The Journey to become more organized in our daily life is one with a lot more planning than improvising. Although it takes a lot of dedication and attention to detail, getting started on living an organized life is surprisingly easy.
There are some basic tasks or activities you can try out starting today to live a more organized life. You’ve probably heard or seen some of these rules before but there is something you must take note of, and that is the word “start”.
So, let’s get started on creating an organized everyday life with these tips.
Some basic things that you can do to get a more organized life include regularly cleaning your space, making and following a routine, and writing everything down.
Tips To Having An Organized Daily Life
With all that has been said about the importance of stopping procrastination habits, being organized in your daily life will add up to being organized in your life overall. It will help you break habits, be less stressed because you can’t find something, and overall feel more control over your life.
Declutter Your Space
While you might not be able to do big decluttering projects every day, you can still get some decluttering done in your everyday life. It has been proven that you can think and function better when in a clean and tidy space.
So, if you are in an area of your house that seems to be always cluttered and messy, pick out one or two things for the day to get rid of.
If you are looking for something and you come across something else that you have even forgotten that you have, take a minute and put that item in a box to get rid of.
In the moment it is hard to get rid of things, but look at the big picture and remind yourself, how much the items are really being used. Keep a box to put things that you are decluttering so that you can eventually donate or sell them when you have the time.
For example, one of the messiest rooms can be the kids play room. If you come across a toy that your kids have completely forgotten about, then take the time and put it into your declutter box. This way the kids will have a clean environment to play and you will have peace of mind.
By making a point to declutter a little most days, soon you will find that your living space will transform. Try getting rid of all the clutter around your bedrooms, living room, and kitchen.
This will give you more peace of mind, help you become more organized. The less things you have, the easier it is to keep track of keeping
Have A Designated Place For Things
Losing your keys on the daily? It is time to solve that problem by giving them a designated place in your home. As soon as you walk in, there should be a station where you can put your keys, wallet, and miscellaneous items that you need every day.
There’s nothing like being in a hurry and having to look for your keys, phone, or both. Sometimes, I would recommend keeping things together, like your keys in the same spot you keep your phone, if they do get lost, you can easily call your phone and follow the ringtone till they are found.
Think about what things you are constantly looking for in your life. Always looking for receipts? Get a little pouch for your purse where you will put receipts right away. If you don’t want receipts in your purse, dedicate a drawer or a box that you will make sure to put the receipts in every time you come home.
As you make a point to create a space for everything, soon, it will become easier to keep everything organized in your daily life. In an arranged space, if something is out of place, you will be able to spot it immediately and take a few seconds to put it into place right away.
Most importantly, keep important paperwork and documents in one place so that as soon as you need them, you know exactly where to look and don’t spend half of your day looking for something that could’ve been avoided just by having a designated place.
Write It All Down
Your pen and jotter or notepad should be your best friends, especially when trying to have an organized life. These instruments or tools are so simple yet so important as they can easily get through any confusion that you might experience during the day.
Whatever your plans are for the day, it is so essential that you write them all down in your notepad or jotter, and keep them with you all day to constantly remind yourself of things that need to be done for that day.
A good way to do that is to make a list. This list should contain the littlest of things from your activities for the day (to-do list), to your list of things to get at the store (grocery list), to a list of things you plan on achieving in your life (goals). Write it all down.
Now, some people might feel a notepad or jotter is a bit too old-fashioned, and they might prefer to use a mobile phone, but the reality is, the mobile phone can be more of a distraction and can defeat the purpose of having an organized life, even though on the go it might be the best option. Still, we always recommend always carrying a notepad and pen.
Follow A Routine
I know, following routines might feel cliché, but in cases like these, a cliché can be good. Routines help get you familiar with activities that can be productive. The routine of brushing your teeth at least twice a day does help you live a healthier dental life. This can be applied to all works of life.
Pick a habit that helps you become more productive and make it a routine that you follow religiously. Routines help make life a lot more familiar and less confusing as you limit the number of decisions you get to make a day.
Now, do not mistake routines for schedules, routines are more natural and are daily tasks that you perform without needing to think. An example would be making it a routine to hit the gym every morning, or simply going for a run. This is productive and keeps you healthy and more organized.
There are simpler routines you can try, something like maintaining one particular route when heading to the office every day can be a routine. Choosing to lay out your clothing the night before to be organized and ready to go can also be a small part of your routine.
And if you don’t stick to a routine then at least do this one thing: make your bed in the mornings. I don’t know what it is, but when the bed is made it makes you feel like you’re accomplishing your first task of the day and ready for the next. It makes your space look and feel clean and changes the whole look of your room. At the end of the day, a made bed is more inviting to get into.
Always Have A Meal Plan
Creating and eating meals is such a big part of our life. We spend so much time deciding, shopping, cooking that sometimes it can be overwhelming if you don’t have it under control, especially with a big family.
Having a meal plan, that you can spend a few minutes making at the beginning of each week, will help you from getting overwhelmed later on in the week. After an exhausting day at work, you don’t want to be wondering what you’re going to be making for dinner for your family.
Use a meal plan to plan out your meals for the day. If you want, you can also get meal plans delivered to your email, like the $5 Meal Plan.
This way you don’t even have to try to come up with what to cook. You will just need to get all of your ingredients at the beginning of the week and you’re set for the rest of the week.
Not only will it keep your meals organized in your every day life, it will save you money too.
Take It One Step At A Time
“In life, it’s not by how fast you get there, but by how well”. I’m sure you have probably heard that quote a million times before. If you have, it’s probably because it is true. Whatever you do or whatever you are planning to do, always prioritize quality over quantity.
You want your organizing efforts to last, instead of just trying for a week or two and quitting. So, taking it slow and creating meaningful changes is much more important.
Do not rush any task you have been given (even if it’s time-constrained). Rushing a task could cause you to make a whole lot of mistakes that you can almost never recover from. Also, it can get very confusing when you start too many projects at once. And this can be bad for your mental health.
Deciding to take it one step at a time, could also be likened to the first tip. It is like decluttering your mind to be able to focus on handling the basic task in front of it.
It is also important to note that, doing one thing at a time, does not mean procrastinating or postponing other activities to a later time. What it means is getting one thing done the right way before proceeding to the next task on your to-do list.
Do An Evening Reset
As the day is over, as much as we may try to keep things in their place during the day, we may find the dishes not done, things misplaced, laundry not put away and so on. Life happens.
Take a few minutes, even just ten, to do a quick reset. You can use it to clear up the kitchen counter or your bedroom space before you go to sleep.
This will make you feel better to wake up to a clean, fresh space in the morning.
The same way you reset your space for the night, give your mind a reset too. Our brains need a break from all of our days worries as well. Come up with a productive hobby or activity that helps you clear your mind and helps you focus.
Instead of going on social media, try to make it a quick but productive way to clear your mind. It can be a few quick stretches, an entry in your journal, or read a chapter of a self-improvement book.
This will help your mind to relax and build focus for the next day. Music has also been said to help calm the mind and help improve focus. So, if you really don’t have the time to do anything extra, just put on a calming song as you prepare to go to sleep.
Taking the time to reset your surroundings and your mind can help you live a more organized life.
Create A Plan For The Day
Whether you make a plan the night before or spend some time early in the morning, it is a good idea to have a list of things you want to accomplish for the day. This will keep you organized for the day and focused on what realy needs to be done.
Without a list, some days I tend to get distracted by other things. With a list, I can actually get things done faster and feel very productive because I prioritize the most important things and keep them fresh in my mind with a list.
Once you complete all of the items on the list, you will feel better about having accomplished so many things in your day. If you don’t get something done, then you will know exactly what you need to get done the next day.
Just as you create goals for the day, longer term goals are important to keep on track and feel more organized in your life in general.
Goals help give you a sense of direction, a sense of purpose, and something to work towards. With goals, you can easily track which part your life is heading towards the right direction. It would take daily dedication to achieve these goals, making daily habits of organization important.
A great way to start would be writing down a couple of mini-goals to help achieve a major goal. With mini goals, you can be able to break down those large goals into smaller, easier goals which would help in achieving the major goal.
These mini-goals will be part of your every day and keep you organized for the bigger moments in life.