If you ask people what are the first things they are going to do after retiring, most have a trip planned.  New retirees also want to get their house organized.  They have closest and photos they want to organize.  They want to prepare their homes for retirement.  

Most people want an organized home.  Are you an organized person though?  Do you know how to organize you home and life?  Or do you struggle with clutter, not accomplishing the things you want to do?  Even if you feel like your life is in total disarray, you can make simple changes to get more organized.  The key is your desire to make some simple, but necessary changes.  Organization may never come naturally, but with a little effort you can organize your life.  Follow these simple organizing tips to start the process.

Set Goals

Organized people have the ability to think about what they want to accomplish before they start.  They know how to organize their time.  You can learn to organize your time also.   It’s best to write your goals down.  If that’s too hard, start your day off by thinking about what you would like to have done by the end of the day.  Make sure your goals are realistic.  If you set more goals than you can accomplish, you’ll get discouraged and quit.  

Make Lists

As we get older, it’s just too hard to carry it around in our brain.  Get into the habit of making lists.  Experiment until you find a way that works for you.  I make a list of the things I want to accomplish for the week instead of the day.  I start every day by looking at the list and identify key objectives for completion.  Making a list for the week allows me to feel like I get to create each day as it comes, instead of being a slave of things “to do”.  It also allows me to work around interruptions.  Use lists as guides.

Set Priorities

Organized people are able to prioritize activities.  Author Steven Covey discusses how to differentiate between important and urgent tasks.  Priorities change for retirees.  You want to complete activities that are both important and urgent first, followed by items that important, but not necessarily urgent next.   

Use a Calendar

Make sure you have a calendar in a prominent place in your home, usually in the office or by your phone.  Keep track of appointments and meetings.  You may want to use the calendar to block time out for projects on your list.  The calendar should be visible to everyone that lives in the home.

De-clutter Your Life

The first key to an organized home is to assess your clutter.  Clutter drains energy, steals time, and contributes to a feeling of disarray.  We all suffer from too much stuff.  Make sure everything has a place that can be easily accessed.  It may mean simplifying your life.  Do you really need all the stuff you keep around?  If they are no longer serving a purpose, consider getting rid of them, either by throwing them away or giving them to someone who can use them.

Get support

Do you need someone to help organize your home?  You can hire an professional organizer.  They can be expensive.  You can form a group of other retirees the support each other.  To get an organized home, select one challenge a week.  Select a day, then move from house to house until everyone is satisfied.

Developing organizational skills can be learned. You can learn how to be an organized person. You may never do it as naturally as some people, but if you want your life to flow more easily, it’s worth experimenting with the tips that are mentioned here.