“Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor—it’s anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living.” Peter Walsh, professional organizer
That. That’s why The Organized CEO exists. I hate seeing women fail at building their own businesses simply because they were overwhelmed by all the clutter.
Nothing should stand between you and the life you want to build. Together, we can get you organized, get those systems and processes in place, and launch you into success.
There are a lot of contributing factors to success. Things like passion, dedication, patience, authenticity, and communication are crucial. But did you know that you’re also going to need some organization skills?
The Benefits of Being Organized
I don’t want you to start panicking if organization doesn’t come “naturally” to you. I get it. As children, some of us sorted our Legos by size and color, while others tossed handfuls casually around the room like drunks throwing candy off a St. Paddy’s Day parade float.
The good news for you drunken Lego tossers is that organization is a skill that we learn and practice. It’s not a black and white, maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline kinda thing. Some of us just pick it up more easily. You can do this. Deep breath, okay?
Let’s dive into the six benefits of being organized that you’ll experience firsthand when you practice organization skills.
Increase Productivity
There are many things that can get in the way of productivity. Losing your keys is the perfect example. How many times have you been late because you couldn’t find your keys, phone, wallet, etc.?
The simple solution is to put them in the same place every time. Leave them in your purse. Or hang them on a hook by the door. That is the most basic form of organization. A place for everything, and everything in its place.
But organization goes far beyond hooks by the door, coffee mugs full of writing utensils, and sorting trays in our drawers. Organization is structure that makes our lives easier. It isn’t something stuffy that limits us. It’s something efficient that frees us.
Organization gives us the freedom to stop searching for our lost keys. To stop worrying about what steps to take next in onboarding a new client. And to finally take a deep breath and know that we are prepared for what comes next.
Reduce Stress
There is constant stress in our daily lives, from the minor to the major incidences. Organization can help you eliminate a lot of that stress.
Think about all the things that cause you to stress in a day… time management, people asking questions (and expecting you to have all the answers), finding balance with your personal life, marketing, delays, decision making… Can you add some more things to this list?
How can organization solve these problems? Let’s take a look!
- Time management - organize your schedule using time blocks and eliminating distractions
- People asking questions - save a document with frequently asked questions so you can quickly respond
- Finding balance with your personal life - set boundaries (and stick to them!) between work and your life, such as not working after 6 pm on weeknights
- Marketing - create a marketing plan and calendar so you know exactly what needs to happen to meet your goals
- Delays - anticipate that things happen and problems come up by building in extra time for projects (if there are no delays and you deliver “early” you look like a superhero!)
- Decision making - give yourself a deadline for the decision and set aside time in your schedule for any research or communication that need to happen
Meet Deadlines
If you consistently miss deadlines, I can say with 100% certainty that you are disorganized. And it’s a huge problem. If you’re missing deadlines, your business is never going to make it. You need to get organized ASAP!
In order to meet deadlines, you need to be able to manage your time, plan ahead, and fully understand the required processes. If any of those conditions aren’t met, you’ll never be on time.
Manage Time
How much time have you wasted wandering around in circles? Looking for files that you know are ‘here somewhere.’ Attempting to retrace a certain process that you only do once a month, and therefore forget some of the steps each time.
And what about your schedule? You need to organize that too if you want to achieve maximum productivity.
Many of the small business owners I’ve met who “just don’t have the time” are simply disorganized. I promise that getting organized will add time to your day, and who doesn’t need that?!
Save Money
I’m a recovering DVD addict. I just love shopping for them and finding cheap deals and collecting all the movies in a series. I can’t help it! And… I’ve been known to purchase the same movie multiple times because I couldn’t remember if I already owned it.
Know how I solved that issue? I got organized! I made a giant list of my hundreds of movies and saved it in Evernote so that it would always be at my fingertips when I was out shopping.
How many times have you purchased multiple courses on the same topic without even finishing the first one you bought? How many times have you bought stamps because you couldn’t find yours, and you only needed one stupid stamp?!
There are so many examples for business that come to mind, and I’m sure you’re already thinking of a few instances where organization would have saved you money.
Boost Confidence
Have you tried onboarding a new client without having the process written down? It’s a nightmare. I remember when I first started my business and I was terrified to get a client because I didn’t know what I was going to do with them.
Now that I have clear processes, I have so much more confidence. I simply walk through the checklist I created and all the fear falls to the side.
How could organization boost confidence for you in your business? It could be working with clients, sending a newsletter, or having a team member proofread content… Getting organized is like a punch in the face for imposter syndrome.
Take Action
Which of these six benefits of being organized do you most need in your business right now?
Getting organized doesn’t happen overnight no matter how many episodes of Tidying Up you binge-watch. The good news is that you only need to take small steps each day to make it happen. What small thing can you do today to become an organized CEO?
