Want to get organized, but need a little motivation? You’ll reap these 10 amazing benefits of being organized!
Every week here on the blog, I share tips, tutorials, and strategies for getting organized and living an organized lifestyle. If you’re a regular reader (or even if you’re visiting for the first time), then I’d bet that you want to be more organized.
I also know that one of the main barriers to getting organized is mustering up the necessary motivation that’s required to do the hard work.
As we embark on a new year, I thought it might be helpful to take a step back and really hone in on the benefits of being organized. There are SO SO many benefits, my friends!
For the sake of brevity, I’ve narrowed it down to a “Top 10” list of the benefits of being organized in the new year and beyond.
Ready? Let’s do this!
The Top 10 Benefits of Being Organized
1. Being Organized Reduces Stress
Decluttering and organizing your home is one of the most powerful ways to improve your mental wellbeing. There’s just no denying the fact that living with clutter and in a chronic state or disorganization causes stress.
There’s the stress of overwhelm, as you wade through a cluttered room. There’s the frustration associated with constantly having to hunt for lost items. And let’s not forget the stress of showing up late and unprepared for work, school and social events.
Once you begin to clear clutter and put organizing systems in place, you’ll feel lighter and more in control of your life. That peace of mind you’ve been craving can finally be realized.
And what better motivator is there than that?
2. Being Organized Boosts Your Self-Confidence
When you get organized, you can easily find the thing you’re looking for. You’re better able to meet deadlines, accomplish tasks on your To-Do list, and show up to places ON TIME.
You’re more effective and you accomplish more. And over time, that little voice inside your head begins to sing a different tune.
Instead of those negative messages you used to hear (like “Why can’t I get anything done”?), your inner voice will begin to shout out “I’ve Got This”!! You’ll feel good about yourself and all of life’s possibilities.
Your self-confidence will soar.
3. Being Organized Makes You More Productive
Putting some simple organizing systems and routines in place enables you to get more done in less time. For example, creating a bill paying kit prevents wasting time hunting for the calculator, the stamps, and the checkbook when you finally carve out some time to pay the bills.
Likewise, putting a meal-planning routine in place reduces the time required each day to figure out what’s for dinner.
Increased productivity extends to the office as well. An organized computer desktop allows you to quickly find any document you need. Similarly, creating a system for managing incoming email can cut down on distractions during your workday.
See how this works?
4. Being Organized = More Money
Being organized saves you money. How?
Here’s a few ways:
- When your home is organized, there’s no longer a need to purchase duplicate items because you can’t find the one that you own.
- You eat out less because you can prepare food easier in a decluttered kitchen and when you’ve already put a meal planning routine in place.
Being organized can also make you money. For example:
- Selling the decluttered items can potentially earn you big bucks.
- You can easily locate receipts for purchases that need to be returned to the store.
- Increased productivity at work translates into more billable hours.
5. Being Organized Enhances Creativity
When you declutter, get organized, and simplify your surroundings, something brilliant happens.
You gain clarity and experience a surge of physical and mental energy that opens up opportunities for your creative spark to ignite. This can happen in a craft room, the kitchen, your studio, or even while working on the computer.
This quote from the Unclutterer is spot on when it comes to describing this phenomenon:
6. Being Organized Enables You to Adapt
Whether it’s a family emergency, a sick child, or the opportunity to join a friend on an impromptu Girl’s weekend away, you’re much better equipped to adapt to unforeseen circumstances when your day-to-day life is not completely chaotic.
Having an organized home with established routines and systems enables you to quickly pivot when life throws you an unexpected curveball.
With basic systems in place, you can hand over the reins to someone else (a spouse, a neighbor, a co-worker) if need be so that the household (or office) “machine” can continue to function during your absence.
7. Being Organized Improves Your Health
So how does this one work?
Once you’re more productive, you’ll have more time available for self-care. You can actually focus on eating healthy and getting exercise when you’re not spending an hour a day hunting for your keys!
Health improvements are a byproduct of several of the other benefits I’ve already mentioned. Since there’s a strong relationship between elevated stress levels and a variety of health problems, it makes sense that removing the stress of disorganization from your life will lead to a healthier you.
And of course, there’s that whole “you’ll eat out less” thing since you’ll be planning your meals and doing more cooking at home.
8. Being Organized Helps Us to Be Good Role Models
Since our goal as parents is to prepare our kids to become successful adults, it’s up to us to teach them the basic life skills they’ll need when it comes time to leave the nest. In my humble opinion, organizing is a crucial life skill to teach our kids.
And what better way to teach them than to spend our days modeling an organized lifestyle?
9. Being Organized Allows Us to Help Others
By regularly decluttering our homes, we have multiple opportunities to bless others by donating the items we no longer need.
Whether we give clothing that our kids have outgrown to friends/relatives, or donate unused household goods or building supplies to local non-profit organizations, we have an opportunity to help others as we simultaneously purge the items that are no longer serving us.
It’s a win-win!
10. Being Organized Improves Our Relationships
I saved the most important reason for last!
I would argue that one of the greatest benefits of being organized is that it leads to improved relationships. When we’re less stressed, more healthy, and productive, it puts us in a better position to be the best spouse/parent/friend/sibling that we can be.
We have more time to spend with the people that we love, doing the things that matter most to us.
(Mic drop)
There you have it, my top 10 benefits of being organized! Which reason resonates the most with you?
Knowing your WHY for getting organized goes a long way towards helping you press on when the going gets tough.
To help keep you motivated on your journey to an organized lifestyle, I created this printable for you to download and display someplace where it can serve as future inspiration to you:
(Click here to download the printable)
Ready to begin your organizing journey? Here are some helpful resources to set you on the right path:
- A 5-Step Process for Organizing any Space
- The Organize and Refine Your Home Challenge
- A Collection of 150+ Organizing Projects, Tips, Resources and Tutorials
- Printables for Organizing Home & Life: The ULTIMATE Organizing Printables Vault! - November 28, 2023
- Clipboard Wall Organization for Papers: Easy DIY Paper Storage! - September 4, 2023
- How to Plan a Graduation Party to Remember: The Ultimate Graduation Party Planner - May 9, 2023
Joy Frey says
I am 75 years old and need some organizational habits to make my life a little easier. Can you recommend someone in Southern California?
Natalie Gallagher says
Joy, I would recommend searching NAPO’s directory of professional organizers
Lana Cecil says
Hi, Natalie! I am an instructional coach for ESC Region 13 in Austin, Texas. We would love to place a link to this blog article in our Spring Issue of R13Coach Magazine. It will be listed as a clickable link in the get organized section of an article titled “the final countdown: strategies for motivation and surviving the end of year. We do not compensate for use, but would be grateful if you would allow us to honor your work with traffic from our instructional coaching audience? Let us know Publish date is May 15th!
Natalie Gallagher says
I’d be honored Lana! Thanks for sharing!
Pam says
These are such great tips. I’ve featured them at the TFT link party. Thanks so much for sharing.
Natalie Gallagher says
Thanks so much Pam! I appreciate the feature 🙂
Linda Johnston says
Excellent tips! I like that you have looked beyond the usual suggestions for sort ,keep or toss into the benefits of being organized.
Natalie Gallagher says
Thanks Linda. Oh I have plenty of posts that talk all about the organizing process LOL, but I found that people need to establish their “WHY” to push through the hard parts of the organizing process — hence the need for this post.
Randy Chorvack says
I really love how you said that being organized improves our relationships. Being organized gets rid of a lot of stress and allows you to focus on other things. I want to make sure that my house is organized so that I can breathe easier and spend more time with my family.
Janet Schiesl says
Love your list. Seeing the changes in people, as they get more organized and have systems to cope with life is enlightening.
Natalie Gallagher says
Yes, Janet. Totally agree! That’s what made life as a professional organizer so very rewarding!
Olive says
I like being able to help others and to offer hospitality to others–so much easier when my life is organized with simple routines, the kitchen is ready to use, and the house is easy to clean!!
Natalie Gallagher says
For sure Olive! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Janet Barclay says
Those are all great reasons to get organized! Who wouldn’t like to have more money, less stress, more self-confidence, etc.?
Natalie Gallagher says
You betcha!
Heidi says
Great motivation for me to get more organized! Love that coffee mug too! Thanks for linking up with Funtastic Friday!
Natalie Gallagher says
Happy to provide organizing motivation! Yep, I love that mug too!