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The key to becoming organized is to first realize that organization is much more than simply tidying up after yourself and keeping your surroundings clean. Being organized is a lifestyle, born from an outlook that pervades every aspect of an individual's life. That outlook is one that says "I am in control of my world. It is not in control of me. I control my space, and I control my time." Someone who truly embraces this belief cannot help but be organized - it is the only logical outcome.

Have you ever noticed that someone who is disorganized usually displays this trait not just in one environment but across every aspect of their life? They may not only have an untidy house and have trouble throwing things away, but may also be frequently late, or suffer from weight problems. Disorganized people often do not trust in their power to seize control of their life, their time, their surroundings, even their weight and, while this problem displays itself in different areas of life, its source is the same. Once this attitude is changed, the behaviors will follow.

Until you truly believe in your ability to become organized, you never will, so the first step is to get that attitude in place. Take a look at the organized people that you know, and realize that it is possible. Observe their habits, and think about how you could incorporate them in your own life. Remind yourself that you control things like what time you leave to get to work, how clean your house is, and what you eat. Your life is a result of choices that you make, and you have the power to choose how organized that life is.

When that confidence is in place, the next step is to form a plan. Each person has a different version of what "organized" looks like. Visualize what you want your home to look like, what you want your workspace to be like, and what you want to look like. Picture this in your mind, and even make lists or draw pictures (for various psychological reasons, writing goals down makes you more likely to achieve them, and many organized people frequently make use of lists for this reason).

Once you have goals laid out, set about implementing a plan to reach them. If you want a cleaner, more organized house, for example, pick a day (for example the first of each month) to sort through everything and give away anything you don't use to charity. Set a specific "cleaning day" once per week to ensure the house gets cleaned regularly. If you are often late for work, leave earlier each day until you figure out what time you can safely leave without being late. If you have weight concerns, join a workout class with a set schedule and pay ahead of time, so you cannot make excuses not to go. Notice that each example here involves a set time or schedule? This is a key part of being organized, especially for someone new to it who may be prone at first to procrastinating or making excuses.

After awhile, organization will become part of who you are and you'll have trouble believing you weren't always like that. Not everyone is born organized, as many of us know, but it is absolutely something that is within the reach of those who try. Becoming organized, more than anything, is about taking control of your life, and this is something that can be a source of pride for anyone who accomplishes it.

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