We know it can be difficult to stay organized especially while leading a busy lifestyle. Here are six tips that can assist you in better organizing your life and home.
1. Use a day planner or fill out a monthly calendar.
Invest in a day planner or a yearly calendar, this will help you to have a visual reminder of what needs to be done. A day planner can be something that you keep on your person, whereas your calendar can be put up in your kitchen, living room or in any highly visible area you can think of. Plus, if you want it to be a cool calendar for your home, you can try getting a dry erase board calendar or chalk calendar to spruce up your space.
2. Make a to-do list.
Write a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly list that outlines things that need to be done in your personal or work life. This can be as vague or detailed as you would like, it just needs to serve the purpose of reminding you of things to do. As you complete tasks, make sure to check off items that have been completed, so you know what to get started on next.
3. Keep storage areas clean.
When you are in charge of important documents/materials, best practice is to store them in a secure location. Whether you have a safe, storage bin or otherwise, keeping your storage areas clean is easiest. This ensures that you are able to find important documents in a timely and convenient manner when they are needed.
4. Toss items that you don’t want/need in the garbage/recycle bin.
Rule of thumb: If you haven’t seen it or don’t remember even having it in your closest in over a year, you probably don’t need it anymore. This rule is sometimes easier said than done but give it a try for a “spring/summer” purge. If your house/work space is full of unnecessary paper, take time to go through the documents. Make sure to shred important documents in order to ensure your privacy and confidentiality.
In terms of clothing/appliances: If you have a lot of extra clothes and accessories, you can donate them to a local Goodwill or Diabetes Association. These organizations also often take small household appliances, so here’s another way to put your items to good use.
5. Delegate tasks/chores.
The art of delegation is an important skill in both your personal and work life. At home, you can come up with a chore chart that lists what needs to be done and let the child (ren) decide which task they would like to complete. Depending on the situation, this may be tricky so you can also assign tasks by child and their age (s). You can make it a fun experience by rewarding children with incentives like stickers, sweet treats or healthier fare.
6. Clear clutter up room by room.
Clearing clutter room by room doesn’t all need to be done in the same day or even in the same week but putting together a solid plan on how to get it cleaned up is essential. You can get organizational tips online from various websites. In addition, you can also go a step further and try a labeling system that will keep you on track. This method may not work for everyone but it is a trusted method, if you are detail oriented.
Don’t forget to stock up on garbage bags, reusable storage bins and cleaning products. Here are three cleaning products that you can make at home to ensure a green and clean living space.