Organization has been and will always be close to my heart and today, I want to share with you 13 ways you can make every day feel more organized. These 13 ideas are not groundbreaking, super expensive or even really time consuming. They’re life hacks almost anyone can do.
They are small decisions you can make every single day to put yourself on a path of forming healthy habits so you can enjoy your day and not feel overwhelmed. They’re decisions that allow you to be present with your loved ones not thinking about the things you did or didn’t get accomplished on your to-do list.
While I’ve always fancied myself as a fairly organized person, I do not think you have to have some sort of “organization gene” to carry out these ideas.
You do have to commit to them in order to see the results though.
Even doing one or two or three of these things can help set you up for success. Here are 13 Ways to Make Every Day Feel More Organized…
Start Prepping the Night Before – having a successful day actually begins the night BEFORE. Lay out your clothes for work/school/the gym and other afternoon activities you may have planned – prep the coffee pot, lunches and snacks – review your schedule & priorities list for the next day – end the day on a positive note so you’ll wake up refreshed.
Keep the Sink Clean and Run the Dishwasher – Fill the dishwasher with dirty dishes after dinner – run the dishwasher each night – empty the dishwasher each morning.
Those three steps will keep your sink empty so you’ll immediately have a place for dirty cereal bowls, smoothie glasses and coffee mugs leaving the sink clean and the kitchen tidy before you leave for work.
Utilize Phone, Tablet and Desktop Apps – We’ve used the Wunderlist app for a few years now and love it. It allows us to create everything from grocery lists to home improvement lists to bucket lists. It’s shareable, easy to use across multiple devices and there’s a free version too.
I’ve read it’s going to be replaced by the To-Do app soon so you might want to check one out too.
I’ve also heard great things about EverNote. I’ve never personally used it but several of my friends do and they seem to love it.
Waze will help keep you informed of the best route to work. The Mint app will help to keep your budget and bill paying systems organized.
As always, research and compare your options in advance to make the best choice for you, your family and/or your business. I’m currently trialing several time saving apps right now so I can share them with you at a later date.
Keep a Calendar – It doesn’t matter if you’re kicking it old school with a paper calendar fit for a boss lady or if you prefer an electronic calendar like Google Calendar on your phone, tablet or desktop.
Keeping a calendar will help you stay focused on your family, work, and personal schedules at any given time during the week/month.
Google Calendar is free and has a sync feature which means you can easily keep track of your schedule and the schedule of your family members or team members as they update their calendars too.
Write Down Your 5 Most Important Tasks of the Day BEFORE You Go to Bed or Leave the Office – These are the tasks that are your very top priorities for the day. Everything else on your to do list can be organized AFTER you’ve identified exactly what these specific tasks are.
That way, if your day gets slammed or if something unexpected comes up you’ll at least feel good about having gotten your priorities completed.
Do One Thing at a Time – I can completely relate to how easy it is to get sidetracked or sucked down the Pinterest rabbit hole when you’re looking for birthday party ideas.
Finishing one task before you begin another one will help keep you laser focused on the task at hand and will provide a since of accomplishment when you cross an item off the to-do list without leaving any loose ends.
If you’re having trouble focusing, consider using a kitchen timer, the alarm on your phone or a timer app to help keep you on track.
Only Handle It Once/Clean as You Go – This is something we have to work on every. single. day. Having to clean up a mess twice will ALWAYS take more time than cleaning it up once and maintaining it.
At the end of each day we do a “15-minute clutter catcher” meaning we set the timer for 15 minutes and for the entire 15 minutes we are picking up drink glasses, putting away magazines, blankets, craft supplies, game pieces or whatever has been left out from the afternoon/night.
You will be shocked at the number of things you can put away in 15 minutes so definitely give it a try.
Control Paper Clutter Daily – Sort through your mail/receipts daily and file them accordingly or consider scanning important papers into your home computer.
Use a basket to hold catalogs or magazines you’ve received in the mail, read them then be sure to recycle or pass along to friends/family members each week. If you receive a lot of both make sure your basket has been emptied on Sunday night, so you can start fresh the following week.
Have a Designated Place for Everything – This includes everything from having a container by the front door to hold your car keys to designated baskets that hold pantry items.
Having a designated place for everything means items can be immediately and easily put away.
Meal Plan –Meal planning for the week/ month will not only help you to make healthier food choices, it can also help your budget too.
Create a Cleaning Routine that Works – No one wants to fall into bed tripping over a pile of junk. Divide basic cleaning chores into daily tasks, that way, you’ll keep a clean house all week.
Make Use of the Word No and Take Control of Your Time & Priorities – I know this is going to be so hard for some of you and it’s totally ok, take your time.
Learning how to say no to the things you don’t want to do, will free up your time for the things you actually want to do.
Simplify – Make room in your life for what truly gives you joy. Write in a prayer or gratitude journal, meet up with friends, read your favorite books, go for a walk, take hot bath or look up at the stars before you go to bed.
Whatever brings you simplicity and joy – do more of it!
These positive habits won’t happen overnight, they take time and continual refinement but that’s what growth is all about.
Believe me, you are worth the investment.
See you guys back here tomorrow. One of my summer goals was to have an updated house tour. It took a lot of rallying but we’ve made so much progress. I’m excited to share the changes with you before we head into the fall season. Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Many blessings,
CoCo
You are on fire! We too are big fans of the 15 minute timer.It’s kind of like “beat the clock”. We use this method when cleaning the house too and you would be surprised at how quickly the entire house is cleaned! Thanks for sharing all of your fabulous ideas!
I need SO MANY of these now that school is back in session, CoCo, thank you!
I feel like I could actually do these Coco. Thanks for the great tips.