There are so many ways to get more organized – something that can help make your life a lot easier. Being more organized can also increase productivity and save so much time.
Write Everything Down
It may seem like a simple thing, but trying to remember everything can be hard, especially if you’re trying to remember and then someone or something comes along and distracts you.
So try writing a little note to yourself just to remind you of things, or write birthdays and appointments on the calendar or in your diary. Just simple little things like this can make all the difference.
Keep a Reusable Carrier Bag With You
Maybe you begrudge paying for a bag every time you go to the shop but you also forget to lift a bag when you leave the house. So, why not keep a few bags in the car, and one in your handbag or jacket pocket. You could also keep your ATM card near the bags to save you from forgetting that too.
Plan and Prepare Meals
To help organize your day, having your meals planned and prepared can help save time for later. So, even if you just put something in the slow cooker, then all you need to do is serve it up once it’s cooked. Or, you could have everything peeled and sliced ready to just turn on.
Planning your meals can also cut back on unnecessary buying when you go to the shops.
Make Lists
There are so many lists you can make to keep track of everyday life, like:
- Shopping lists
- Daily to-do lists
- Appointments
You could even write a list that has your whole day planned out to the exact minute, depending on how organized you want to be. Lists can make every day seem easier, without all the worry of forgetting things, and can also make shopping a lot cheaper as well, without the unnecessary spending.
If you are going on vacation, why not write a checklist so you know you have everything you need?
Have a Routine
Whether it’s at home on your own or with the kids, doing the same thing every day in the same order can help make sure you stay organized and prevent you from forgeting anything. It saves you time in your day as well.
It can be as simple as get up, get dressed, have breakfast, brush your teeth, do your hair and makeup if that’s what you like to do, then put dinner in the slow cooker, take the kids to school and then go to work.
If you do the same thing in the same order, it will become easier to remember. You might be able to do the same at work too; if you can have a routine at work, then it will make it easier for you to remember to do everything so that you don’t forget something important.
Plan Ahead
Make sure that you plan ahead to save time. Whether it’s planning your day, week, weekend or day off, or even just planning what to take with you on a day out, planning ahead is so useful.
For example, if you’re going for a day out, you could pack a picnic, some sandwiches, salad, some fruit or vegetable sticks and why not a sweet treat too.
If you’re off for a few days, why not plan your days in advance and be prepared for as much fun as possible, without the worry of forgetting anything.
Pack the Night Before
If you are planning a trip away, it can make it a lot easier for you to pack the night before.
Make a list of all the things you need to take with you and follow the list as you pack. If you pack the night before, then it still gives you time in the morning in case you have forgotten anything, and instead of having to unpack to see if you put something in, all you need to do is check the list.
So, whether it’s for a local night away or a week abroad, packing early can help avoid the disappointment of forgetting the things that you need with you.
Designate Jobs
Trying to do everything yourself can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be.
If you ask for help, things will feel so much easier. Plus, if there are people who are able to help, then why not get help and avoid missing schedules or deadlines?
It might be as simple as sending the kids to collect a few things in the shopping or a list of chores for each family member. Even at work, if you can designate jobs and make things easier for you and others, this will also mean that the work gets done in less time.
Put Everything Away Properly
If you make sure that everything is packed away in the proper places, then it will be easier to find especially if you are in a rush.
Use boxes or tubs for putting smaller things in, so that you don’t lose them, and put them in places where they are easy to find. Having an extra shelf put up or stackable boxes and even storage bags can make all the difference because if everything is put away properly, then it will save a lot of time when you need to find them again.
Only Buy Essentials
When you are going shopping, only buy the essentials, and if you struggle with it, then prepare your weekly meals.
If you plan your meals for the week then you know what you need for food preparation so you can buy only the stuff that you need. If you know all the ingredients that you need then when you go shopping you can go buy just what you need rather than buying a lot of unnecessary stuff.
Check Dates
Another way to organize is by expiration date. Check the expiration dates and put everything in order so the oldest dates are at the back – that way you will use the food before it goes out of date, which will avoid wasting food.
Having less waste helps keep everything tidy and organized. While shopping, look for the expiration dates and make sure they are ok for what you need to avoid wasting anything.
Alphabetical Order
If you are putting stuff away, having it in alphabetical order can save a lot of time and effort when it comes to you looking for it – everything will be easier to find. So whether it is your cooking spices or your important documents, having things in alphabetical order can really help with your organization skills.
Having Backups
To avoid losing important stuff, have backups. If you store important documents on your computer then having everything backed up on USB sticks will save a lot of disappointment.
The last thing you would want is to have all your treasured memories and pictures saved in the computer thinking it will be safe, only to have something go wrong and lose all your favorite stuff. If you have all your work saved on your laptop and the kids push the wrong button, it could all be deleted, but if you have it backed up then there are no worries – simply go to the backup and all your work will still be there, saving a lot of lost hours.
De-Clutter
You can declutter everything from your computer to your house to your life.
Decluttering your computer can be a long, boring process, but once it’s done, it can save a lot of time and space.
To declutter your computer, you could try organizing your apps and files.
Decluttering your house can be anything from sorting out one room to sorting out the whole house. Removing unnecessary clutter from your house can make it easier to organize the essentials that you have in your own home.
Try starting with one drawer at a time and see how you get on.
Decluttering your life can help both your physical and mental health. To declutter your life, try saying no to nonessential commitments.
Donate
Donating can help both you and others. So, before you go buying new clothes, why not donate some of your old clothes that you no longer need. Or, if you have extra toys that the kids don’t play with, instead of selling them give them to a charity or needy family.
Here are some things that you could donate:
- Clothes
- Toys
- Kitchenware
- Shoes
- Bags
- Books
- Toilet paper
- Tinned food
- Bath essentials
- First aid essentials
- Blankets
- Writing supplies
Even if you can’t give much, just have a look around your house for stuff you don’t need and donate them to help others in need.
Unsubscribe
Companies ask you to approve marketing with your email address, which can then cause unnecessary emails.
It’s easy to get a build-up of magazines or emails, but how many of them do you actually need?
Cut back on some of the subscriptions that are the same, or ones that you really don’t need or can live without. It doesn’t take long and it is easy to unsubscribe from most emails.
Don’t feel obligated to subscribe just because someone tells you to. Having a pile of magazines can just get in the way and take up space that you could be using for more important stuff.
Prioritize Your Life
Prioritizing your life can make things a lot easier for you.
Trying to prioritize your life can be a difficult thing to do, so try starting by prioritizing your day. Get up, get dressed, get the kids ready, breakfast, school run, go to work.
Work out if there’s something really important that just can’t wait or if there’s something that could be done another time, or if you could designate something to someone else.
If you have a family or are planning a family, they should be your main priority because kids don’t remember how much you spend on them, they only remember how much time you spend with them. Always make your loved ones a priority – materialistic items are always appreciated but nothing compares to having your loved ones with you.
Healthy Eating and Fitness
Looking after your body and mental health gives you fewer things to worry about, which helps you get organized.
So, split your plate into five sections: have one section of carbohydrates, one section of protein and the rest fruit and vegetables.
Then you could do an invigorating workout, whether it’s weights and a workbench, a treadmill, cross trainer, exercise bike or a few sit-ups, maybe even a DVD or some yoga. Looking after your body will not only help your mental health but also help you feel better.
Assign Cleaning Jobs
Assigning cleaning jobs by how often they need to be cleaned can save a lot of time being wasted. Decide if the job needs to be done daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly.
For example, dishes need to be done daily, and so does hoovering high traffic areas, cleaning the kitchen worktops, and taking out the rubbish. Then, there are jobs that can be done weekly, like sweep and mop all hard surfaces, dusting, wiping kitchen cupboards, and thoroughly cleaning the bathroom.
There are monthly jobs too, like cleaning the inside of the oven, cleaning the furniture, and wiping down doors and door frames, including the handles.
Then there are the annual cleaning jobs, like cleaning out your closet, washing your windows inside and outside, using a carpet cleaner on your rugs, cleaning out the dishwasher, cleaning under the furniture, and let’s not forget cleaning and repainting outdoor furniture.
Separate Bins
Having separate bins in the house for different recycling can save a lot of time. So instead of putting everything in one bin, then trying to separate it later, have a bin for each recyclable material, like paper and card, tin and plastic, glass, and non-recyclables.
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