A session for Year 10 students.

1. Habits of Highly
Organised
Individuals
Hint: It’s not just about post-its and highlighters.

2. Being an ‘organised’ person
Often, we think that we’re either an organised person or not.
It’s true that some people have a tendency to be more organised than
others.
Being organised is a unique experience – everyone organises their life
and daily tasks in a different way.
Being organised is more about the habits you create.

3. So what are some of
the main habits of
highly organised
people?

4. They put everything where it belongs.
We all have that urge to ‘clean’
before we begin. Tidying and
cleaning before starting a task
(like homework) is often seen as
the ultimate procrastination
tactic.
Often, we feel like we can’t begin
until everything is in its place. So
try working towards keeping
things in their place on a regular
basis.
Strategies:
• Keep your locker/desk at home
tidy
• Study in the same place/venue
• Colour code folders for subjects
• Establish two sets of work tools
(pencil case, etc) – one for
home and one for school.
• Establish routines

5. They prioritise.
It’s really important to
acknowledge what needs to be
done right away – and WHY.
Be honest when making your
priorities.
Strategies:
• Suck it up, and at least start on
the hard task.
• Make a to do list - on paper,
sticky notes, digital sticky notes,
apps
• Give yourself small rewards for
finishing hard tasks

6. They practise maintenance.
This is all about keeping up to
date – not necessarily with
homework, but with other
aspects of your lifestyle,
including:
• Body
• Mind
• Technology
• Relationships
Strategies:
• Set yourself a bed time and stick
to it.
• Update your computer and back
up your files regularly.
• Set up regular times to exercise,
doing something you enjoy

7. They use organisational tools.
Lots of people have a system or
a tool they use (paper or
digital), that allows them to plan
their tasks.
Think about how you learn best,
because your organisational tool
needs to match. Eg if you’re a
visual person, a big wall
calendar is great.
Tools:
• Your school diary (duh)
• Wall calendars
• Outlook calendar (part of your
email)
• Reminders on your phone
• There are lots of other digital
apps to use, BUT don’t dismiss
the power of physically writing
something down

8. They think about time differently
We often fall into the trap of
thinking that we need a precise
amount of time, or precise time of
day to complete a task.
Organised people look at the time
available to them and say, ‘what
can be achieved?’
Just because you can finish
something, doesn’t mean it’s not
worth working on!
Strategies:
• Break your task into chunks. Eg. you
may only have twenty minutes, but
that’s enough to write the
introduction to your essay.
• Don’t assume that after school is
the only time for homework.
Getting up a little earlier and doing
½-1 hour of study can make a huge
difference to your day.

9. To recap:
• Have a place for everything – put things where they belong
• Make sure you prioritise
• Practise maintenance – make an effort to look after all
aspects of your life
• Use organisational tools
• Try to think about time differently – ask yourself ‘what can
be achieved?’

10. Organisation will look different
for everyone
• Be open to trying new strategies to organise yourself
• What works for someone else may not work for you
• Organisational habits need practice
• There is almost always an element of sacrifice or compromise in
remaining organised – get used to it.
• Think about what’s important