‘I am NOT an organized person’ - said all of us at some time in our lives.
We’re too busy, too tired, too overwhelmed with life, too…you get it. But it’s not that hard being organized - it’s actually easier than being disorganized. It begins with an awareness that we can’t be as productive as we’d like without some specific routines and procedures to keep our work, home and family life balanced and harmonious, and then putting those routines and procedures into practice.
Want to spend more time playing with your kids, going out with friends, enjoying a yoga class or a bike ride? Let’s go!
Below are a few healthy habits you can implement to change that statement.
1. Write things down
Keep the old-school pen and paper handy at all times. Writing ideas or to-do items down as they occur means clearing them from your mind and not having to rely on memory. You can just bring them out when you need to. Check and update daily as things are accomplished or become outdated. The simple act of physically adding a completion check mark to a list is immensely inspiring.
2. De-clutter your living space
Start with just one room to begin, then move onto the next. For example, I like a tidy kitchen, so when I stumble out for my morning java I’m greeted by the sight of a sparkling clean countertop and a pot of freshly brewed coffee (a coffeemaker with a timer is a must-have!). This is just a little bit of heaven and sets the tone for the day; tidy and organized. Then move onto the next room. You’ll find that each organized room will give you increased motivation to continue.
3. Fold your clean laundry
This is a big one! Laundry in the dryer, in baskets throughout your home, and hung over every available space is like a virus - it continues to spread. And honestly, does it take more than 5-10 minutes to fold and put away as soon as you hear that annoying dryer beep? Not really…fold your clean laundry! PS - the same applies to emptying your dishwasher. ;)
4. Ditch the detritus
Purge…purge…purge some more. One of my favourite quotes is from William Morris, British textile designer, artist, poet ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful’. It can be painful to eject certain items from our lives, however, it’s a proven fact that clutter contributes to emotional stress, which in turn is a leading cause of poor physical health. As you’re reducing the ‘stuff’ in your home, please consider donating some of your gently used items to reduce what ends up in the landfill. There are endless numbers of charities and non-profits that will welcome those jeans that no longer fit, or the almost-new bread maker in the back of your pantry cupboard. And re-purpose what you can - i.e. used wine corks are perfect for personalized placeholders at your next dinner party and your guests can take theirs home with them. For all the other seldom or never-used items, bite the bullet and grab the garbage bags - after the preliminary pain comes true liberation. If you need any further help getting inspired to rid yourself of material possessions that are simply taking up space, I highly recommend Marie Kondo’s book or her new Netflix series - 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’.
5. 10-minute pickup
At the end of the day, everyday, no exceptions, spend 10-15 minutes doing a quick pickup of everything that’s been leftover from your daily activities. This may or may not include leftover coffee mugs, snack plates, toys, games, or a laundry basket full of unfolded clothes (see #3). You’ll go to bed feeling great about your tidy, organized home and will get up in the morning feeling the same. Your mind will be at peace.
6. Hire a house cleaning service
One of the simplest and most effective ways to implement more organization into your life, and free up invaluable time is to hire a regularly-scheduled housecleaning service. They will take care of the heavy lifting when it comes to cleaning, leaving your time and energy resources available for the things such as daily organization and quality time for yourself and your family. All good house cleaning services can even offer you further advice on things you can implement in your home to to help keep you organized in between visits. Your mind will thank you.
Go ahead and give it a shot; try these user-friendly tips and tricks to simplify your life and your mind, you’ll be happy you did!
I am NOT an organized person.