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A lot of us have a hard time getting organized, but can’t identify a clear reason why. It isn’t that we are lazy or that we are avoiding putting in the time and effort. We may even work very hard at it, but no matter what we do, our homes are still disorganized.

Organizing your home and life shouldn’t be this difficult. It may be that you have the motivation but you are just going about it all wrong. Bad organizing habits may be holding you back from achieving success. Here are a few to watch out for!

1. Hoarding papers
You may think of this as just a bad habit you have at the office, but it can be even worse in the home. There are so many types of papers that stream into your home every day. You receive bills in the mail, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, tax documents, and more. Other members of your household bring home papers as well. If you have children, you probably have a veritable pile of their schoolwork and artwork.

The solution: Create a home command center with plastic storage bins for paper. Give them useful labels like “Incoming Mail,” “Outgoing Mail,” “Forms,” and so on. If anything your receive can immediately be filed somewhere else, do so. If you can throw something away, get rid of it right away. Make sure that you are also rotating newspapers and magazines on an ongoing basis. Donate old ones or put them in an attic or give them to your kids.

2. A disorganized desktop
This is closely related to the paper-hoarding problem. Oftentimes a significant portion of the clutter on your desktop is paperwork. It may also include desk supplies and more however. You want to keep the majority of your desk surface clean. Stop allowing supplies to pile up. Put them away after you are done using them. Bins for your desk come in handy here!

3. Impulse buying and bargain hunting
We are all trained to avoid missing a good deal. When we do, we feel like an opportunity has been wasted. But impulse buying and bargain hunting are two bad habits that can quickly turn into clutter and disorganization! Come up with strict rules for how you will handle your purchases. For example, decide that next time you feel the urge to impulse buy, you will wait until the sale is about to end. If you still want the item, you can get it. Often, you will have forgotten about it and moved on and saved yourself some space (and money).

You can also have a rule that for every item you purchase, you will donate something. You may find that you already love what you have more than you feel you need something new.

Now you know a few bad home organizing habits you need to break if you expect to make any progress toward your goals. Be sure to read Bad Home Organizing Habits You Need to Break, Part 2 for even more tips and advice!