Life can be pretty busy at times, and some days you may feel extremely overwhelmed and feel as if everything is happening all at once. That is why it’s important to develop healthy habits and try to stay organized so life doesn’t throw you off balance. When it comes to being organized, we all need some help from time to time as it can be hard to actually stay organized. So if you’re a disorganized person looking to better your habits, or just struggling to organize various aspects of your life, here are some tips on how to be more organized.
1. Write Everything Down
It can be hard to remember things at times, especially when you have a lot going on. Instead of trying to remember and memorize everything, I recommend writing things down on a piece of paper or even digitally, on your phone or computer.
Putting things down in writing makes them more permanent and easy to refer back to them when needed. This is the one tip I do all the time, and it can definitely help you if you’re wondering how to be more organized, or just want to ensure that you don’t forget something.
2. Declutter Regularly
Having too much stuff can contribute to some of the chaos in our lives. Keep this in mind for when figuring out how to be more organized, as less is always more.
Set aside an hour or 2 a week to declutter things around your house and better organize them so you are not hoarding things and letting go of the things that are old or have been sitting around collecting dust.
Don’t forget to also include decluttering and organizing things such as your wallet, purse or backpack as unnecessary items end up piling up in those.
3. Clean up Regularly
One of the best ways to be more organized is to try and clean up regularly. Setting aside 10-20 minutes a day to tidy up messes around the house can keep things from getting messier and can help build good habits.
4. Follow and Create a Routine
Make a list of all of your good habits and goals then create and try to stick to a routine to get those things done. Create a to-do-list and check off items as you complete them.
Habits solidify when you repeatedly do them, so making a routine can help you achieve certain tasks you want done in your daily life. This is also sure to keep you from getting distracted and procrastinate.
5. Delegate Tasks
Organizing your home doesn’t have to be your responsibility alone. Make organizing easier by making it a team effort and delegating tasks to your kids or spouse. Create a to-do list of all the tasks that need to be completed, then assign a task to each family member and ensure they get it done. When you learn to delegate tasks, you find that it can be much easier to manage and stay organized.
6. Have a Designated Place for Your Items
It can be easy for things to get lost or misplaced if they don’t have a home. Part of learning how to be organized is to have a proper place for all of your items. You can even get creative and put labels on places such as drawers and jars so you know exactly where to find something or where something goes. This can help maintain order and avoid you from having scattered items, but make sure you clean your storage spaces regularly to avoid them from getting cluttered.
7. Put Things Away Immediately
This is a very simple but effective way to be organized. It’s pointless to spend time creating a space for all your items if you aren’t going to put them there after use, as things can tend to pile up very quickly.
Practicing this can save you a lot of time as you will have to put away fewer things when cleaning up. Also, by putting things away immediately, you will learn the exact location of all your items and won’t have to waste time looking for them later on.
8. Create Weekly or Monthly Schedules
Creating weekly or monthly schedules can help you stay on track to being organized and it will help you plan your time better. Make a cleaning schedule so you break up the tasks on different days (ie. Monday- vacuum, Tuesday – clean bathrooms, Friday – Laundry etc.) It’s good to schedule these things as it can pile up and it will ensure that you get them done.
9. Don’t Procrastinate
When learning how to be more organized, it’s best to get things done right away as opposed to leaving them and procrastinating. Putting in the time and effort to do something instantly will save you from doing it later and the longer you wait to do something, the more difficult it will be to get it done.
10. Make Deadlines
An important thing to note is that when you set goals, it is important to set deadlines for them as well. That way you can actually stick to them and try to complete them.
When making schedules or checklists, try adding in deadlines for the items as well and see if you’re more productive that way. When you have something that’s due, you’re more likely to not procrastinate and get it done right away.
11. Stop Excessive Shopping and Buy Only What You Need
If you want to have an organized life, then you need to get in the habit of keeping only what you need. Having fewer things also allows you to appreciate and enjoy those things more as opposed to placing them somewhere and forgetting about them.
So the next time you go shopping, make a list of items that you need and only buy those. Try not to give in to sales or bargains as it promotes you to buy excessive items. Another tip you could try out is to get rid of something old every time you buy something new, so you don’t accumulate too much stuff.
12. Carry a Small Notepad With You
Having a small notebook with you can make a huge difference in living an organized life. You could use it to jot down items you may need to buy, to-do items or things to remember. It makes it easy to jot things down when you’re on the go and you will have it all in one place if you ever need to go back and check something.
