Organization comes easy for lots of people but not for everyone. For some, including myself, it takes a big effort that can sometimes result in feelings of overwhelm.
You see. I enjoy being organized but the process…well that takes work.
Here is what I’ve found be most helpful.
Take Baby Steps
Trying to organize your entire life in one day is not only extremely difficult, but it can also be overwhelming. Instead of trying to move a mountain with one push, consider moving one stone at a time. This gives you time to adjust to changes and create lifestyle changes that can help keep you organized.
Write Things Down
Every day we make hundreds of decisions. Then we deal with the expected and unexpected events of the day. Having to have a perfect memory on top of that can be too much. Having things written in a planner or journal frees your mind from the responsibility of having to remember #allthethings.
Don’t Procrastinate
Are you waiting to get organized? Well, procrastination of any kind is just slowing you down.
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- That kitchen you wanted to organize last year, could have been finished already.
- That office space will continue to look like that if you don’t make a move.
- That garage will be a permanent home to spiders if you don’t do that yard sale as soon as possible.
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Getting things done, requires a can-do attitude and immediate action.
Organize Your Time
Many of us are most unorganized with our time.
We procrastinate,
spend too much time on things that don’t matter,
or we spend it on tasks and activities that aren’t always deserving of our energy.
It’s really unfortunate we waste time when it is our most valuable asset.
What do I mean?
Time should have a million-dollar price tag no matter your work situation.
That’s right. No matter if you are a stay-at-home-mom, an hourly worker, or an advanced certified professional, your time is valuable beyond what anyone can pay you and unlike money or other resources, there is no replenishing how much time we’ve lost. Yet we don’t treat it with like it’s invaluable.
Here are some things we do with valuable objects that we don’t always do with our time:
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- We’d place it places where it can be most useful and admired.
- We wouldn’t let just anyone touch it.
- We’d be careful about the environment we take it in.
- We’d make sure to enjoy it just as much as we let others enjoy it.
- We’d make sure anyone who wanted to use it got the proper permission.
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Finally, we’d probably make sure we had a plan for how to care for it.
Develop a Morning and Evening Routine
Routines can reduce the amount to time you spend getting ready for your day and rewinding down in the evening. That time can be used to organize other areas of your life.
ORGANIZE HOME
Declutter
Once you’ve decided your time is valuable, you will not want to waste in on things that don’t offer you value anymore and this leads to getting rid of things.
Decluttering is essential to the organization step because there is no point in organizing items that you don’t love, don’t use, and don’t offer you value.
Initially, the decluttering process may seem like you are losing but really you are gaining independence from stuff and it’s a great opportunity to let those items serve someone else.
Give
Giving can help keep you organized and help the people in your community.
Giving at regular intervals is a way to evaluate the usefulness of the things in your home. Choosing to go through your things every three months or twice a year is a great way to declutter and reset your organization plans.
Recycle
The act of separating things that can be reused before heading to our landfills is organizing. Also, it makes you think of the things you are throwing away and if they still retain value. You are being placed in a position to think before acting and finding value in what many people immediately consider to be trash.
Shop Only When Necessary
Many of us are guilty of shopping for pleasure and not need it.
- We walk around shopping centers to see if we see something we can buy.
- We visit a shopping website and scroll until we find something to buy.
- We let marketing pros entice and swindle us.
This can lead to having lots of stuff with no designated space in the home which leads to disorganization or more closet space.
Shop With Intention
Shopping with a premade list is shopping with intention. It helps keep you focused but it can also prevent you from buying things you already have and having to find extra space in your home for those unnecessary items.
Don’t Buy Clothes You Can’t Fit Now
We’ve all done it. We buy that piece that we plan to fit into in the future. Meanwhile, it sits or worse, we forget about it.
The idea of having an external motivator is great but how about a photo instead? It saves space and who knows your taste in clothes may evolve before you get to wear it.
These are my best tips for getting organized without getting overwhelmed.
What would you add to the list? Leave me a comment and let me know.
