How to get organized? Stress has become a way of life. We’re rushing from right to left, non-stop. Most of the time, we feel exhausted and frustrated. Yet we’d like to move forward more serenely and, above all, see our lives more clearly: What am I running towards? And why? Here are 4 lists to help you!

Why is it important to be organized?

1 – To keep stress at bay

Stress is first and foremost a healthy and useful reaction by the body. When the unexpected happens, the body secretes adrenalin to boost the heart and blood flow. In fact, it gives us the energy to face up to a situation and give it our best shot.

Any episode of stress must be followed by a period of rest. And therein lies the problem with our lives: we don’t take the time to rest. That’s why we fuel ourselves with stress, and it ends up exhausting us both physically and psychologically.

It’s essential to be organized to avoid feeling stressed too often during the day. That way, we won’t feel we’re dealing with the unexpected, and our bodies will stay calm.

2 – To see your life clearly!

We’re happy when we feel we’re moving forward in our lives. Moving forward is an essential need!

But when we’re running left and right, we feel more like we’re being tossed about by life.

We need to feel in control of our destiny. How can we do this? By setting goals and achieving them.

Being organized is the best way to take a step towards our goals every day. And above all, to take the time to be clear about what our goals are.

Yes, too many of us still don’t know how to answer these questions: What do you want out of life? And how are you going to get there? Being organized is the answer!

1 – Get organized: the “My promise for the coming year” list

Here’s a list to make every year. If you don’t want to forget, why not fill it in on every birthday or New Year’s Eve?

Personally, I like to do it on my birthday. I ask myself two questions:

What do I remember from the past year?
What are my dreams for the coming year?
I make this list in a place I like, with music I like. It’s important to do it with a smile and a light heart, so make sure you do something that makes you smile first: read a book, watch a funny video, go for a walk, exercise, go shopping…

Once you’ve settled in, answer the first question by thinking about all areas of your life: personal, professional, family, social… What do you remember in each of these areas: what did you like and dislike?

Then ask yourself this question: what do you want now for each of these areas?

What do you dream of for the coming year? And write down in a single sentence your vision of your ideal year. What feelings and emotions do you want to experience, what values do you want to embody?

This sentence is a promise you make to yourself. In effect, you’re making a date with yourself next year, with the mission of saying to that old you: I’ve kept my promise.

How can you get organized so that you can see your life more clearly? By knowing what you clearly want from the coming year: what’s important to you?

Re-read this list regularly!

2 – See your life more clearly: the “My next step” list

Here’s a list to make at the beginning of each month. It’s an opportunity to repeat the first list: My promise for the coming year.

Your objective for happiness is to feel you’re moving forward. You’ve promised yourself to do something important for yourself this year. So, every month, it’s up to you to take a step towards making that promise a reality.

It has to be a small step. It’s not about taking the plunge, quite the opposite.

Ask yourself this question: What’s the smallest action I can take to move towards my promise?

Let’s imagine you’ve made a promise to yourself to learn a foreign language. Your small step in the first month will be to learn the alphabet and one word a day.

If your promise was to lose weight, perhaps during the first month you can cut out one food from your usual diet.

How can you get organized so you can see your life more clearly? Each month, invite yourself to take a small step towards your promise. This will be your commitment.

3 – The “My day tomorrow” list

As you can see, this list is to be made every day.

To be well “used”, a day must include moments of constraint that no one can escape: work, shopping, housework… but also moments of pleasure, which too many people avoid, thinking they don’t have the time and don’t have the right.

Moments of pleasure are essential to our happiness. Indeed, we clearly can’t wish to be happy, if we don’t even take the time to experience a few moments of joy in our day.

“Happiness doesn’t fall from the sky.

So let’s put it on our agenda!

Is it possible for you to imagine taking a pleasure break for a few minutes at least once in the morning and once in the evening?

If you’re hesitating, tell yourself again that you deserve it!

How can you get organized so you can see your life more clearly? By positively planning your day.

Your goal is to be able to answer this question with an affirmation: “Am I satisfied with the life I’ve lived today?”

4 – Being organized: the “My little pleasures” list

This list will help you achieve list 3: My day tomorrow.

Yes, many of us don’t know what makes us happy. Have you ever found yourself speechless when asked the question, “What would make you happy today?”

Thanks to this list, it won’t happen to you again!

Things that make me smile
List all the things that make you smile. The only rule is that you must be able to do them in under 10 minutes. Then, you can do them for longer, but sometimes your schedule won’t necessarily agree. So find little pleasures!

Some examples: reading a book, writing, coloring, drawing, gardening, going for a walk, listening to music, singing, watching a funny video…

My favorite things
Then list other things too: your favorite films and books, your favorite music of the moment, the videos that make you laugh the most, the phrases that inspire you the most, your favorite cakes, your favorite drinks, the places where you love to walk, your favorite clothes.

Keep this list of your small pleasures and favorite things close at hand. You’ll need to draw from it several times a day. As soon as you have 10 minutes, take a look at it and choose what you’d like to enjoy most right now.

How can you get organized so you can see your life more clearly? By being able to schedule moments of small pleasure, because life is meant to be savored. We’re not machines, we’re beings who need moments of joy to live.

“Remember, 30,000 days is about the amount of time we’re born with, and with each passing day, you nibble away at it. Make the best use of it, savor it!”

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover Four powerful approaches to organizing your life
Discover Lack of time: 5 tips for getting back to what’s most important

I recommend this inspiring book:

Getting Organized in the Google Era by Douglas C. Merrill and James A. Martin.

This book offers practical strategies for taking advantage of digital tools, particularly those provided by Google, to improve personal and professional organization. It guides us through the principles of digital organization and provides tips on how to effectively manage information, tasks and communication in the age of modern technology. They give us the means to harness the potential of digital tools to streamline organization and increase productivity.

I found this book very useful. The author’s ideas, opinions and practical advice made a big difference to me.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself