Table of contents:
- Key Question: How can I organize my life?
- Why are people disorganized?
- How to get organized at home?- 5 Tips
- How do you organize yourself at work- 5 Tips
- How to stay organized at work and at home?
- Final thoughts
Key Question: "How can I organize my life?"
Have you been asking yourself lately: "how can I organize my life?" Don't worry, you are not alone. Becoming more organized is something we should all strive to be in life. As a busy mom of 4, I know being organized is a daily struggle. You have to keep on top of so many things especially if you are a working mom as well. In this blog post, I will go into several tips that I have used to not only become more organized but also stay organized. I will dive into the following: How to get organized at home? How to be organized at work? How to stay organized at work and at home? Through it all, you will get 10 Tips for organization. After reading this blog, you should be able to declare that "I am not disorganized anymore." An organized life awaits you!
Why are people disorganized?
To understand how to get more organized, it is important to understand some fundamental things about why you might not be organized in the first place. I truly believe that if you can identify the source of you being disorganized in the first place, then you will have a leg up on solving the problem. Here are some common reasons why someone is disorganized:
1) Poor time management
Being a poor time manager is a key reason why someone is not organized. They fail to see how time and organization are closely related. You can also read my blog post: 5 Time management skills to make you more productive.
Related content: How to help your child become a master time manager?
2) Lack of knowledge
I have said this many times, lack of knowledge is a big problem in our society today. Sometimes, you don't know what you don't know. You might never have taken the time to learn more about what it takes to be more organized.
Related content: Top reasons why Ignorance is the #1 cause of death
3) Generational disorganization
Growing up in a house where chaos and disorganization rule could be why you are also very disorganized. This goes hand in hand with lack of knowledge. Maybe you were never taught how to be more organized or given any tips for organization.
4) You don't care
Not caring about your organizational skills is probably one of the biggest reasons why you are not organized. There are many people walking around not caring about many things and learning how to be organized is one of them.
5) You lack the tools
If you don't have the tools you need to be organized, how can you live an organized life? Having the desire to become more organized is one thing but having the tools to become more organized is another thing.
How to get organized at home?
The good news: I always like to give good news- reading this blog and the tips here will help you become an organized person. But, you will have to put in some work on your part to execute organizational skills. Here are some things that I do at home to be more organized, especially managing small humans as well:
Tip # 1: Get everyone involved
Getting organized at home should be an everybody endeavor. Don't take on the burden of getting your home organized by yourself. If you live on your own then obviously it is your sole responsibility. Get your partner and kids involved in the organizational solution. Give everyone a function or chores in the household that promotes organized behavior. Here is a FREE Fun and colorful chore chart that you can use to keep all chores visible in your house- click here.
Tip# 2: Create Organizational Goals
Creating organizational goals are really important in getting organized at home. What are some projects around the house that need to be done? For example, I have been eyeing my pantry as one of my organizational goals. I have given myself until the end of the month to get it back into tip top shape. That means making sure all food items are not expired. Creating a donation bag for non perishable items that I know for sure we don't need. Also, restructuring the pots and pans inside to create a more optimal space. Put pen to paper and write down some of your organizational goals. Remember to follow the SMART Goals method even for your home organization goals. Use my simple but effective SMART Goals Worksheet for helping you define your goals for optimal success.
Tip # 3: Duplicate systems
Once you come up with a system in one part of your household, duplicate it to other parts of the household. Systems are made to be duplicated, especially if they are successful. If you find that the chore chart is working well for kitchen chores, why not duplicate it across every area of the home. If you find that picking a particular day of the week devoted to household organization, stick with it and make it a regular thing. If you find that one child is really good at one aspect of being organized, can you encourage that child to teach it to the other children? The point is the create a master system and try and duplicate it across the entire household. This way it will encourage consistency across the home.
Tip # 4: Use organizational products
This one seems obvious but not to everyone. There are products specifically made to help you get more organized. Start using them. They range from affordable to the expensive and everything in between. I like affordable, so you will always find me at the dollar store. They have many things there that are simple and inexpensive that you can start using to get organized. Here are some of my favorite organizational products from the dollar store:
Buckets and Bins
These are multi-purpose and can be used in every area of the home. Whether it is to organize books, kids toys, arts and crafts or even food items. The possibilities are endless.
Jewelry and cosmetic Organizers
These are also multi-purpose. Their main purpose is for jewelry or cosmetics but if you are creative, you can personalize them and use them for other things in your house.
Fruit Organizer
Fruit organizers are great for small spaces. They can help to organize fruit vertically on your counter instead of horizontally.
Spice organizer
I used to have all my spices all over the cupboards until I bought a spice rack organizer. It was a game changer for me. I was able to label each spice and tuck them neatly into my little spice organizer. This can be a game changer for you as well, especially if you love to cook like myself.
Mason Jars
Not only are these good for sauces but they are also great for storing your berries in the frig. Wash your strawberries, cut them and put them into large mason jars. You will find that they stay fresh for a lot longer and gives the kiddos easy access to a healthy snack. You could also do individual mason jars for your kids snacks. Personalize it with their names. This way each child has easy and timely access to a healthy snack before or after school. The small jars are also easy to stack inside and outside the refrigerator.
3M Hooks
These are also very versatile and can be used to hang things on the wall such as paintings or artwork. You could also use them in your kitchen to hang utensils or pot holders or aprons. Just make sure you get ones that can support the weight of what you want to hang.
Tip # 5: Create accountability
If you are trying to be more organized this year and really want to be serious about it. Then you need to not only follow the tips above but you also need a system to allow you to keep yourself accountable. This way if you fall short on your organizational goals then you can self correct and get back to organizing. I recommend my accountability contract, not just for being organized but for any goal that you create in your life. And if you don't know what an accountability contract is, don't worry, it is simply a signed contract that you make with yourself to keep you accountable to your goals.
Related content: 5 Ways to make yourself accountable after setting goals
Email tool # 3: Scheduling emails
I also schedule my important emails ahead of time. I usually do this because I work from home with kids and I don't work a straight line for 8 hours. I work around their schedule and their needs. Scheduling my email allows me to write emails when I have time and schedule when they go out. Here is why scheduling your emails is a game changer:
Email tool # 6: Create event
Similar to“add to task” is “create event.” This will allow you to create an event directly from your email message. This will populate to your calendar, keeping you on top of dates that are important. If you are using Google, it will also allow you to start Google meetings or set up Google meetings as well.
You would be surprised how many people have access to a calendar whether it be on their phone or their computer and never use it. A work calendar is a great way to define your day and the things that are important to keeping you on track at work. With just a few clicks of a button, you can schedule your tasks, to-dos or events. This is a simple but a under utilized way to stay organized. If you are asking yourself: How to be more organized? Well this one is a great way.
All the tips that I have given you won't make a difference without action and consistency around them. Just like at home, being more organized at work takes prioritization. Are you taking the time each day to make sure you are being organized? Are you ignoring your systems and just going rouge each day? Are you using the tools that your workplace has in place to help you stay organized? Bottom line: make how to become an organized person a priority.
If you make organization an optional habit in your workplace then you will always feel like you are not very organized. If you are not in a position of management where you have a say over internal policies, then make being organized a personal mandate. Commit to it as part of your growth plan or just your own personal code of conduct. For example, does someone have to tell you to brush your teeth everyday in order for you to brush your teeth? I would hope not. Does your manager have to call you each morning to tell you to brush your teeth or do you do it to be able to satisfy your own personal hygiene goals? My point is that how you govern yourself as a person does not have to come from external forces but should come from your own internal standards. Make having an organized life a mandate.
How to stay organized at work and at home?
The answer to this is simple, be intentional in your desire to stay clean and organized. That's it! If you want to be more organized or want to stay organized, then just do it. No excuses! No delay! Words without action is just that- words!
Final Thoughts
"How can I organize my life?" or "How do I get more organized?" Was the key questions in this blog. I outlined several ways that you can get organized at home and at work. With tips centering around your desire to actually become more organized. I encouraged you to use organizational tools available to you both inside the home and at work. Getting organized at home and getting organized at work follow the same rhythm, they both take action and intent on your part. Being organized is a soft skill that is highly essential, so get to it.
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