Disorganization is a top killer of productivity and time, but it can also bring you more stress than necessary.

We all get off track from time to time, but setting up a system of organization is a large part of working from home.  Since working from home requires a lot of self discipline and independent work, it’s important that organization be at the front of your home based toolkit.  Here are some tips and tricks to keep organization at the forefront of your business.

Make a decision

If disorganization is an issue that’s hindering your work progress, start by making a decision to be more organized.  It does take some effort in the beginning, and it will absolutely go against what you’ve been doing.

Know why you want to be organized – are you falling behind in work?  Missing deadlines? Spending too many hours finding items that should be right in front of you? Knowing the reasons makes it easier to clear them in the future.

Do it daily

Choose an item of organization to complete daily, especially in the beginning of your journey. To create a habit, 21 days of repeated effort must be given. Even if you make a habit to clear off your desktop, color code your files, or decide on an online organization system, make it a mission to do one substantial organization task daily.

Declutter your mind

Organization is not just important for the practical reasons of efficiency and productivity; it can also affect your mind and stress levels.

Consider what goes on in your head when all of your tasks, files and work items are lost, disorganized, or not easily accessible. You spend a lot of time, energy and mental power focusing on these things.

Yes, decluttering your mind comes from establishing better habits and systems, but it’s also important to diffuse your stress and workday with other tasks – throw in a load of laundry if you get a minute, take a few minutes to walk outside, or simply relax with some tea.  During the physical decluttering process, be sure to declutter and nurture your mind as well.

Create a system

A system of organization is your best defense against unexpected delays and missed days of work. Whether you use a task organization program such as Trello or Basecamp, or simply input your information into Google Docs or a Word document, it’s important to get it down on paper.

A system can be as simple as laying out each day according to task, employer, time frame, etc. It’s best to go with something that makes sense to you so you will continue.  Color coding can be helpful, as can sharing tasks and completed items with team members.

Once your preferred system has been established, it’s up to you to keep repeating it.  Make tweaks as necessary, but get into the habit of doing things on a daily, weekly, and task-based basis. Whatever works best for you will stick in the long run!

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