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Getting organized is a process and there are many steps to getting your life and your home in order. I am by no means an expert but I have been working very hard over the last couple of years, especially this year to finally figure out what works.
The main goal is to come up with systems in place to help me live an organized and orderly life. Being more organized and less cluttered leads to less stress and chaos which is beneficial in many areas of my life. It improves my health, my sleep, my marriage and how I parent.
So what’s been working?
Well here are 10 simple steps to help you quickly become more organized
1. Become a to-do list user
My mom was always a list maker when I was growing up. I remember her lists that she had for everything. I was never a huge list maker but I now understand the power of them.
This year I have done monthly to-do lists and even weekly lists for a while and now I’m experimenting with daily checklists. I’m still refining my perfect system but what I do know is that I get a lot more done now that I’m using to-do lists more frequently.
- Do the dishes daily and wipe down counters
For those of you out there with tiny kitchens like me, this step is even more important but I’ve seen it be true in many different sized kitchens. The kitchen looks so much cleaner when the dishes are done and if you don’t do them daily they get quickly overwhelming.
- When putting away groceries clean out the fridge/freezer/pantry
Doing this is such a great way to make sure your refrigerator and freezer stay clean. When we bring home groceries taking ten minutes to clean stuff out of the fridge/freezer and pantry before putting the new stuff away.
- Go paperless where possible
I don’t know about you but we just always have too much paper. It has gotten better in recent years though because of being able to go digital on so many things. It makes for fewer bills and paperwork.
I also get digital magazines and books which keep that from coming in and causing clutter. I always had so many magazines around my home and it added to clutter. Now I don’t have that problem.
I still have more paperwork and piles than I’d like but going digital has helped.
- Do things in time chunks
The power of breaking things down into time chunks really helps me out a lot. I do this in blogging as well as for household stuff. I tend to get distracted or worn out if I do a lot at once and my brain and body don’t like to do things like all the laundry in one day or clean the house in one day.
For some people that works but it’s not what works best for me. So I break down what I need to do into smaller 30 minute periods of time with breaks. This allows me to get more done in my day.
- Have a place to put donations
Too Much Stuff! We like pretty much everyone I know have way too much stuff. So I’m always in the process of getting rid of things. One way to make that easier is to have specific spaces for what you are getting rid of.
At my house, we have a bag that hangs in the closet where anytime my daughter realizes something no longer fits it can just go straight in there. Then I have a box that I put things in that I know we no longer need. When it gets full it can be taken and donated. I’ve discovered if you don’t have a place for things you won’t ever actually get rid of things.
- Don’t leave a room empty-handed
The more I implement using this technique the better my home looks and feels. Some days I’m really good at it and I make sure every time I go from one room to another I grab something to put away. Usually, I grab any trash, dishes, laundry that can be dealt with.
Doing this quick task of not leaving a room empty-handed lets me clean up and tidy the house in little bites throughout the day. It takes very little effort but it makes a huge difference if you do it all day long.
- Use the vacuum more often
How often you need to vacuum will depend on whether you have kids and pets. It makes such a change to the living room though when we vacuum it.
We have a daughter, two cats, and two dogs so for us we need to use the vacuum most days. We could use it every day but we probably end up using it 4 or 5 days a week in the main living areas.
- Do a regular purge of things in your home
Less stuff means less clutter and things to clean up and organize. We have so much more stuff than we need but I know that many of you are in the same situation. You have a lot of things, much more than you actually need.
So I make an effort to do regular purges of stuff in my home. I mentioned having a donation spot in tip #6 and that helps. I also try to do regular big purges a few times a year.
- Assign everyone chores around the house
You don’t need to do it all on your own. Unless you live alone and then it is all your responsibility. If you live with other people, like your spouse and children then everyone should share in the responsibility of taking care of the home.
So in our home, I do some things, my husband does some other things and my daughter has her own responsibilities. As she gets older those change as she becomes able to do new things and handle more.
I hope these 10 tips help you to quickly become more organized. This isn’t everything I do or everything that you should do either but it’s a great place to start and a big help in keeping my home and life less chaotic and more organized.
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Jessica [Havok] says
Getting things done in blocks is a great way to get more done – you start a type of task, continue with that type of task, and your brain doesn’t need to switch back and forth between anything. Except you still need to take breaks. No matter what you’re doing, breaks are important. Have you tried using a timer? It’s like the Pomodoro technique (I think that’s how it’s referred to, lol). Work for 40 minutes, take a 10-ish minute break. And just cycle through all day. The breaks are long enough to get some away time, but not long enough that you can’t come back to what you were doing!
Jessica [Havok] recently posted…The Little Grocery Budget That Could – Or So I Hope
Kelsea Sullivan says
#2 is really hard to keep up with, so instead I like to focus on one room each day. One day I’ll do the living room, next day is the bathroom, next day is the kitchen, etc. This way it fits into my schedule and doesn’t overwhelm me!
Kelsea Sullivan recently posted…Race Recap: The Candy Race (5/28/2016)
Kari says
I do a monthly sweep & load to goodwill to make sure that we aren’t gathering too much stuff. Living more minimally has really helped me become more organized!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Kari recently posted…Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes
Danielle says
I’m a big believer of doing things in time chunks. It helps me get as much done as possible and keeps me focused. If I have a time frame on soemething then I’ll do my bet to finish it by then. So glad you have that one on your list! =]
Audrey Cloutier-Lord says
There are definitely tips I will be implementing here, thank you for a great article full of inspiration 🙂
NYG@NaughtyYogaGirl.com says
I just love posts about organizing … I can never pass them up. 🙂 I’m a huge organizer and making lists is my secret – there’s nothing more satisfying to me than crossing something off my To-Do list for the day. And I love the idea of always putting the dishes away and wiping off the counters before bed – that truly works! The same with my bed … just pulling up the bedspread when I get up in the morning makes everything better.
Dia All The Things I DO says
Great list! Sadly I live alone so all chores go to me. To do lists are key for me. I only have carpet in my bedroom and have yet to figure out if I broke my vacuum or it can be fixed lol
Dia All The Things I DO recently posted…How To Create Your Media Kit
Summer @ Coffee With Summer says
I need to get better at #2 for sure. I have a habit of letting them sit for a day, haha. You know…letting them soak. 😉
Unaiza @Aimzfolio says
Ooo these are some really useful hacks! I do agree that messy house makes us less productive. I always feel distracted when there is so much to do around the house 🙂
I’ve noticed making lists make it ultra easy to keep on track. I have complete lists for year, month, week and almost for every day too. What makes it even better is setting time limits too. For example I would set timer for washing dishes or even taking bath. I hope this helps you too.
Thanks for sharing yours 🙂
Unaiza @Aimzfolio recently posted…“January Dreams” by Carrigan Richars – A Romantic Fantasy Thriller
Susannah says
I love these tips! They definitely make organization more easy! <3
Chel says
Love these tips! I really try to clean the kitchen before I leave it – that is seriously one of my major pet peeves. Although I usually do most of the cleaning – I’m slowly working my husband into the routine. Lol. He vacuums and does all the outside work so I still think it’s fair.
Lists are fantastic!! I looooove list. I think the simple satisfaction of crossing off an item off said list is the best thing ever.
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Krysten (@themomnoms) says
I absolutely love this post!
We just moved lat week and I’m trying to figure out how to make everything stay nice and neat around here, because I hate clutter.
Your list is pretty much perfect! Especially the de-junking part. I’m trying to get my husband to do it too, but I’m pretty sure he’s too stuck in his old ways! 😛
~Krysten
Chauntel says
What a great list! I do some of these things like making lists and cleaning out my fridge and freezer when I am putting away groceries although I generally clean them out before I go to the store, usually. I have a small kitchen so keeping it clean is essential to my sanity. I love your suggestions for breaking things up into time chunks. I usually try to do laundry in a day but I am going to try it the way you suggest and see if that works better for me.
yuliya says
God I love number 2. Literally makes so much difference x
Thirty30Courtney says
Great tips! I am definitely a list kind of girl. Love your suggestion about chunking items.
Sophie Beland says
Time chunks is a brilliant idea! Especially when it feels like there’s a mountain of tasks to complete.
Sophie | MapleTreeBlog
Jessica says
My to-do list has helped me so much! I jot down things as I think of them and checking them off makes me feel so accomplished.
Leah | A Relaxed Gal says
Great post. To-do lists are definitely a must for staying organized.
Courtney B says
I really enjoyed this post! The to do list is something that I feel I am slacking in, and it is something that definitely helps. Hopefully after reading this I can begin to implement it more into my life.
Donnica says
To-do lists are my jam and I love looking at things getting crossed off. I love the tip of “Don’t leave a room empty handed” and will try to start implementing that.
nicole says
this list is so helpful.thanks for this
Bree Hogan says
Great round up of tips. I’m in the middle of the purge around the house – love eBay for selling! And I’m more conscious of doing things in time chunks to be more productive.
Melanie says
This is a great list. I’m so slacking off on all that especially the dishes. I let them pile up for a week. Yeah I’m gonna try to follow these starting today 🙂
Erin | www.awelderswife.com says
This post is on point! Great tips! The more organized and decluttered our home is the easier it is to be happy, relaxed, and less stressed.
Karissa says
Yes exactly. I’ve noticed how much better I feel with a clean home.
Collette says
I like the place to put donations idea! I feel like we just collect random things we don’t need and hold on to stuff years longer than we should.
Karissa says
Yes I did that for way too long. Till I started keeping them in one spot to donate.
Sara says
Awesome tips you shared here. I definitely have to do #1 and #5.
adriana says
These are such great tips! I’m in the process of trying to organize myself and my home more, so this is great!