So you've developed a decluttering mindset and have familiarized yourself with the components of an effective organizing system. Now comes the long-term challenge: developing simple but critical habits to ensure that you not only get organized, but also stay that way. Habits are an important part of the organizing process; here's why, along with a few tips on basic but effective habits that can help maintain the order you create in your spaces and your life.

Why habits matter
Let's say you've decided to take control over your mail and files by creating a paper management system in your home or office. You know and have gone through the drill: weeding out unwanted and unneeded papers, dividing those that remain into categories, and setting up file folders in a convenient spot. Your desktop is finally clear, and you can get your hands on the papers you need in a matter of seconds.

But then the days wear on, new mail arrives, new memos show up on your desk, and the chaos threatens to return. Why? Because simply having an organizing system and the intention to use it isn't enough; you also need to channel those intentions into habits that will actually keep the system functional and up-to-date. It's the same with getting in shape: owning exercise equipment and intending to use it won't help you shed pounds. You actually need to get into the groove of picking up those barbells and breaking a sweat.

How to develop habits
You've probably heard that developing a habit takes repeated practice over several weeks (some experts say 21 sequential days, to be exact). To me, this means that the habits you challenge yourself to develop should be something of a stretch but not so difficult that they'll be nearly impossible to stick with for more than a few days.

In addition, it's important to start fairly small--one or two habit changes at a time--rather than attempting to go whole hog. In the paper management example above, this might mean you work first on getting in the habit of sorting through your mail each day and recycling or shredding the junk. Once that habit is in place, perhaps you'd also work on opening the mail you want or need to keep and sorting it out based on what you need to do with it (bills to pay, invitations to respond to, etc.). When that becomes an established habit, you might then challenge yourself to take 5-10 minutes to clear off your desktop at the end of each day.

Building these habits slowly and steadily will allow you more time to integrate them into your life and will make it much more likely that you'll stick with them over the long term.

Sample organizing habits
The habits you'll need to develop to keep your organizing systems running smoothly will depend on what those systems are; maintaining a paper management system, for example, requires different practices than maintaining a closet organizing system.

That said, there are a few essential habits you can apply throughout your home or office. Here's a sampling:

• Get in the habit of putting things back in their designated homes as soon as you're done with them.
  
• Practice one in/one out: each time something new comes in, whether it's the latest issue of a magazine, a new item of clothing, or a new toy for your child, an equal something should go out.
  
• Teach yourself to ask, "Do I really need this?" before you bring anything into your home or office.
  
• Develop a "do it now" habit: if an organizing-related task (deleting e-mail from your Inbox, tossing unwanted mail in the recycling bin, clearing out past-their-prime leftovers from the fridge) will take you a few minutes or less, do it right away, rather than putting it off.
  
• Schedule time each week to clear off your desk, tabletops, and any other surfaces that might accumulate clutter.
  

Making organizing habits part of your life takes a bit of time and effort, but the payoff is great: you'll keep your organizing systems running smoothly and effectively, and, ultimately, will wind up with more time for the things you actually want to be doing.