Self-organization: Tips for more organization

Self-organization is understood to be the most possible efficient planning and action in professional and private life. Some also refer to self-organization as self-management, because you are like a manager on time and Activity planning look. Do you run out of time in everyday life? Do you feel overwhelmed? Do you often not get all to-dos ticked off? Then it makes sense to deal with the topic of self-organization.

Originally the term self-organization actually comes from Business administration. There it describes the opposite of hierarchical management. Instead of waiting for instructions from above, employees should organize themselves – and thus demonstrate personal responsibility and organizational talent.

The principle of self-organization can, however, be used apply to every area of ​​lifeas you will read later.

Through self-organization you can achieve the following:

You see: self-organization helps you in many ways in everyday life. You will now find out how you can learn to organize yourself and which measures can be used to achieve more organization. Try the following five tipsthat improve your self-organization bit by bit.

1. So that nothing is left lying around: The extended task list

If you want to organize yourself better, you should get one today notepad or buy a digital To-do app download. Put your plan in writing – this is the only way you can be sure that nothing is really forgotten. Here you write down everything that is pending for you, in a private or professional context.

In addition, such a list is highly motivating: It makes you feel like the To have control over your to-do's and you can look forward to ticking another box after a completed task every time.

Regardless of whether digital or analog: Take time every day to jot down important tasks. There are also practical systems that combine a calendar and notepad – these make self-organization even easier. For example, the Ivy Lee Method can help you set up the tasks for the day.

2. Separate the important from the unimportant

It sounds so simple and yet it is very difficult for many of us: We avoid really important tasks and prefer to take care of the odds and ends. This phenomenon occurs both at work and in personal life.

Anyone who has ever wanted to muck out the whole wardrobe may know the situation. To-do is so time-consuming that in the end we prefer to do other household chores that are not that important in comparison. And this can also happen at work: You postpone creating the presentation and tend to take care of writing emails.

If you want to bring more self-organization into your life, you should Clearly separate the important from the unimportant. Do the really relevant things firstso your schedule doesn't get mixed up. Positive side effect: you feel less stressed!

You can also learn how to get your procrastination under control through the method called Eat the Frog.

2. Self-organization: improve time management

To-dos are quickly noted. However, that is only one side of self-organization. The problem: We don't always get to everythingwhat we have neatly written down. Why is it?

Often times, our own time management does not fit what we set out to do. That means: We don't calculate realistically, what we can actually do. And if there are always tasks left over, the whole system of self-organization is no longer fun. Fortunately, like many other things in life, you can learn your time management through practice!

The method called timeboxing will help you tremendously. Here will assign a time slot for each taskin which the to-do should be done. Ask yourself: How much time do I want / should I spend on this task?

If you still feel unsure about the assessment, don't worry: Over time, you will be able to plan more and more precisely how long you will actually need. So it is completely normal that not every time limit is right or can be met at the beginning.

Protect yourself from being overwhelmed

Writing down task + time – this approach improves your time management and also protects you from yourself Don't stay too long with a single area. That is also part of self-organization: setting limits.

The Perfectionists among us know that it can sometimes be very difficult to complete a to-do because it is apparently not quite "perfect". But if you don't finish, you won't be able to cope with your other tasks – and that messes up the whole day-to-day or self-organization.

By the way: Here you will find a list of all common time management methods that can support your self-organization.

3. More order, a clear head

It is not only important to organize your own tasks, but also your own to put the spatial environment in order – literally!

Your everyday life and doing the to-do's will be much easier for you if you At home and at work Keep order. Self-organization means organized in every way to be in the closet as in the e-mail inbox. A lot of time is often lost looking for your favorite blouse, pink lipstick or that one important document. Time that we then lack for completing our tasks. And that's annoying!

Imagine getting up in the morning, reaching everything you need in a few simple steps and starting the day in peace and without stress. It's much more pleasant than struggling through chaos every day. Therefore, make a resolution to organize your home thoroughly.

Everything you use often, from makeup to charging cables, should be within easy reach. Find a fixed location for each part. And very important: get rid of everything you really don't need anymore. Unnecessary ballast makes self-organization more difficult.

Here you can find out how you can keep things tidy.

4. Carry out self-organization – with breaks and discipline

Setting up to-dos with the right time frame is one thing – but then really to stick to it, this is not so easy! Sometimes it is difficult to pull yourself up to push through personal or professional goals. So that you don't run out of breath, you should Breaks and regeneration units necessarily include in the planning of the self-organization. They are just as important as the tasks themselves. If there is not enough fuel, the engine will not run!

What can also help you with this is aPinch of discipline. Some people may shy away from the word, because not all of us are naturally with one iron will fitted. Fortunately, there are a few tricks that each of us can use to implement resolutions with discipline. Learn how to learn self-discipline here. It can help you tremendously in organizing yourself.

5. Regularity: How the self-organization stays

Who does not know it: Full of euphoria, we keep the booth tidy at first, write lists and stick to planned times. But then the situation changes. The coffee cup is left lying around more and more often. To-do's are rarely written down and deadlines are not always kept. Unfortunately, the new behaviors could not prevail against our old patterns. Why is that?

Regularity is the breeding ground for good self-organization. Like any other habit, we have to internalize the new routines first. Scientists suspect it is around three weeks needs to build a new habit. Until then, it always takes some effort and the new activities are not as easy as we would like them to be.

Anyone who decides to want to live self-organization must have the project for at least Make 21 days – and then pull it off. Otherwise it will be extremely difficult to maintain self-organization over the long term.

After three weeks your new, organized lifestyle has passed into your blood and you can maintain the self-organization without much effort. And that's exactly what we want! Maybe a friend would like to a little challenge on the subject of self-organization and you can both motivate yourself to persevere for three weeks. Then the whole concept is even more fun!

You can also find many other exciting topics related to self-organization, careers and jobs in the BRIGITTE Community. Have a look!