Goals for Organizing
It’s the New Year and time to set your organizing goals for the coming year. The trick is to set realistic, achievable goals so that they can actually be accomplished. One of the best methods to define your organizing goals is the use the SMART system. SMART stands for
Specific
Measureable
Agreed Upon
Realistic
Tangible
Specific
You have a much better chance of accomplishing your goal if the goal is specific and focused. General goals such as “declutter the house”, organize the garage”, and “clean the closet” are too broad it’s hard to know when the goal is accomplished. When you define a specific goal, you need to answer the six “W” questions:
- Who is involved?
- What do I want to accomplish?
- Where is the location?
- What is the time frame?
- What are the requirements and constraints?
- What is the benefit of accomplishing this goal?
For example, a general goal would be “Organize the garage”, but a specific goal would be “Organize the tools in the garage by installing a 4’ x 8’ sheet of pegboard on the front wall of the garage and then arranging the tools by function on the pegboard. Purchase and install the pegboard this Saturday when my brother will be in town to help. Organizing my tools on the pegboard will provide a visible home for each tool so I can find the tool when I need it.”
Measureable
Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward attaining your goal. It is much easier to stay on track and reach your target dates when you can see progress toward your goal. To determine if your goal is measureable, ask questions such as “How Much? How many? How will I know when the goal is accomplished? In the example above, you could break down the garage project into measureable sub-goals, such as purchase pegboard, install pegboard, and arrange tools on pegboard.
Agreed Upon
It is crucial that all stakeholders agree on the goal. If the goal is for the family to organize the tools in the garage on Saturday, then each member of the family must commit to the goal by allowing time in their schedules and pitching in to help.
Realistic
You can achieve almost any goal when you plan your steps wisely and select a timeframe that allows you to carry out those steps. Be realistic about the time you have available to spend on the project, resources you need for the project, and your expertise. If the original goal is too large to accomplish in your available time, break the goal into several mini-goals that are more in line with your schedule and resources. If you do not have the expertise to accomplish the project, plan time to gain the expertise or budget resources to get help from an expert. Do not set a goal that has no chance of being accomplished.
Tangible
A goal is tangible when you can experience the result with one of your senses – taste, touch, smell, hearing, or sight. After you have accomplished your goal, you will get great pleasure in experiencing the tangible result. In the example above, you will have a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when you see the tools hanging neatly on the pegboard.
So get busy and define those SMART organizing goals for the New Year! Create monthly goals, write them down, and then schedule time on your calendar to accomplish the goals. Happy organizing!
