One of my clients was so excited about her new organizing habits, that she decided to change her husband’s disorganized ways. The more she talked to him about helping him sort through his files, clear off his desk and switch from writing his to-do list on his hand to using a smartphone, the less interested he was in the whole process.

Some people can help others get organized and still keep their relationship in tact. Others wind up frustrated and stop talking to each other for a few days.

Whether your spouse or someone else you know is organizationally challenged, you can help him or her get organized. The only catch is that they have to want to change.

The New Year is a good time for all of us to do things differently and change what isn’t working. While you’re making your own changes, consider helping others change their organizing habits.

Be non-threatening

If you call someone a slob, they’re going to be less interested in cleaning up than if you offer to help. If you see scraps of paper and sticky notes everywhere on your spouse or your associate’s desk, help him or her find a better planning system. The notes they’re using to remind them of tasks they need to handle are easy to lose and too hard to track. They could use a simple spiral notebook to list tasks, find a computer program to track to-dos, or use their smartphone for [Read more...]