Learning how to get organized is easier than you think because once you get systems in place, it’s a low-maintenance task. But it is a task that must be done continuously. Otherwise, things can quickly get out of hand. So making homes for things is just as important as making sure everything makes it back into its home.

For example, if you use a pair of scissors that belong in a designated drawer but leave them on your desk instead, they will end up buried under paperwork or anything else that lands there. Then when attempting to tidy your desk, the scissors will likely end up in a drawer, never to be seen again. Or worse, fall out of the pile, causing injury. However, if you had taken the 60 seconds to put them back in their spot, they would be there waiting the next time you needed them (injury free).

This simple 60 seconds of forethought prevents the all-to-common tearing apart of the home or unnecessary additional purchase of already owned items. Proverb time, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

I’m just as guilty as the next guy about not putting things away. My bad habit involves my shoes. I’ve been known to leave them all over the house. There’s a place for shoes, but they never seem to end up there. If I don’t run around at least once a week to gather all the shoes, things quickly get out of control. Putting them where they belong prevents many from getting lost, chewed, or forgotten.

I have learned to make sure shoes are left closer to where they belong, saving me precious time and headaches. Is it as easy as it sounds? Not at first, but it becomes a beneficial habit when you see how much time and sanity you save by not having to search for your belongings. Creating a low-maintenance (not a zero-maintenance) organizing plan will put you on the right path to getting and staying organized.