This month I have been tackling the topic of organization, something I personally love. When both my home and my life are organized, it helps me focus on my family and other priorities in my life. It also frees up my time and capacity to be more and do more. Plus, it's a fun and easy way to release unnecessary stress, whether it's organizing my closet, or my whole week! Everyone has a different level of preference when it comes to organizing, but in the end, it's whatever works for you! The main goal is to have everything placed in an easy-to-find manner, where there isn't much excess other than what is needed, bringing focus and intentionality. Organizing doesn't have to be overwhelming, but can be attainable and fun by taking one area at a time. Let's look at 20 ways to get organized in both your home and your life!
Home Organizing Tips
1. Use storage bins
Storage bins are the best for designating products by category in your home. You can have storage bins for your kids’ toys, seasonal items, or even pantry items and so much more! To see some storage product ideas for your home, click here.
2. Label everything
My goal is to one day own a label maker! You can label your pantry spices and containers, your storage bins, or just about anything! Plus, everyone living with you will thank you by making their lives easier once they know what everything is thanks to the labeling.
3. Clean as you go
Keeping your daily spaces tidy can reduce your regular cleanup! This also helps keep me mindful of the spaces around me and helps me stay focused! It also comes in handy when needing to find something... if I clean up and put things back where I found them, I will spend less time looking around for it!
4. Ask for help
You don't need to carry the weight all on your own! Asking other household members to help clean and keep organized can be fun teamwork and many hands make lighter work! Have little ones? Consistently invite them into a fun cleanup time, even if they don't join right away, they may surprise you down the road!
5. Create Stations
Set up purposeful stations around the house & relocate anything that doesn’t belong. For example, you can have a coffee station, a self-care station, a drop-off zone for your keys, phone and wallet, etc.
7. Have a cleaning schedule
In addition to cleaning as you go, having a cleaning schedule is helpful for the main house chores that need reoccurring attention. Designating certain days to different tasks and different cleaning zones can help all areas of the house get cleaned and save you time.
8. Organize your closet
For a place we go to every single day, this is a space that is easy to just close the door and ignore, but every time I reorganize my clothes and make it look neat and tidy again, I feel SO much better. Plus, my neatly folded clothes are easier to see, making it more enjoyable to choose my outfit for the day.
9. Declutter your medicine cabinet
The medicine cabinet is a place I often forget about, but is so important to tackle. About every few months, a light refresh and purging of old medicine is a must. Now is the perfect time to take note of any needed bandaids or first aid supplies.
10. Keep your work areas tidy
Many people like us are working from home these days, and sometimes the work space can get a little out of control from time to time. Keeping the workspace decluttered and organized will be great for concentration and focus while working.
Life Organizing Tips
1. Keep a planner
Planners are a must when wanting to organize your schedule, tasks, and appointments. It's also helpful so that you can look ahead and be ready for what's next, which can save preparation time and any unnecessary stress. I like to plan out my days so that I can also see which areas I'm spending most of my time to see if I scheduled any overlaps by mistake.
2. Set reminders on your phone
Setting reminders help me stay on top of things and it's the smarter way to organize my time. Now-a-days we can just speak to Siri to set a reminder and it's done! Need to pay a bill? Set a reminder. Need to set up an appointment? Set a reminder! Anything and everything, set a reminder! When there's a lot going on, give your brain a break and set a reminder!
3. Declutter your phone
If we work at decluttering our phone little by little, day by day, we can narrow our pictures by thousands, and free up storage space by eliminating any unused apps. Increase your phone speed and your productivity, especially if you use it for work!
4. Schedule your health & beauty appointments in advance
Another easy way to organize your life is to schedule your most needed treatments in advance! Whip out that planner and look to see when you can go to the dentist, the chiropractor, or the hair salon to stay on top of your health and self-care!
5. Clean out your purse & wallet
The purse is a collector of anything and everything (especially with having kids). Snacks, old receipts, loose change, and who knows what else is waiting at the bottomless pit to be discovered by your two-year old. Throw your chapstick, pens, and feminine products in a little makeup bag and scramble no more!
6. Create a weekly menu
One fun way to organize is knowing what to cook for the week. Your planner can also come in handy for planning ahead on what to cook, and also what groceries you will need. Not only will it make cooking easier, but your family will look forward to knowing what's there to eat for lunches and dinners.
7. Keep an emergency bag in your car
It's always good to be prepared for the unexpected when it comes to cars! This is something you hope to never have to use but can end up being a life saver when you're in a pickle. Keeping an emergency bag in your car is a great way to stay on top of it and maintain an organized life so that any detour is somewhat manageable. If you aren't sure what you might need, check out these car emergency kits on Amazon!
8. Clean out your inbox
Whether you open your inbox once a day or once a week, clicking the Unsubscribe button or deleting old shipping notifications and newsletters can free up your space so that you can have in view the more important emails you need to get back to. I will even go through my flagged emails and unflag any previously taken care of items.
You can even use Unroll.Me to quickly delete any unwanted subscriptions, and it's free!
9. Create a daily to-do list
Whether it's in your planner or on your phone Notes, having a daily to-do list is the simplest and easiest way to organize your life. You can even set it to check boxes and feel accomplished after you see all you've done at the end of the day!
10. Track your finances
Last but definitely not least, tracking your finances has a long term benefit of staying on top of things now. It creates a motivation to save money and can show you where you can possibly cut back on spending. Whether it's a financial planner or a spreadsheet, track your finances to help with your long term financial goals.
Organizing your home and your life can be fun and feel accomplishing! The goal is to incorporate a couple of these habits and watch them become apart of your home+life! Which habit are you going to incorporate this week?! Comment below to let us know which ones stand out to you!