The 6 essentials of personal organization
Do you feel disorganized? Your accommodation is messy, you always lose your important documents and you never seem to be able to finish what you want to accomplish during the week?
You clearly need our help. ;)
Without making a Shamwow-style commercial info pitch, you just need a few essentials to help you organize your daily life.
For us, personal organization is essential to achieve a certain peace of mind. Don't get me wrong...some people thrive on disorder, but most don't.
Indeed, most are more productive and serene when they feel organized both in their personal lives and in their environment.
If you want to be a little more organized in 2023, it's here!
1. Drive
First, it takes you a drive (in French, a backup drive). If you don't already have one, come to town! Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, whatever. The important thing is that you have a place to store documents so that they are accessible at all times.
If you already have one, great. However, you have to know how to use it well. Personally, Google Drive is my tool of choice. First, you need to scan your documents. It is essential not to lose them. If they are not already available in digital version, scan them!
If I were you, I would digitize all my documents, but if the task seems too big for you right now, start by digitizing the most important. These documents are mostly invoices, insurance documents, medical documents or other important financial documents.
Once your important documents are digitized, you must create folders according to your projects and activities. For example, if you travel a lot, it would be appropriate to create a travel folder and divide it into subfolders so that you can put your travel documents or even your research in this folder.
2. A briefcase or binder
Even if you scan your papers, it's always good to have a "backup" hard copy. It is also good to keep some papers that you will need to bring with you for an appointment or an interview.
That's why you need a briefcase or a filing cabinet, depending on how much physical paperwork you have.
Obviously, the easiest way to use a binder or briefcase is to create sections to classify your documents by type (medical, business, bills, etc.). This way, your binder is organized and you can find your documents quickly.
If you keep documents, be rigorous and file them more quickly so as not to lose them. If you are self-employed, keep your invoices (and if possible, classify them by type).
3. Storage tools (compartment, baskets, bin, etc.)
There is nothing better for your personal organization than organizing your space. To do this, storage bins, baskets and storage compartments will be your best friends.
It's one thing to buy them, but you have to know how to use them. The main thing is that everything has its place. Each object or category of object must have its compartment.
Not only will the use of these storage tools do wonders for your interior decoration, but you are sure to feel the benefits on your mental health. An organized space frees the mind and makes more room for your creativity and peace of mind.
It will be your best investment ever!
4. Labels
If you want to take your personal organization to the next level, use labels! This is excellent for being able to spot from a bird's eye view where the bins, compartments or even documents you are looking for are.
I'm not talking about going crazy and labeling everything here, but adding labels to those bins you won't use often can save you a lot of headaches when you finally want to find what you need.
5. An agenda
Obviously, the main essential of personal organization is the use of a planner. Preferably a weekly planner or daily according to your preferences.
start to use a diary is definitely a habit. To help you integrate this new action into your week, get into the habit of settling down on Sunday evening or Monday morning and planning your week. It doesn't have to be super detailed at first, just your main activities like work, appointments and activities.
One thing leading to another, you'll get a taste for it and you'll want to write everything down, it's so easy to put everything on paper and find the information when you need it! No more having your head full of your obligations — the reduction in mental load is real.
If you want to move to another level in your organization, a diary-planner is the solution. This kind of agenda called a " planner " includes much more than a weekly grid to write down your activities. Most of the time, you will find additional pages to practice journaling, plan your menus, your grocery store, organize your priorities, your budget and more.
It's the ultimate time management tool and will save you hours of stress figuring out how to juggle all your obligations. With a planner everything will be clear, you will have your activities in front of your eyes, you will be able to prioritize and determine if your goals of the week are too ambitious or if you have space to add a little more.
6. Colored pencils
Go back a bit to childhood! Start using colored pencils for your personal organization. Especially for your planner or calendars, creating color legends according to the type of activity on your planner can give you a bird's eye view of your schedule.
Not only are they useful, but they're fun to use. It's good to get organized, but you have to put a little joy into it!
Depending on the season or simply your mood, you can change the colors or mix & match trendy colors in your diary. Here are some examples:
So ! Implement these essentials of personal organization in your life and you are sure to see a difference. Good luck !