5 Simple Ways to Organize Your Life

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I’ll admit, I love to organize things. It’s just what I do. I’ve never been officially diagnosed with having OCD, but Dustin always tells me he thinks that I do. Sometimes that’s a good thing, because he is a lot more laid back so it kind of balances certain things out for us. Other times, I really dislike that I am this way, but I’m learning to embrace it anyway. It’s who I am and it’s not like I can snap my fingers and make it go away. I truly find joy in organizing things. It just makes me feel like I have my life together just a little bit, even though we all know I do not.

I’m not saying my house is always clean, my kitchen is always in order, or our closets are color coded. They are far from it! I’m just saying I enjoy organizing things. Just this morning I organized our pantry. I couldn’t fit anything else in there so I had groceries from our Walmart pick up yesterday just laying on the counter. It was driving me crazy! I had some time this morning, so I pulled everything out, threw out old and outdated stuff, and organized my shelves. It looks so much better and now I know where everything is.

Here are 5 simple things you can do (that I do myself) to help organize your life:

1. Keep a monthly calendar on the fridge or somewhere that you will see it every day.

Last year, I started putting a monthly calendar on the fridge every month. I write all of our appointments on it along with any extra engagements we may have like Birthday parties, Family dinners, Dustin’s work meetings, etc. It worked so well that I decided to do it again this year. Not only does it keep us organized as a family, but it helps us not to forget things. Plus it’s nice not to have Dustin ask me for the umteenth time when his next appointment is. It’s hard enough to remember my own, much less all three of ours off the top of my head.

2. Keep a notepad close by to make lists.

Lists are my thing. I mean, even my lists have lists (I’m kidding…sort of). There is just something so satisfying about crossing things off that I have accomplished for the day. It also helps motivate me to get things done. Otherwise, I get caught up in watching re-runs of Grey’s Anatomy while eating chips ad salsa and crying. Y’all don’t act like you don’t do that….we all know Grey’s Anatomy gets you all up in your feelings. But back to lists…I keep a magnetic notepad on the fridge for this reason. It’s in plain sight and I know I won’t lose it. Let’s be honest, I spend most of my time in the kitchen anyway, so it’s the perfect place.

This will also help you not to forget things when you go grocery shopping. Have you ever thought of something you needed but didn’t write it down? Then when it came time to make your list or go to the store, you couldn’t remember that one thing until after you got back home from the store? When I think of something or if we run out of something, I go straight to the list on the fridge and jot it down, even if I just went to the store. That way I’ll know to get it next time.

3. Keep a planner with you.

I keep a small planner in my purse no matter where I go. It’s so convenient and I write down all of my personal things I need to do on top of any appointments, Birthdays, or day-to-day things I need to get done. This really comes in handy when I go to a Doctor’s appointment. They usually want me to schedule my next appointment before I leave, so instead of guessing which day is good, I just pull out my planner and schedule it for a day I know is open and good for me. This saves me the time and frustration of having to call back to cancel and reschedule.

4. Set a routine that works for you.

Routines are my life. Don’t be mistaken, routines are not the same thing as schedules. I don’t like being on a set schedule, especially when I’m away from the house. I like to know different options or places we can go but I don’t want to feel like I have to do something at a certain time every day. That would stress me out. Routines are what I like. They keep things flowing around the house and with our family. Like in the mornings, I know I am going to have my coffee first, because no talkie before coffee. This can be at a different time each day, because as a stay-at-home Mom, I don’t set an alarm unless we have somewhere to be early in the morning. My son is my alarm clock.

I know as the day goes on, I want to get things done before Dustin gets home from work so that we can spend time together as a family once he does. Sure, I still have to clean the kitchen after we eat supper and see about Austin, but I don’t want to have the washer and dryer full of clothes just before bed or any other chores waiting to be done once he gets home. I would rather focus my time on him and our son. So I make sure to do chores like dishes, vacuuming, and any other cleaning during the day. During Austin’s nap time I usually shower, have a little quiet me-time, and put laundry away (if it’s been at least 3 business days). Am I the only one who hates putting laundry away??

I understand that we all lead different lives so if you are not at home during the day, then maybe find another time during the evenings or on weekends that work best for you. Set aside different tasks each day to do so that they all don’t pile up on you on one day and make you feel overwhelmed. This is where the lists come back in handy. Make a list of a few things to do each day. They can be big or small. Even if you only spend 20 or 30 minutes each day, you can accomplish more than you think. Once you get into the routine that works best for you, this will help you become a little more organized in your every day life. This is especially great for the busy Mom who is trying to juggle a million things all at once.

Click “Download” below to download your own FREE printable Weekly Plan, where you can make your own lists for goals, things you need to do, and extra notes for the week.

5. Prepare the night before.

This is especially great for those of us who are not morning people or who have children. I know I’m not a morning person. I get up at the last minute possible, as in I only have enough time to get ready and get out of the door if I have somewhere to be. It’s even harder now that I have another human being that I have to get ready besides myself. It stresses me out if I haven’t done anything the day before and then we all end up getting frustrated (a.k.a I get frustrated with everyone), and we end up rushing and scrambling around like chickens with our heads cut off. I don’t know about you, but that ends up trickling down for the rest of my day, making me feel stressed, anxious, and rushed.

If you have kids, pack any bags, extra clothes, snacks, etc. the night before. If you have to pack lunches, pack what you’re able to the night before and make the rest in the morning if you need to. Lay out clothes to wear and set your alarm with a little extra time to spare. If you’re like me, you’re going to hit the snooze 3 or 4 times. It is what it is. I even prepare everything Dustin needs for work every single night. I lay out his work uniform, pack his breakfast, and his lunch. He has to get up very early so this helps him not feel rushed and make it to work in time. He works so hard for our family so I don’t mind doing it for him. The point is, make time the night before so you’re not running out of it the next morning.

What’s one thing you do to help keep your life somewhat organized?

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