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Want to know how to get organized at home? You may start by looking up the best home organizing tips, but how much thought have you given home organizing goals? In How to Set Organizing Goals, Part 1: Why You Need Goals, I shared why it is important to set concrete goals:

• Short-term goals provide a focused path to long-term success.
• Achieving short-term goals provides the motivation you need to stay the course to attain long-term organizing objectives.

Now I want to help you set meaningful, useful goals which will keep you productive!

1. Make sure your goals are S.M.A.R.T.

Not every “goal” is really a goal. For example, take this so-called goal:

“I want to have the most organized and beautiful home EVER.”

Well … who doesn’t? But what does that actually mean? Unless you define it, you will never reach it. In fact, you could reach that goal by someone else’s standards but still fail to meet it by your own, because you do not even know what it means to you.

Instead, set S.M.A.R.T. goals:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Timely

These are goals you actually have a shot at achieving within a sane timeframe. And because they are specific and measurable, you will know you accomplished them.

For example:

“I will organize my kitchen cabinets so that I always know exactly where to look to grab everything I need while I am cooking.”

“I will implement a system of plastic storage bins for shoes in the mudroom. This system will keep the floor from getting damp and dirty.”

“I will reduce the clutter in my closet so that I am able to free up 50% more space.”

See how all of these goals are S.M.A.R.T. goals? Each one of them is specific to a particular part of your home. Each of them is also measurable. The kitchen and mudroom projects both create solutions to existing problems. If you can find everything in the kitchen while cooking, you have succeeded with the kitchen organizing project. If the floor stays clean in the mudroom, you succeeded with that project. More free space in the closet could be easily checked with a tape measure.

These goals are all attainable. They are finite and contained. They are timely; you could do any one of them within a week or less if you focused. None of them are “someday” goals (which are really just dreams). Be sure to set a deadline for each project. This gives you the focus you need to get things done.

Finally, goals like these are relevant. They help you get organized, but not just for the sake of “being tidy.” They actually meaningfully contribute to your life. They make it easier and less time-consuming for you to get through your day. They ultimately will free up energy and allow you to get back to doing more important things.

Ready for even more great advice on setting organizing goals? Read on to How to Set Organizing Goals, Part 3: More Advice on Setting Productive Goals.