Every time someone remarks on how organized I am, I silently giggle to myself. Why? Because being organized actually goes against my inherent nature and takes a huge amount of discipline on my part. A freelancers are "creatives" and "creatives" don't fit into focused and organized slots. In this article I am share some of my tips and tricks for becoming and staying organized.

Why should I work on becoming organized?

• It saves an inordinate amount of time for the important projects. When everything that we need has a specific place, we can find what we are looking for immediately.
• Lack of organization will not only rob us of our self esteem, but will also give peers, clients and potential clients cause to doubt us and our credibility.
• Organization breeds peace of mind. When files, drawers, closets and papers are a mess, this realization can serve as a thorn pricking us and preying on our production. Disorganization works on our sub-conscious slowing us down.

What are some of the steps to take on the path to organization? Instead of mentioning the standard steps outlined in the plethora of books on how to be organized, I am going to share some tips that work for me.

• Prepare for a trip out-of-town. Recently I was preparing for a weekend away, and even though I do accomplish a lot each week, I found that I was getting caught up and ahead on many projects. You may not be taking a trip, but if you pretend you are and think of what you would want to get done before you leave, you will be astounded at how organized you become.
• Set up an organizational project for each Wednesday (or any day of your choice) and then, even if other tasks are calling you, get to it. It is a lot like losing weight and exercising. Once you get into the habit of setting aside one day for organizing, you might even run out of projects. You will find that it becomes fun to organize before long. You will also discover a lot of stuff you forgot you had.
• Once you are organized, take a few minutes every day to put things (clothes, papers, letters, bills, etc.) in their place. I have a simple wire file holder on my desk with a file for "Bills," "In the Works," "Current Project," and "Important Contacts." Having Fibber McGee and Molly tendencies (they were a couple who threw everything into a closet), I make sure that I put things away neatly and add a certain drawer or shelf that is becoming overloaded to my weekly organizational project.

Besides the personal benefits of becoming an organized person, you will also be able to giggle when someone turns to you and says, You are so organized!