How This Mama Stays Organized
I’ve always been a tad obsessed with organization. I think it may have started years ago when I first read The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room. No joke, this book single-handedly ignited my love for see-through storage bins. As I got older, I began reading books on organization and even dabbled a bit in professional organization.
To this day, I am unable to do work until I’ve cleaned up my work space.
For me, cleaning and de-cluttering free my mind to be able to do creative and effective work. Organization calms me. It centers me. It keeps me sane.
Over the years, I’ve adopted a few mind-sets and strategies to help me stay organized, both in my personal and professional life. Of course, I’m not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but my ability to organize continues to be something I take great pride in. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite organization tips:
A place for everything, everything in its place.
There’s no doubt Benjamin Franklin, the author of this wonderful quote, was a smart man. (We’ll forgive him the whole Daylight Savings thing, though.) I have found this principle to be essential in staying organized. Every object in your possession should have a place to be stored. After using something, try to get in the habit of returning the item as soon as you’re done using it.
If you’re like me, though, time often gets in the way of this healthy habit, so I do a quick 10-minute de-clutter at the end of the day to make sure everything is in its place.
To perform a de-clutter, set a timer for 10 minutes, scan a room in your home, and put away anything that needs to be put away. Move from room to room until the timer goes off. Repeat daily for the rest of your life.
Lists, lists, and more lists. Have I mentioned lists?
You know the saying, Picture or it didn’t happen? I have my own version: Write it down or it won’t happen. Years ago, I read Getting Organized by Stephanie Winston. In her book, she suggests creating a Master List.
A Master List is a place to write down everything you need to do, want to do, or dream of doing. It’s important to keep your list accessible, so if you choose to write your list in a notebook or planner, make sure it is kept with you at all times. Personally, I keep mine in a Google Doc, so I can access it on my phone whenever I need it. You may add tasks when the need arises and mark things off as you wish.
Create personal and professional calendars.
My calendar is my life. Seriously. I put almost everything from my Master List onto my calendar, which I update once a week on Sunday evenings. I set up my calendar as far in advance as I can, but I only print one week at a time because I have found events and plans change frequently. On my calendar, I put all important events or appointments.
At the top of the calendar, under the day of the week, I leave a space for my Top 3 tasks for each day. These are the 3 things I must accomplish that day (like submitting this blog post). At the bottom of the calendar, I also include a section with boxes for adding any tasks that might come up during the week or tasks that I need to be reminded to do each day, such as my 10-minute de-clutter or meal prepping my lunch.
Make a date to pay the bills.
On the last Saturday morning of the month, I have a standing date with my bills. I sit down at my computer with a steaming mug of hazelnut coffee, and manage our money. I make a chart of every bill we play monthly. There is a column for checking a bill off when it’s paid, the name of the company, and how much we owe. I pay what needs to be paid on this date, though most of our bills are on auto pay.
In addition to my handy little electronic list, I also keep up with where our money goes using the Mint app. I absolutely love this app, especially its budgeting feature. I input the amounts from my chart, and I am able to monitor our spending on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis. Let’s just say, I haven’t missed a single payment in the 5 years I’ve used this app. It has truly been a game-changer for our family.
Know when you’re at your best, and get things done during that time.
Finally, it is important to know yourself and when your energy levels are at their highest because this is the ideal time for getting things done. I am a morning person, so I try to plan my tasks earlier in the morning. That way, I have the energy to complete them. If I wait until 3 p.m. or later…well, let’s just say…it’s probably not gonna happen!
It drives my husband bonkers, but dishes will never get cleaned when I get home from work. They just won’t. I’m too physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted from my work day. However, come Saturday morning, I will own those dirty dishes, as well as the tooth-paste covered sinks, the never-ending pile of laundry, etc.
So, there you have it–a few tricks of the trade which have allowed this Mama the appearance of being 100% organized when, really, I’m only about 50% organized and 50% hot mess. Also, if you are interested, check out any resources by Stephanie Winston, Julie Morgenstern, and Marie Kondo. They have written some great books on the subject of getting (and staying) organized.
Happy organizing, ladies!
