Mastering Organisation: 20 Expert Strategies for a Clutter-Free Life
Lately, I have been thinking about the importance of habits and the long-term results that they have in our daily lives. Habits help me keep my life in order and stay organised. But, is the definition of being organised the same for everybody? Someone may need an organised kitchen if cooking is their hobby or work. Or they may just need an organised daily routine that their family members will be able to keep.
In the following list, I have written my own habits, hoping that they will give you a boost and encourage you to adopt the ones that suit you more. Needless to say, I do not always follow the ‘rules’, but at least I try to make my life more productive and easy. There is no order of priority to what is listed below…
1. Don’t postpone
The minute I decide to do something, I just do it. The sooner I manage to accomplish it, the sooner it will get out of my mind. That makes my life less stressful.
2. Motivation
The hardest thing for me is to start a task. I usually prefer to start with the toughest task, because when I finish it I feel relieved. You may start with something that bothers you daily or something easy enough, so as to be encouraged by your result and keep going.
3. Music.
I have my favourite playlist on my smartphone and before I start organising my life, I put on my headphones and I raise the volume. When I am alone, I usually sing and dance at the same time.
4. Make my bed
Always make your bed when you wake up in the morning. If the bed is neat, the room looks clean and tidy and this will also prevent you from leaving your make up all over the bathroom or your clothes on the chair and on the floor. For me, making my bed means that my life is in order and that I am making a positive start in my day.
5. Tidy the house ten minutes before going to bed
It is very important for me to wake up in a clean and tidy home. I want to wake up and not have to deal with a chaotic living room, dirty dishes, and bombarded rooms. I want to wake up and happily make breakfast for my family and drink my coffee.
6. Get some help
The work is done quicker when I share a part of it. When the members of my family are involved, the tasks on the list are completed much faster and with less personal energy. After all, I am not the only one living in the house.
7. Never leave a room with empty hands
When I tidy the house I try to be focused on all the things that need to be put in their place. So, I take something with me every time I leave a room, which has to be moved to another place…dirty clothes, dirty dishes, toys, etc. That way I avoid moving around aimlessly.
8. Drawers and storage boxes are my friends
One of the best ways that help me stay organised is to store items in boxes and drawers. I label the boxes in order not to get confused and have designated areas to place them.
9. Clean up regularly
I don’t need to dedicate more than ten minutes daily to tidy up and clean up my space. That will save me time later when I decide to do a deep cleaning.
10. Get rid of some things
Keeping only what I need and what I want, makes the organising process easier. Furthermore, I feel better when I actually use the things I have instead of having unused things lying at the bottom of the box.
11. Make use of the time while waiting for something
I am amazed at how many easy and quick tasks I manage to complete every time I wait for something to finish. I use my waiting time wisely and that saves me time to relax. For example, while I am waiting for my kids to get dressed for school I water my plants.
12. I try to finish one task before I move on to the next one
I had always been multi-tasking which made me feel frustrated at the end of the day since I wasn’t always able to finish everything on my list. That meant I had to add the remaining tasks to the next day’s list. I am currently retraining myself to finishing a task and then moving on to the next one. When I succeed (although it may take some time), I feel proud of myself.
13. Donate…
When I collect things we no longer need like clothes and other items that need to be given away, I put them in a box. I donate them to our cultural center or church, which is responsible to distribute them to people in need. That makes me feel useful!!!
14. Coordinate my calendar
My husband and I were having problems with handling our work schedules and our children’s schedules. So we decided to install the Google calendar on our smartphones and sync them. It was amazing! I knew my partner’s schedule and vice versa, so we were able to organise our work and our family life in a more effective way.
15. I break up the task into smaller tasks
When I come across a difficult task I find it helpful to break it into smaller ones. That makes me keep on track, stay organised and focus better.
16. I set deadlines
Highly effective and productive people don’t waste time. They set deadlines and they stick to them. I hate it when I feel pressure and have to run to catch up with the deadline, but I feel satisfaction when I reach my goal.
17. My to-do list
There are so many things I have to remember and I don’t want to waste my brain energy trying not to forget. That’s why I use my note application on my smartphone and every night I create a detailed to-do list of everything I need to accomplish the next day. I usually write the most important tasks that need to be done first to feel better. If I need to, I make a weekly to-do list.
18. I plan the family meals
Since I am the person responsible for cooking, I had to find a way to make it easier. I realised that having a weekly plan can save me time and money. Knowing in advance what I have to cook, I don’t need to run out to the store multiple times throughout the week. I only go to the supermarket once a week with my list, eliminating the possibility of buying things I don’t want. But the most important is that planning the meals contributes to adopting good eating habits and hence better health.
19. I reward myself
A reward has always been the perfect way to motivate me and stick to the plan. I don’t reward myself with things. I usually try to do something nice or maybe something less ordinary. Life is not only work and hard effort. I need to take a break and tell myself what a great job I’ve done. I may go for a walk or have a nice cup of coffee or dinner with friends or watch a movie. Reward yourself with what best works for you!
20. Finally, get some sleep
I always try to finish all the tasks on my to-do list, but sometimes time is not enough. In the past instead of going to bed, I used to put all my energy into carrying out the tasks. When I realised the impact of a good night’s sleep, I put an end to the overnight activities. When I feel tired I go to bed, even though I haven’t finished everything. When I wake up from a good sleep I am energetic and ready to face challenges.
I am human and I have my ups and downs like everybody else. I am not always “stick to the plan” and many times I have to do things that I don’t like at all…that’s why I try to stay organised. So, I will be very happy if any of my tips will help you improve your day!
