Once upon a time, I used to be the messiest person alive.

I don't just mean in terms of messy room and messy car. I mean messy plans, too. I would have a general idea of what I wanted to do, but wouldn't be really sure about how I wanted to make it happen.

Over the years, through watching others and by trial and error, I have finally found ways to come up with plans, organize them and following through with them in ways that are much more manageable than they are overwhelming.

Recently, I have started keeping track of what I do when I first come up with a plan that seems to be all over the place.

Whether the plan involves work, play or anything else, having rules on how to handle this sort or organizational skill can enable a person to become more familiar with their own organizational process and can help them improve on the ways that they already have.

Here are some helpful hints that have helped me create plans that are thorough, orderly, and easy to manage.

1. Write down your plan

Make an outline of everything you need to have and do to make your plan happen. Make a list of all of the steps that need to be accomplished and think about what needs to be done.

Detail everything thoroughly and read over it so you can start coming up with some mental solutions of how to carry out your plans.

2. Come up with at least three different ways of carrying out your plans

This way, you ensure that if for some reason plan one doesn't work, you have a plan two and a plan three to lean back on. It's just a matter of being organized.

This is one of the things that has helped me the most, especially when I'm tackling so many things in my life.

Chances are that there is always more than one way of doing things, and chances are that if one of those ways doesn't work, one of the other ones will.

3. Commit yourself to finishing at least part if not all of your plan at once

It will show that you not only have initiative to get things rolling, but that you are invested in the results obtained with making the move to get everything done.

If you make a commitment to finish before a specific time, make sure that you carry that out, and be sure to do everything in the way you said you would, within the time-frame you set for yourself.

4. Do one thing at a time

Don't try to tackle more things all at once. All that does is delay your progress, distract you and make you lose your interest, motivation and energy.

Carrying out an effective plan requires being as organized as possible. You will only achieve this by sticking to the order of the plan and not deviating or trying to do more at once.

5. Finish what you started

Do not abandon things mid-project.

It will only annoy everyone around you including yourself. Unfinished plans are a waste of time, energy and, in some cases, even money.

6. Come up with a follow up plan

Nothing says organized more than keeping a notebook with all of your plans for work, complete with outlines, a detailed description of how each step was carried our and a plan of action.

Plus, following up on the details of an organized plan lets everyone know you are a responsible, involved and thorough individual that has the best interests of the people involved at hand.

Don't be afraid of organization. The older we get, the more necessary it becomes to have the skills necessary to follow through with confidence and to be able to carry through plans in an organized and manageable way. It pays to be organized, after all.

Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: stay motivated http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/blog/