7 Ways to Organize Your Life in 2014

2014 is the year you'll get things done. But first off, you need to get yourself ready to take on the world. What better way to start than with a good old fashioned organization frenzy? It's a scientific fact that every successful person ever is an obsessive list-maker (OK, I just made that up, but you get what I'm going for). Lucky for you, we've started you off on your listomania with a list of our own:

1. Make lists

A list of organization tips would be pretty ironic if it didn't tell you to make lists of your own. To-do lists allow you to put on paper everything you need to get done (and offer you the oh-so-good pleasure of ticking off your accomplished tasks). But don't forget to keep your to-do lists realistic, and don't freak out if not everything gets checked off.

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2. Give yourself deadlines...

Set realistic time frames for everything you want to get done. Divide each task into smaller tasks, each with its own deadline. Otherwise, you'll just end up cramming everything in at the last possible moment.

3. ...And stop procrastinating

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We all do it, and we all lose time doing it. Just do whatever you have to do now and then you can enjoy your well-deserved binge session of Parks and Recreation episodes.

4. Avoid multitasking

The research is in: when you do more than one task at one, you're just not performing at peak capacity. Give you brain the focus it needs and handle one thing at a time. You'll get more things done and avoid going crazy.

5. Keep everything in its place...

Learn to go crazy over IKEA storage units. Spend hours on Pinterest to come up with creative home organization ideas. You can think outside the box for this one — vintage bowls for your rings, magazine racks to store produce, Mason jars for your cutlery.

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6. ...And get rid of stuff that has no place

If you never use it and you don't know where to put it, just get rid of if. Purge. Donate whatever you can, and recycle the rest. Your life will be much simpler for it.

7. Get yourself an agenda

Once you get one, you won't believe you used to live without one. You can use your phone or an old fashioned physical one — just get something to put all your appointments into. Because let's be honest, your brain simply won't remember your endless social engagements.

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