Tuesday, July 19, 2011

***** ORGANIZATION ****** How do we get there? ***********

Here are 10 things you can do today to help you stay organized.

1. Utilize a list notebook.

Often chaos ensues because we are trying to juggle too many things in our brains. We can’t focus on any one thing because we are trying to remember everything. It’s exhausting to say the least.



Grab yourself a notebook and just start brain dumping all that needs to be done. Be very detailed with this list because the more steps you list out, the less you have to try and remember. It makes a huge difference to your mental clutter even if you aren’t able to get everything crossed off that list in one day.
list notebook


2. Update your family calendar.

Now take your list to your calendar (and if you don’t have a central family calendar, get one quick!) Make sure your calendar is updated with appointments, school events, things to bring, etc.

For instance, if you need to bring cupcakes to school on Friday, add a note to Thursday’s square to pick them up or make them that day.

3. Menu plan for today.

You may not be menu planning for the whole week yet, but you can menu plan for TODAY. Instead of waiting until the witching hour (isn’t that the worst!), plan what you’ll eat that night in the morning.

Check your freezer, pull some meat out, look up a recipe and you’re all set. 10 minutes of pre-planning will again allow you to stop worrying about it for the rest of the day and free up all sorts of head space. See the pattern here?

Mental clutter = overwhelmed

4. Never leave a room empty-handed.

One of my best tips for staying on top of clutter is to make sure you take something with you every time you leave a room. Do it as you go…dirty dishes, laundry, toys, mail, you name it. If it belongs in a room you’ll be going to or passing, bring it with you!

5. Assign a task to your children.



Too many moms are trying to do it alone. Get your kids involved. Start today. Assign them each one task off your list to complete. I know it’s often faster for us just to do it ourselves but the training has to start somewhere.
kids chores


6. Create a donation station.

Every home needs somewhere to collect the things we no longer need. Grab yourself a big box, mark it with the words donation station and let everyone know what it’s for.



7. Add 5 things to that donation station everyday.

Have every person in your household collect 5 things today to add to that donation station. Set a timer and make a game out of it. See who can be the first to collect their 5 things. Before you know it, that donation station will be full!

8. Create an “I’m Outta Here” shelf.

Similarly you need an errand bin by your front door. I call it my “I’m Outta Here” shelf and it’s somewhere I can collect things that need to be returned to a friend, mailed, returned, etc. That way when I’m heading out I can easily remember what needs to be done and tasks don’t get backlogged.

9. Do a 10-minute tidy before bed.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Do a 10 minute tidy each night before bed to set up your next day for success. Plug in cell phones, check and update your calendar, tidy surfaces, make lunches or whatever it is that needs to be done in order to start the following day on the right foot. It makes a world of difference!

10. Check your attitude.


You do not want to end up like this poor lady:



Finally, stop beating yourself up! Coming down hard on yourself does nothing except make you miserable. Tomorrow is another day. Celebrate every accomplishment no matter how small.

Happy Organizing!!

I found this article by Laura of I’m an Organizing Junkie on Stumble! It is amazing and I wanted to share it to my readers. You must go to her site to see more great ideas.

28 comments:

Unknown said...

Such great (and helpful) tips Mona! Thank you so much for sharing!

circleinthesand said...

It's amazing how just a few minutes of preplanning and a little effort can save us sooooo much time and aggravation later. GREAT post with super tips!! Thanks for posting it!!!

Unknown said...

Great article Sewing! Good pointers as well.

GrandmaLindasHouse said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GrandmaLindasHouse said...

You are never too organized to learn some new tips. Thanks Mona!

Jessica of Verve! said...

Very helpful! I think I need to do more of these tips :)

nangatesdesigns said...

Great tips, Mona! I love the picture of the lady at the end :-)

ByNanasHands said...

Me, disorganized? Your kidding right? LOL.....great tips Mona...loved this!

Leah R. Hood, Jewelry Designer & Artisan said...

I love the idea of a donate pile!

Crystal said...

Oh, I really need to practice those things! My house is in much need of attention!

Susie Tenzer said...

yep, I do the "take something w/you when you leave the room" step. I actually clean too quickly. I'll put your glass away if you set it down on the table!

magdamagda said...

Mona- what a journey reading your post was!:) I agree, many of these things can make life more simple- I know the power of lists and I wish I would take your menu planning advice!:)) I do take something that doesn't belong there whenever I leave a room, the problem is I sometimes forget why:))

Jessica said...

"Check your attitude" lol I like that ;) My husband likes to say I have a "BADitude" sometimes haha! (I don't tell him I find that amusing because I don't want to encourage him LOL)

2justByou said...

Great tips...Reminding me I need to clean & organize my desk...
~Kim

Prodigy Crafts said...

thanks for tips! my problem is I do everything at the same time and never get anything done

Unknown said...

OOOOH perfect post for today... especially number 5! My daughter will be thrilled when I have her do some chores :)

Desert Shine Jewelry said...

Great post! I needed some of those today!

Jill Q said...

I'm completely in love with this post. Wonderful tips, amusing as all heck and that CARTOON!!!

#4 has always worked well for me! What a great blog post, Monaღ

CalliopeCreations said...

Great ideas. I'm big on lists. Too much to try to remember in one's head.

Tabitha said...

Thanks for sharing this - I just organized my craft space (finally), but I think I could definitely still use these tips to do even more:)

Krisztina Clifton said...

I love the "I'm outta here" shelf idea! I need to do better at this stuff! I have bouts of organization but I'm the only organized person in my household, so things usually backfire on me!

Kim AKA RabbitDogPrints said...

Great tips. Organization is a must and takes so little time if you have a plan and strategies in place. This reminds me of FlyLady.

Linda B said...

Great recommendations and helpful. Thanks.

theMayflower said...

great tips! thank you!

ElfRenee said...

Great tips, thank you!!

Dee said...

Being organized is not in my nature. But these sound like big helps1

CamillesCloset said...

I love the donation station Idea. Gonna start it today. I have a bin with each of my kids names on them. I will throw their stuff in it or have them us it to clean up their stuff.

Thanks for sharing.

petitehermine said...

Great tips! Now I need to be organized enough to be organized

Wonderful Quotes to live by!

"Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you."

~ William Arthur Ward