There are a number of small things you can do each day to jump start your organizing habit - and they take only a few minutes. 

IN YOUR HOME

Make the beds

Sweep out the garage

Organize your purse or briefcase

Look through your closet and pull six items to donate to charity

Check coupons for expiration dates

Clean out a kitchen drawer

Check medicines for expiration dates

Sort through catalogs and recycle

IN THE OFFICE

Clear the clutter from your desktop

Open, read and sort the day's mail

Organize receipts for expense reports or taxes

Organize a desk drawer

Write a thank you note

Transfer information from business cards to your contact list

Update your Outlook task list

Read a newsletter or article

You can save money. You'll know what you already own, eliminating the need to buy duplicate items. A professional organizer can help you find the perfect organizing products for your space and lifestyle, so you stop wasting money on things you don't need or won't work.

You can become more productive and efficient. A professional organizer can create order and structure out of chaos. You'll receive systems that work for your dominant learning style, your lifestyle, your needs, your challenges, and your dreams.

You'll have a positive self-image and ditch the shame. Once your home or office is neat and tidy, you won't feel embarrassed to have guests visit. The guilt will fade away as you take pride in your surroundings.

You'll have a healthier environment. Physical and emotional clutter obscures your surroundings. An organized home and office is more easily cleaned. Lose the clutter and cut down on time spent moving piles of paper and stuff around.

Your stress level will decrease dramatically. When you can find what you need, are on top of your to-dos, and arrive on time, you'll feel calmer and have more peace of mind. No more feeling overwhelmed by life -- you'll be the one in control.

You'll discover more time for yourself. When you're organized, your days go as planned, and you get a lot more done. That leaves more time to indulge in a little "me time."

Your energy will shine. Clutter is a mask and a professional organizer can help you take off that mask. Once the clutter is removed, you can showcase your talents, skills, and personality and have the life you deserve.

The word procrastinate comes from the Latin procrastinatus, which means, literally, "forward tomorrow." If you've been putting off till tomorrow what you could - and should - do today, then recognize that procrastination is a habit that can be broken. But it won't happen overnight. It takes 21 days to form a new habit. So set a date, (Mondays work well, because they feel like a fresh start) and track 21 days to stay the course.

To start, give yourself a reason to stop procrastinating. Maybe you'll improve your financial situation because you'll pay your bills on time. Or you'll impress your family, friends, and coworkers because you'll appear productive and efficient. Or you'll be less stressed because you are on top of your to-do list. Whatever the goal, keep it in mind throughout the first 21 habit-forming days.

To get a handle on procrastination, start writing. Use a spiral notebook or planner to capture all your tasks. Do not use scraps of paper or sticky notes. You'll want everything in one place. Keep a running master list of tasks that need to be done. (It might be really long.) But then, each evening, make a smaller "to do today" list for the upcoming day, either on a separate page in your notebook, or on the next day's planner page. List only the most important things you need to accomplish that day, and keep the number of tasks realistic and attainable. (About five things usually works well.) The next morning, you'll know exactly what needs to be done, and you can concentrate on those above all else. That evening, evaluate your list. Anything not completed moves forward to the following day's task list, and a few more items are added. And take a moment to permanently remove tasks from your list that no longer contribute to your goals - or your happiness.

As you're writing your to-do list, make sure to break tasks down into realistic-sized chunks. If your goal is to organize your messy kitchen, the enormity of it will seem daunting. Instead, break it down into one-hour tasks: toss out all expired foods in pantry; clean out refrigerator; organize junk drawer; set up mini filing system for kitchen. Completion dates are important, so assign specific tasks to specific days. You won't organize a kitchen in a day, but over the course of a week, you can do it! And each day's successes will give you the drive to keep going.

For truly unpleasant tasks, set a timer for 15 minutes, and just do it. Nearly anything is palatable for a quarter of an hour. It's also helpful to see that most unpleasant things don't take nearly as long as we think they will. You may hate going through your in-basket at work. But just 15 minutes each morning and evening is enough to review, sort, do the quickie tasks, and assign the longer ones to your planner. If you're feeling sluggish, complete an easy job first to get your momentum going. Also, do the toughest tasks when your body is most alert - some people function better first thing in the morning, while others perk up later in the day.

Treat time like a precious gift. Are you a people-pleaser? If you're truly behind in your own tasks, don't add any more optional to-do items until you're caught up. It's okay to say no. It's okay to delegate. It's okay to take some time for yourself. And stop saying, "If I can't do it perfectly, I won't do it at all." Limit choices, let "good enough" be okay, and move forward. Perfection is not realistic or required in life.

Reward yourself. After 21 days of "just do it" action, treat yourself to something nice... lunch with a friend, a luxurious nap or bubble bath, a hot-fudge sundae, a concert, or an afternoon with a favorite book or movie. You've earned it!

Adapted from Time to Organize.