10 Habits of A Super Organised Person

“I’m a highly organised person”

You’ll see this line on a gazillion resumes….but what does it mean… what are the actual habits of an organised person? How do those unicorns at work who never miss a deadline, always find what they’re looking for and roll up with neatly packed, Insta worthy lunches actually operate? Read on to find out.

#1 – Their Desk Is A Kind Of KonMari Utopia 

You won’t find much out of place on the desk of an organised person. They know a messy desk can send stress levels rising, waste time and is counterproductive when you need to get in the zone to produce fast quality work.

Try it: Put some time aside, even 15 minutes a week, to clear your desk. Do it every Friday afternoon and you’ll feel motivated when a clean desk welcomes you on Monday morning.  

#2 – Their Daily Routines Are Rock Solid

We all get the same number of hours in the day but organised people just seem to do so much more.

Their secret? Routines and rituals. Organised people tend to start and finish the day in the same way which helps keep them on track and focused during the day.

They do things like plan their action items, visualise their day, reflect on their day and make time for fitness and relaxation techniques which help keep them energised and productive. 

Try it: Start small, add one new planning or energising habit to your evening or morning routine and slowly build on it. 

#3 – They Write Out A Plan Of Action For The Day The Night Before

This doesn’t mean they necessarily map out their day minute by minute. It just means they spend 5 – 10 minutes thinking about the top 3 – 5 tasks they want to achieve the next day. 

It means they launch into each day with a decisive plan about what they need to accomplish – they don’t waste time with indecisiveness or take a scattergun approach to work on whatever happens to be at the top of their inbox.

Try it: Put a notepad and paper next to your bed. Before turning in for the night, write down what you want to accomplish the next day and think through the steps for each item. With a plan of attack, you won’t be so easily derailed during the day. 

#4 – They’re Experts At Tuning Out Distractions

Everyone faces distractions at work on a daily basis, whether they’re internal or external distractions. It’s just that organised people are better at tuning them out.

They close out of email and shut down their phone to focus on accomplishing what they need to do. You won’t find them scrolling through Insta at work, getting caught up in office banter or saying yes very often to on-the-fly work requests from colleagues.

Try it: Challenge yourself to focus on a single task for just 30 minutes uninterrupted. Log out of your email and switch the phone to flight mode. You’ll be surprised how much you can achieve in a distraction-free half-hour. 

#5 – They Meal Prep Their Work Lunches

Ever have a last-minute scramble around the kitchen throwing together a work lunch, only to miss your bus and arrive late? Or rush out the door with nothing and spend $15 on unhealthy takeaway for lunch. 

Organised people don’t; they meal plan the night before. Is it just us, or do they look a little smug as they open their containers of totally Insta-worthy lunch goodies?

Try it: You too can be smug. Get inspired with these easy lunch meal prep ideas. 

#6 – They Eat Frogs In The Morning

Nope, that doesn’t mean they’re chowing down frogs and coffee for breakfast. They’re eating the ‘frog’ – which is the hardest task on their list – first.

As Mark Twain put it – 

“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” 

Basically, getting the tough, boring or uncomfortable work out of the way frees up your schedule and mind to work on items you’d rather be doing.

An organised person knows that if they wait until the end of the day to tackle the hard stuff, they’ll be out of time. This means rolling it over to the next day; building more pressure to get it done. 

Try it: No matter how you feel, force yourself to do the hardest thing on your list first for 5 days in a row. Once you make it a habit, it becomes easier. 

#7 – They Write Stuff Down And Keep Lists

No matter how good your memory is, you’ll always forget something. An organised person doesn’t rely on mental checklists, they write or type everything out. 

This takes less mental energy too. Once you’ve got it out of your head and onto the written list, you don’t have to keep reminding yourself not to forget about it, which can be exhausting!

Try it: Find a system that works for you and stick with it. Don’t overcomplicate your list keeping; downloading a fancy, complicated task management app is pointless if you can’t be bothered to use it. 

#8 – They Give Themselves Fake Deadlines

There’s THE deadline and then there’s the organised person’s personal deadline.

They usually set a fake deadline a few days before the project is actually due and work to it like it’s the real deal. 

This is time management and organisation at its finest! Sticking to a fake, earlier deadline means they’ll never miss the real one or be sweating it out at the 11th hour to get it all done. 

Try it –  Put countdown notifications in your calendar based on your fake deadline. These automatic prompts will create a sense of urgency and keep you on track. 

#9 – They Time Block Their Days And Weeks

Time blocking is a skill which, when mastered, can change your life.

Many organised people are time blocking ninjas, mapping out how they plan to spend their time days and even weeks in advance.

What exactly is time blocking? Basically, it’s scheduling out everything in your entire day, including meals, work projects and personal activities in order to better manage your time. 

Try it: Don’t try and time block a whole week, or even a whole day all at once…helloooo #overwhelm. Instead, start with just a morning or afternoon, blocking out a few hours for specific projects to work on. Gradually build up to a full day, then a week. 

#10 – They Get To Work A Little (Or A Lot!) Earlier  

An organised person knows that getting to work even 15 minutes earlier means they’ll be settled in, caffeinated and already firing on all cylinders while their colleagues are just rolling in. 

Those living in the realms of super-duper organisation might even get to work an hour+ earlier. It’s possible they’ve achieved more by 11am than most of us have by 5pm.

Try it: Plan 1 or 2 days a week to catch the earlier bus or hit the traffic 20 minutes before you normally would. 

Final Word On Becoming An Organised Person

It can take time to develop these habits! Be patient with yourself and just try implementing one new action or habit at a time. Before you know it, you’ll be listing ‘I’m an organised person’ on your CV…..and actually mean it!

Want more ways to boost your workplace productivity? Check out these 11 tips for effective time management.