I really am an unorganized person who fell in love with
becoming organized because I realized how much it makes my life easier. I am
pretty lazy and love staying in my comfort zone, but getting organized is one
thing I trained myself to do just so I can have more time and energy to do the
fun things in life. Developing self-discipline to get organized can be very
hard though! But I promise you, by being more organized you will feel less
stressed and be so much happier!
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed with life lately the best
way to start feeling unstuck, and less stressed is by simplifying your life.
Over the years I have been simplifying more and more of my life, and have
noticed a huge shift in my mood and overall life. If you hate that your mind is
always racing or you’re always late or forgetting things then try simplifying
parts of your life to make your life easier.
Here is a quick list of things to do to simplify your life
now:
- Plan the night before. Get a head start on your days by planning in advance, when you know what’s going to happen and get it all out of your head the night before, you can go to sleep knowing you’ve got it all handled.
- Decide on dinner ahead of time. Defrost your meat, prep the veggies, or just decide on what you’re going to eat for dinner before dinner starts. Knowing what you will cook will ease your tension and avoid last-minute unhealthy options.
- Put dishes in the dishwasher right away (or wash the dishes right away if you don’t have a dishwasher). Make it a routine to keep the sink empty and you will never spend hours doing dishes ever again. Even children can rinse the plates and place it in the dishwasher. I like to run it at the end of the day after it’s been filled all day and then in the morning when I wake up is when I empty it out so that it’s ready to be filled up with the new day’s dishes.
- Minimize your wardrobe. When you have fewer clothes it’s easier to decide what to wear. And if it only includes clothes that “spark joy” then you know each outfit you choose to wear will make you feel good. With fewer clothes, you won’t stress on what to wear neither and it makes laundry a whole lot easier too.
- Minimize your makeup. Similar to the minimizing your wardrobe, if you minimize your makeup you will make getting ready so much faster!
- Have an errands list. Instead of running to Target or the grocery store 3 times in a week, make an errands list and tackle everything at once. Write it down on a list so you won’t forget and use that list the next time you’re out and you’ll feel like you’re on top of it all.
- Have a place for recurring lists. Is there something that you do over and over again? If so then create a process checklist. This will ensure that you get it right every time and save your brain from having to remember all the steps.
- Cull your commitments. If you have a million things to do and you’re short on time, cut out some of the less important things. Cancel some of your plans and don’t feel like you have to agree to go to every single event. Save some space for you to relax. Scheduling plans back to back can lead to burnout and isn’t good for your health.
- Learn to delegate. Everyone needs a little help. You don’t have to do everything on your own. There’s always someone who can help you out. Have your husband or kids help with some of the housework so you can focus more on other tasks. Or if there’s a task that someone else can do faster and easier then consider paying them to do it for you so you can put your focus elsewhere.
- Stop procrastinating. This is easier said than done. But try your best. The longer it takes you to do something, the harder it takes to get done. Set an earlier deadline if that helps you to get it done on time.
- Focus on one thing at a time. We used to praise being able to multitask but study after study has shown that more time is wasted when you try to do all the things. There’s a time to multitask and there’s a time where you need to just focus on one thing at a time. For more brain power using activities, try to focus on one thing at a time. For mindless tasks that you would procrastinate on like folding laundry or washing dishes, it’s okay to multitask by listening to a podcast or watching a YouTube channel while doing that task.
- Limit screen time. So much time is wasted when we’re sucked into our phones or TV. Make an effort to limit your screen time. I love the new feature on the iPhones where you can limit certain apps. I have 15 minutes set for social media and when the pop up comes I simply turn off my phone and go do something more productive.
- Unsubscribe to newsletters you no longer read. If you’re getting hundreds of emails a day start unsubscribing to the ones you’d delete anyways. It takes less than 10 seconds!
- Brain dump regularly. Make it a routine to do a brain dump either every day or at least once a week. Most times we add stress to our lives by trying to remember it all. With a brain dump you can write it all down and get it off your mind and stop worrying about remembering to get it done.
- Don’t be a perfectionist. Done is better than perfect. Some people never get started on a task or projects because they’re waiting for the right time, but often that time never comes and those things never get done, and they’re left with regret. So stop waiting for the perfect time or the perfect tools you’ll need, or the perfect house, and just get it done! Don’t keep editing something in hopes that it will be perfect because things will never be perfect. Turn it in, submit it and if you feel like it needs to edit, you can always come out with a new version of it next month or year.
- Have more than one thing in multiple places. If you tend to forget stuff but it’s something that you really need to keep multiples of it and have it different areas so it’s always available. You’ll never stress about not putting on deodorant if you have one in the car, or not having a pen when you need it.
- Automate your bills. We have so many bills to remember and having to go in and pay them all can be stressful. If there are some bills you can automatically pay every month do it! I was able to change the due dates of several of my bills so that it lined up with our paydays.
- Have a morning and evening routine. A morning routine starts your day off on the right foot and ensures the rest of your day is smooth sailing. But a morning routine really starts the night before. So create an evening routine that sets you up for success. Prepare as much as you can for the night before. Pack lunches, get your clothes ready, clean up any messes, prepare your environment for the next day so when you get up everything Is ready to go!
- Have an important documents folder or file. I have one file box for all our important documents – passports, social security cards, birth certificates, immunizations etc. So whenever I need it I’m not trying to find it. I already know where it is and that it’s in a safe place. This will give you peace of mind.
- Set multiple calendar reminders. I forget things all the time so that’s why I love using a digital calendar. Our phones are so awesome for reminding us of important things so use it! I like to set reminders for 2 weeks before, a week before, the day before and the day of. Crazy? Probably, but it helps so much especially when I am planning for my week. I know ahead of what time what to expect and I never miss an appointment because I am always notified.
- Stop saving things for the weekend. Don’t put off tasks or cleaning for the weekend. The weekend should be relaxing and for friends and family. Clean a little every day, for me it takes only 15-20 minutes a day. And the weekends are used to just relax and enjoy.
- Declutter! Go through the house with a basket and put anything that isn’t its home and spend 10 minutes putting it where it belongs or just getting rid of it. Have a donate box or trash box and take it out of your house right away. If I am donating it I make sure to take that box and put it in the car or else it would just stay in the corner of my hallway for weeks. Once it’s out you will feel so much better!
So those are my 22 tips for ways to be a super organized human being by simplifying your life today! Get started and choose one to do now and I can guarantee you will feel so much better!
If you liked this post be sure to also check out my other post here:
How to Simplify Your Life by Decluttering & Organizing
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Great tips Wenda! I especially like tip #1 because I always plan at night before I go to bed and it helps me be more productive in the morning because then I already have a list of what I have to do for that day.
– Pixie | Productive Pixie