and nowhere!),your inbox says 14,000 and you’re often misunderstood.  

And this one may come as a surprise… 

• You’re NOT willing to take a risk. When all the ducks are not in a row to begin with, it can be challenging to add any more uncertainty or spontaneity into your life. 

Sound familiar? Let’s look at why it’s so important to find a way to become more organized. 

When we are organized and our home and brain is free from clutter, we feel calmer and are able to focus and be more productive. We are also able to connect to those around us and be more spontaneous and fun without feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed. 

If we feel good, this has a positive impact on other people in our lives. So, are you ready unscramble why you’re so disorganized? I’ll also give you some practical tips to help you fix it! 

Here are 5 reasons you’re so disorganized (and how you can fix it!) 

1. Your beliefs 

Your beliefs about material objects in your life make it difficult and seemingly impossible for you to let go of things, people, ideas, and emotions from the past. Having a cluttered home (or brain!) makes it difficult for you to feel organized and hampers your ability to focus and be productive. 

2. Procrastination – Blog on this subject on my website 

You delay starting or completing tasks. There are so many causes of procrastination, including fear of the unknown, you believe you’ll do it later, indecision, working on small tasks or the wrong tasks because they’re easier, a lack of motivation, you don’t know how to begin, you know the task will require effort and hard work, or you get distracted. A big cause of procrastination is perfectionism. 

THE FIX: Write a list of the things you need to do. Use. Even if you feel ‘too busy’ try adding some exercise into your day. You’ll be surprised by the mindset benefits of exercise. After you complete a task, why not reward yourself with a little ‘me time’.  

3. Perfectionism 

You have an unrealistic expectation that everything will be perfect all of the time (and you most probably don’t think that this is an unrealistic expectation!). Many factors – including fear of disapproval from others or feelings of insecurity and inadequacy – can contribute to developing perfectionism.  

THE FIX: While there is no quick fix, reminding yourself to ‘be present where you are with the people you’re with’ or ‘done is better than perfect’ may be helpful. Minimize brain clutter.  

4. Lack of focus  

One of the reasons your so disorganized is an inability to focus. When we’re distracted, don’t have clear priorities and don’t have a way to control our brain clutter, it is difficult to be focused and organized. My friends and family often ask me how I manage to focus on my goals and always seem to get everything done. The truth is, I help myself focus by doing three simple things – simplifying, systemising and automating.  

THE FIX: To increase your productivity while working, try brain dumping your to-do list before you start.  Plan your day by breaking it into 25 minute intervals with designated short or long break between each period.  

5. Indecision  

One of the biggest causes of disorganization is indecisiveness. Getting organized requires taking action and action requires decision-making. Disorganization can often be the result of delayed decision-making. But how do you work out what your priorities should be and what tasks you should action first? It’s important to remind yourself that not everything is important and it can’t all be important at once. You’re only human after all!   

THE FIX: Change your mindset around the word ‘priority’. The word ‘priority’ means ‘one thing’. We made up the word priorities and overcomplicated things for ourselves. The reality is that you can’t have a lot of priorities because that’s not the meaning of the word. So, make  one thing which is the most important to you the priority. 

Conclusion 

A disorganized mind can be paralyzing. When we know why we are disorganized, it becomes so much easier to fix it. By working on improving some of our habits that keep us disorganized and stuck so that we can spend more time doing the things we are passionate about. 

Why Organizing is Important? 

Organizing your life brings plenty of benefits, both internally and externally. On the outside, a neat area will provide a more spacious appearance and feel a lot more welcoming to the people that walk into it. You also reduce the time you spend searching for things in a disorganized mess when you know the exact spot where something is. 

On the inside, when it comes to your mental health, keeping an organized lifestyle gives you the motivation and momentum to continue being productive and put forward the effort to get the rest of your life in gear. Once you establish that structure to your life, you reduce the stress of feeling like you don’t have things under control, and this lets you become a more confident. 

Other Advantages of Organizing 

A tidy space doesn’t only look better; it looks more professional. You’ll be putting forth a polished image to your family, friends, and colleagues, and you’ll be setting an excellent example for your kids. You’ll look like you have things under control and feel like it too. 

As we’ve mentioned, reducing that feeling of being overwhelmed by the mess allows you to be more productive. An organized environment is a calmer environment and one that promotes the energy to take tasks head-on. You’ll be able to exercise your skills more efficiently with the clutter out of your space and out of your head. And with all that time you save by not having to scramble and find things, you’ll have more time to spend on things that are more important to you. 

 Some people, you might have noticed, seem to be naturally organized. While it may seem like being organized is a personality trait, it’s learned behaviour, so you shouldn’t ever be discouraged thinking that if you aren’t an organized person now, you never will be. 

A person who knows how to be organized usually systematically thinks about things and arranges everything accordingly. They know where things need to go and have a plan for what they need to do. An organized person keeps track of the things that they need to get done and by when they need to get them done. Organization comes more naturally to some than others, but anyone can figure out a method for a more organized life. 

Tips for Organizing A Small Space 

A great place to start being organized is to spruce up your personal space like your bedroom or your office, or any other small space where you spend your time. Here are a few tips that can help you keep a organised area: 

• De-clutter often. Regularly go through your things and get rid of anything that you don’t need or use anymore. 

• Have a place for everything and always put things back where they go when you aren’t using them. 
  
• Use as much closet space as you can – in an orderly fashion. 
• Take advantage of vertical space with long and tall shelves to store things where a horizontal dresser wouldn’t fit. 
• Don’t hoard things or impulse buy stuff you don’t need. 

Knowing how to be organized isn’t just to keep up a good appearance, it’s less stress on you too and gives you more time to focus on other things instead of the chaos. As long as you’re willing to put in the effort, you have the abilities to become an organized person and a more productive you.