I love it when people tell me they are “super organized” and then they walk in my house and see my 8 concurrent lists that direct every moment of my life. I just laugh a little when their eyes pop out of their heads and they realize that organization is the force that guides my entire life.
It would be a sad and disappointing thing to say that those who are not naturally organized are not capable of being organized. That also just isn’t true. It may be a little more difficult and take more intentionality to be organized, but it is more than possible.
Here are five tips for being organized when you’re just not naturally organized:
Tip #1: Write everything down!
I carry a notebook with me everywhere- everywhere! When I have an idea, I jot it down. When I think of yet another thing I need to do, I write that down too. This notebook is my sanity saver. I mean seriously, have you ever been on a date and then you get the inundation of all the things at home you still have to do. It’s stressful, and it sucks the joy out of the date. (Or the party or whatever the event is). It just really helps to have someplace to write it down and get it out of your mind.
Tip #2: Build habits...
Whether you’re naturally organized or not, building an organized lifestyle is more than possible. It requires intentionality, and lots of it. For example, it is so easy to walk in the house and just drop stuff on the counter, but how much less cluttered would your house be if you took three minutes when you got home to put stuff where it goes. Building a meal plan will help prevent having excessive amounts of food you’ll never eat in the pantry. And it’ll help you maintain whatever diet you’re on.
Tip #3: Get rid of clutter...
This is so difficult sometimes. Knick knacks and trinkets can mean so much to us sometimes. But they are cluttery..... and clutter has a number of distracting and negative effects on the brain. (See my blog on the science of clutter). Sometimes it takes being committed to getting rid of things in your house that do not serve a useful function. For me, that doesn’t necessarily mean getting rid of all things sentimental, but you could be choosy about which sentimental things you hold on to. Instead of every adorable outfit your child wore, maybe keep one or two of your absolute favorites. Instead of 5,000 stuffed animals from every Valentines Day since you were 3, maybe keep one or two that are really special to you. Clutter can be relatively simple to manage.
Tip #4: Put stuff away...
When you walk in the door from a long day at work, where do you put your shoes? In a pile on the floor? Do you just kick them off between the door and the bathroom? What about your coat or your bags? Do you have a system for putting these things where they belong? A lot can be accomplished with a simple shoe rack and some hooks near the door. And you’ll be amazed how much more put together your house feels and looks. Another major tip here is buying baskets and boxes and drawers. Even neat piles look cluttery. It clean up the environment so much more to just store those piles in a drawer or in a pretty basket.
Tip #5: Schedule...
Even I have to write stuff on a schedule. Now a schedule does not have to be a 30 minute by 30 minute play of your entire day. It can simply be a list of the things to accomplish today and flexible times for accomplishing those items. I schedule everything from meals to tasks to chores. I have found that when we put the chores on a schedule, it just makes life so much easier. I don’t get hit with the stress of a nasty house the moment I walk through the door. I don’t feel overwhelmed when I realize I haven’t cleaned anything in a week. Just write down all the chores that need to be taken care of. Split them based on daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal chores. I suggest dispersing the weekly chores into about 30 minute segments. I make laundry a daily chore. I do one laundry rotation every day (one load in wash, one load in dryer, one load folded and put away). Vacuuming and mopping may be weekly or bi-weekly. Dishes are daily. Etc. You have to figure out your schedule. Again, allow for some flexibility in the schedule for when life decides to be its ever-so-charming self and throw wrenches in your plans.
Being organized is a lifestyle. It’s like eating right or exercising. It is a practice that every single human being needs to incorporate into their lives because it just makes life better. Implement these five suggestions, and let me know if you think of more. Being organized doesn’t require some special personality any more than being fit or eating right require you to have started from birth. Take heart in that fact, and go get organized.
Until Next Week!
Mrs. Ashley Seguin
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