When you take on an organization project, do you sometimes find that you lose focus? Will you be clearing out a kitchen drawer one minute and then find yourself in the basement searching for a screwdriver the next? Here are some suggestions to help keep you on track:

• Before starting your project, imagine all of the tools you could possibly need and gather them ahead of time. If you're filing, make sure you have pens, sticky notes, file folders, labels, a filing cabinet, shredder, trash can, and the stack of papers you hope to file. Also, don't forget to put these items back after you're finished.


• Create a "pause" barrier to help keep you in the work space. If you're organizing your closet, close the door to your bedroom and hang a sticky note on it that reads, "Where are you going?" If you find yourself wandering, the door and note will cause you to pause and get you back on track. If you're working in the kitchen, move your trash can so that it's in an awkward location near the exit. Don't block the pathway entirely, just put it in an unusual place that makes you pause to wonder why it's there.


• Take on small projects—one shelf of a closet or one drawer in a cabinet—that can be completed in a shorter period of time. If you can imagine the whole project from start to finish, you're more likely to make it to the finish line.


• Grab an organizing buddy and have him or her sit with you while you work. If your buddy wants to help you organize, that's terrific, but unnecessary. Just having someone sit with you and keep you company while you work can produce wonderful results.


• Move your alarm clock to where you're doing work and set it to go off 10 minutes after you start a project. When it beeps, assess what you've done and then hit the snooze button. When it goes off again, see if you've accomplished more in the next chunk of time. Keep hitting the snooze button until you're finished with your project. People who can hyper-focus will find this method really annoying and won't want to use it. But, if your mind frequently wanders, this could be a great tool for you.

Photo by Grant Cornett