7 Benefits Of Being Organized

You’ve probably heard that you should get organized. You see it on TV, you read about it in magazines, books, and blog posts, and it’s likely that someone has told you to straight to your face that it’s time to get it together. But is getting – and being – organized really that important? Here are seven major benefits of being organized that you may not have even thought of.

Benefit #1: Getting organized will help you save time

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The time you lose to disorganization is often an aspect people don’t think much about. Kind of like the walls, it’s just something that’s part of daily life. You lose a few minutes here, you waste a little time there….it’s just part of the way your family operates, right?

But how we spend our time is how we spend our life. And if we’re wasting much of our time…well, you get the idea. No one wants to admit that a lot of our life is wasted because we’re losing time on things that shouldn’t take much time at all.

You probably don’t even realize how much time you lose when your home is disorganized. But if you start to think about it it’s probably a lot.

If you’re unsure whether you waste time then ask yourself these questions:

• Do I frequently have to hunt for my car keys or other items at the last minute?
• Does someone in the house regularly say, “I know I put it right here but it’s gone.”
• Are you frequently rushing out the door and then have to return to pick up something you forgot?

Those are all examples where time is spent backtracking, playing hide and seek with your belongings and your memory.

But there are other ways that your time is wasted because you’re disorganized.

• Are you spending more time stuck in the car because you didn’t allow for busy pulses in the traffic?
• Do you show up late for appointments and then have to wait till the next slot opens up in the schedule?
• Have people quit being prompt for meetings with you because you’re chronically late?

All these little things that we think are just part of life do add up when you begin to look at the pattern.

A major benefit of getting organized is that you’ll you’ll start reclaiming that time! Just think of what you can do when you have time to spare.

Some ways you’ll save time

Here are some other ways that getting organized will save time.

• A well organized kitchen doesn’t take as long to clean (neither do the other rooms, for that matter)
• You’ll be able to get in and out of stores more quickly when you have detailed lists of what you need- no more wandering up and down aisles wondering what you came in for
• You can plan more efficient trips when you need to run errands because you know all the places you need to go – you won’t be backtracking and going in circles
• You won’t have to make last minute trips to the store to pick up a birthday card of gift because you’ll already have them
• No more second trips to the store to pick up what you forgot the first time because you didn’t have something written on your shopping list

Benefit #2: You’ll save money once you get organized

Most of us don’t enjoy wasting money for no reason. While it’s one thing to purposely decide on a purchase, to simply have your money trickle through your fingers like it was water going down the drain does you no good. You end up with nothing to show for the money you’ve spend. Boo!

Even if you don’t equate disorganization with wasted money, there is a correlation.

Have you ever:

• had to replace something you just know you own, but you can’t find it…and you need it now?
• purchased an item a second time because the one you originally bought ended up torn up and in bad shape?
• kept paying for a recurring charge because you didn’t take the time to look over your statements
• ended up donating an item of clothing you never wore because you just didn’t get around to returning it and getting your money back
• had to pay late fees because you didn’t get a bill paid on time

When we – or our homes – are disorganized it costs us money. Items get buried, lost, misplaced, and then we’re off to the store to open our wallet to pay for a replacement. Or items get torn up because our storage systems are such a mess that things aren’t stored and kept properly. So another benefit of getting organized is that your belongings will stay in better shape and you’ll save money (I like saving money!)

I’d venture so far as to say that a poor storage system is just as bad as no storage system at all since the effect is frequently the same.

And a huge problem with all this waste is the conflict it causes in the family. We all know that money issues cause lots of stress in relationships. Hubby is upset because the bills weren’t paid on time. You’re frustrated because you can’t seem to get a handle on it.

The problem isn’t the money…it’s the disorganization that causes it to be wasted.

Benefit #3: You’ll be less frustrated when you’re organized

Do you often feel like you’re the only one in the house who knows where things belong? Does everyone in the family holler, “Mom, where’s my….?”

You’re not alone. Probably every woman has felt like they were the lone keeper of the household inventory at some point. But there’s no reason it needs to stay this way. Getting your house organized means that things have a place to live. And once items have a “home” then everyone in the house will know  (or should know) where things belong and can put things away.

No more echoes of, “Honey, where do I put….?”

They’re more independent and you’re less frustrated because you’re no longer the only one who can find, and return, items.

Just having people not ask me all of the time where things go is enough of a benefit for me to want to get organized!

Benefit #4: You have less stress when you’re organized

Here’s a fact: being unorganized and living in chaos is stressful.

For you, and for everyone else in your home.

And living with long-term stress is not good for your mind or body. When your body is experiencing stress, high levels of the stress hormones are released into your blood stream It’s like you’re living in a constant state of “fight or flight” with no relief and all of the damage.

So ask yourself if you could use a little less of any of the following:

• less distraction when you’re trying to work or concentrate
• less frenzy because you’re frequently late for appointments, activities, and events
• less frustration with yourself because you know that you can – and should – be handling things better than you are

If  you answered yes to any of these then any change you make that positively affects your organization is a benefit that will pay off in terms of reduced stress.

Reducing your stress is a lot cheaper than therapy or a trip to the spa…and it benefits everyone in the house as well.

Benefit #5: An organized home runs more smoothly

If I had a nickel for every argument I’ve listened to because my kids were bickering over who had to do what chores, I’d be a rich woman today. Even though our kids would like to think that keeping a house clean and organized is just mom’s job, the truth is that it takes everyone pitching in together.

I’ve said before, “Mom isn’t the only one who lives here.”

But kids (and husbands or roommates) often plead ignorance and suddenly go hard of hearing when they’re told to do chores.

So it’s easier not to tell them.

Instead, keep a written chore chart on the refrigerator or family bulletin board so that there’s no question about who is supposed to do what. If they can read, they know what chore they’re assigned to do. And there is no “I didn’t hear you” or “I forgot” because every member of the house knows where the chore chart is kept. No excuses allowed (even from hubby!).

If your kids are older then it may be easier to set up the chore chart on cozi.com and have them get a text message when it’s time to get a chore done. Most teens are glued to their phones anyway, why not make that technology work for you? They get a non-screaming reminder about what needs to get done, and you don’t have to come off as a nag.

Benefit #6: An organized home is a happier home

And here’s the other thing about an organized home…when people aren’t arguing, everyone is happier.

Have you ever noticed that when people aren’t arguing over who needs to take out the trash or where the TV remote is that the atmosphere in the whole house seems to be taken down a notch? An organized home is less chaotic and therefore it makes everyone calmer, more subdued and laid back, and the whole house is more peaceful.

This happy feeling at home pays off in lots of ways. But one major way it pays off is with the benefit your kids get. Kids who grow up in a chaotic home have more difficulty in school and often suffer from learning gaps. It’s funny because there’s definitely a repeating circle here. Home life gets more organized and less chaotic so your child does better at school. Then since your child is doing better at school there’s less bickering and upset when he gets home.

Do everyone a favor…start getting things in order and organized.

Benefit #7: You’ll have more time to spend doing things you really enjoy

Once you cut down on the time you spend looking for things, doing things over, putting out fires caused from the disorganization in your house, and refereeing arguments, you’ll find that you finally have time to do some of those things that are you your list – that you (and your family) actually enjoy!

All that time that used to be squandered is now freed up and you’re the beneficiary. Well, your family benefits too, but mom is probably the happiest beneficiary in the group.

If that isn’t reason enough to get organized, I don’t know what is.

So, are you convinced yet? Getting organized has lots of benefits for both you and your family. If you need more help getting organized and taming your frenzy, be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter. There’s no reason for frenzy to be in control!

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