Balancing work, social life, side hustles, families, all the while maintaining a clean and organised home, can all get quite tricky. I have been there. And I hear you when you say “I don’t have the time to get my life in order”.
Because I have been there as well.
I get that you don’t have a lot of time to make Bullet journal graphics and make a G.Y.S.T. (Get your shit together) journal. That’s why, in this post, I am sharing some super simple and quick things to do to be super organised.
This is a list of all the things you can do quickly but have a big impact. And as I keep saying on the blog every now and then, you have to do the work to see the results. Get out of the planning stage and get to work. We are going to break it down in the following categories:
- Organise your Life
- Organise your Home
- Organise your Finances
- Organise your Digital & paper
- Organise your Kitchen
- Organise your Wardrobe
- Organise how you work
Let’s begin, shall we?
#ORGANISE YOUR LIFE
These tips are quick and easy to do ways that will make you more organsied:
1.Write a to-do List:
Write down a to-do list either at the start or end of the day. I like writing mine at the night so that I know exactly what I have to get done the next day. I use my bullet journal to write my to-do list.
And this helps me plan out my days better. If you feel overwhelmed with bujo because you have no clue what spreads to make, check out this post. I go into detail how you can start bullet journalling.
2. Have a Sleep routine:
I think having a set time to sleep and wake up helps me be more organised and productive throughout the day. Sleeping and waking up a little earlier than everyone else wakes up helps too.
3. Have morning & night routines in place:
Having a good morning routine helps you get the day started on the right note. A morning routine will allow you to do things that you want to do in your day and make things like your health and nutrition a priority too. It has helped me start my days in a better way because I know exactly what I have to do in the morning.
Same goes for night routine. A good night routine helps you wind down after a long hard day. And having a proper night routine in place will make you ready for the next day.
Related: 7 morning habits that will completely change your life
4. Set top 3 priorities for the day:
When you have made a to-do list, you also should try and set your top 3/4 priorities for the day. It means that you have to get these things done even if you don’t get everything else done.
We, as humans have a habit of procrastinating important tasks. And making a to-do list can be counter productive if you are just ticking off small things off the list throughout the day.
5. Set out clothes for the next day:
One of the things that helped me be super organised while I was working corporate was setting out clothes for the next day. This helped me not be rushed in the mornings and have a little extra time to have a proper breakfast too.
6. Have a list of passwords and log-in details:
This is for those of you who keep forgetting their log-in credentials time to time. So instead of having to reset your password time n again, it’s best to have the password details handy.
It will save you more time than you know. And I speak this from experience. Just make sure you keep this in a safe place.
7. Make shopping lists:
I can’t even begin to tell you how shopping lists have changed my life. So basically make a shopping list for everything that you have run out of during the week. And then buy everything at the end of that week or two weeks depending on how frequently you go grocery shopping.
8. Make cleaning lists
We all make shopping lists but I think cleaning lists are way under-rated. And you need to make one, yesterday. Cleaning lists save more so much time and helps me get my house in order more quickly.
The 3 lists that I recommend you should make is :
- Daily Cleaning List: Make sure it is not very long though. Write things that you want to get done daily but all of them combined shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes. Daily list has things like making your bed, cleaning the dishes, bedside table etc.
- Weekly cleaning lists: Weekly cleaning lists or bi-weekly cleaning lists will help you deep clean your house or space. My weekly cleaning list has things like vacuuming couch and carpets, cleaning my car, cleaning Jojo’s (our pet) bed etc.
- Monthly Cleaning list: Monthly cleaning list has things that take more time and that you want to do monthly. And on the monthly list you can add things like deep cleaning kitchen cabinets, your cupboards etc. Of course you don’t have to deep clean every thing each month and I like rotating between spaces in the house. So one month I deep clean our kitchen, next month our bedroom and so on.
10. DO NOT HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON:
This one is super important as well. I find that waking up exactly when my alarm goes off puts me in a better mood throughout the day. Hitting snooze button has the opposite effect. And you end up feeling lazy during the day.
If you find yourself hitting snooze, try keeping your phone far away from your bed. That way you will be less likely to get into bed again.
11.PAck your gym bag the night before:
We all make excuses for not being able to workout as much as we’d like to. But I have found that setting out workout clothes for the morning or packing a gym bag, helps. it gives you that boost of motivation to go to the workouts.
12. Do a weekly review:
I started doing this very recently and it makes such a big impact. Doing a weekly review of what went well in a week and what didn’t will allow you to plan the coming week better. It will also help you stay on track with your goals, even if you didn’t get much done in one week.
13. Plan for the future:
Planning out my week in advance makes me more organised even during extremely busy weeks. I do not over schedule things though. But having a basic idea of what my week is going to look like helps me understand how much time I have at hand for other things.
14. Have a schedule for important things:
Having a schedule for all the important things will help you be super organised. And by important things I mean things like your regular health check ups, dentist’s appointments, Car check up etc. Make sure you make the appointments in advance to stay organised.
15. Carry a water bottle with you:
If you struggle with dehydration, then you must give this a try. Get one that has the time marked. So that you end up drinking more water through out the day. I also love this because this way I don’t have to keep buying single use plastic water bottles.
16. Keep healthy snacks at your desk:
keep a box or two or healthy snacks at your desk at all times. This will help you with the mid day slump when you feel low on energy and want something to boost your energy levels.
Make sure you keep healthy whole snacks like roasted nuts and seeds or trail mix. I love having roasted sunflower seeds and flax seeds or walnuts.
17. Set a Laundry day or two:
I don’t know about you, But I hate when I have just done laundry and the realise I had to wash the sheets that I forgot to change. So I find it best to set aside a day in my week when i do my laundry. For me, Friday is usually laundry day, so I know on Thursday I am supposed to change the sheets.
You can set aside two days if you have more laundry. But you get the point, right?
18. Keep Different laundry bags for clothes that will be washed separately:
I hate segregating laundry into different piles. So I find it best to keep multiple baskets for clothes that will be washed separately. Like one basket for whites, one for colored clothes, one for delicates. It saves me so much time because I don’t have to segregate while doing the laundry.
19. Clean make up brushes weekly:
If you wear a makeup on a daily basis, then make sure to clean your makeup brushes weekly. They often get neglected, accumulate dirt and then causes you to break out. So make sure it is on your weekly reset to-do list.
#ORGANISE YOUR HOME
20.Have a place for everything:
This is super simple yet super effective tip. Everything that you have in your house, should have a place or it’s own home. Let’s take your daily vitamin supplements for example. Think about when you have to take them and where do you generally take them.
Chances are you take them in the morning, in your kitchen. So there is no point in keeping them in your bedside table. Make a space for them on your kitchen counter or kitchen cabinets instead. This shows that selecting proper spaces for things is super important. Choose in such a way that it makes sense. Like you’d put your keys and sunglasses somewhere near the front door, right?
Another is to have a place for everything. If I ask you, where do you keep your vitamins, you should be able to tell the answer. Because when you consciously select a place for something and keep putting it there, it helps you be more organised.
21. Make 15 minute declutter a habit:
Taking 15 minutes each morning, to declutter your space, will change your life. And I am not even exaggerating. When you declutter everyday and make the 15 minute declutter a habit, you will realise that your house is more organised. You will realise that maintaining a clutter free home is not all that difficult.
22.Place things back after using:
After you are done using something, put it back in it’s “home” like we discussed earlier. So if you are using a hair dryer, put it back where it belongs and do not leave it on your counter.
It doesn’t take much to put things back and is the number one habit to have to have a clutter free and organised phone.
23. Make your bed first thing in the morning:
Making your bed first thing in the morning is a habit that you MUST develop this year. It doesn’t take more than 5 minutes and makes your day instantly better. There is something about being productive first thing in the morning that sets the tone for the rest of your day.
Also helps in getting up on time too and not getting in bed again. And especially for people who work from home, making your bed in the morning will make you more productive throughout the day.
24. Label boxes in garage:
So you keep multiple boxes full of stuff in your garage? This tip will come in handy. Make sure you separate everything by category and then label the boxes. I also make a small list and paste it right outside the box. And I cover it with tape to be able to see exactly what’s inside which box, without having to open them.
#ORGANISE YOUR FINANCES:
25. Make a budget and stick to it:
Making a budget is the number one step towards financial freedom and being able to manage your finances. And if you aren’t used to making budgets, start one now. Here is my super simple way of making budget, if you are new to this.
26.Automate savings:
Automate all your savings to go out every month, so that you know how much money you have at hand to spend. I find this the best way because I don’t have to worry about transferring the money each month. And when the savings go our at the beginning of each month,, I am less likely to dip into the savings.
27. Track your spending:
If you want to be more in control of your finances, start tracking your spending. What gets measured, gets managed. And if you know where you are spending your money, you will be more in control of your finances. You will have a clear idea of all the expenses you’ll need to cut to save a little more, if you want.
And it doesn’t have to be an elaborate tracker. Just make sure you are putting in daily entries so that you don’t forget. I track my spending for the same categories that I use in my budget. And it all works perfectly well together.
#ORGANISE YOUR DIGITAL & Paper:
28. Clear out your phone:
I click too many pictures of random things. I am sure I am not the only one. And I clear out my phone every week to delete all the images that I don’t want to keep. there is nothing more frustrating than your phone saying you’ve run out of storage, so I try to avoid that at all costs.
29. Limit Screen time:
Do you want to be more organised and have your shit together? Then You HAVE to limit your screen time. You can’t waste your time scrolling through social media for hours. your house isn’t going to organise itself.
So put your phone down, put on some music and have a little organising party. I often set timers and reminder on my phone to remind me so that I don’t use my phone for longer than 5-10 minutes at a stretch.
30. Have a set time to charge all your devices:
DO you ever run out of battery right when you have to make an important phone call? To avoid that anxiety, I like having a fixed time to charge all my devices. I usually charge everything meaning my phone, laptop and cameras right after dinner. So that I am ready for the next day.
It seems like a habit that won’t make any difference but it definitely does. It makes a huge difference. So give it a try maybe.
31. Delete files from downloads:
I do a weekly reset every Sunday. For the reset, I delete all the files that I don’t need, from my downloads on my laptop. This helps me in organising my laptop better. And when you have it all organised, finding things and files that you want is so much easier, isn’t it?
32. Clear out inbox & Mails:
This is my least favourite thing to do, but is important one. because otherwise the inbox keeps piling up and starts giving me anxiety. At a point in time I had over 3000 unread mails in my unbox. I know, I know. It took some time but I brought it down to zero. And now I do this email clean out every single week.
33. Unsubscribe from mailing lists:
If you receive an insane number of emails, it might be because if subscriptions. So take your time and unsubscribe from the mailing lists that you never read. What’s the point right?
And the option to unsubscribe is right at the bottom of the emails.
34. Unsubscribe from magazines you no longer Read:
Same as mailing lists, cancel any subscriptions that you no longer read. Maybe you are subscribed to some magazines, that you just flip through but never really read? Go ahead and cancel those subscriptions. This will save you money and you will have one less thing to declutter.
#ORGANISE YOUR KITCHEN:
35. DO the dishes right after you eat:
Do not leave the dishes to be washed later. I repeat, do not leave the dishes to be washed later. Doing the dishes right after you eat is such a good habit to have. I love this habit because it doesn’t take much time to clean right after you have eaten or finished cooking.
And I get to walk into a clean kitchen in the morning which I absolutely love.
36. Printed grocery Shopping list:
For the things that I buy most often during the grocery shopping trips, I made a separate list called essentials. That way I already know that I have to get those things and there is no need to write everything down again. I just add the quantities that I have to get, it saves me so much time while grocery shopping.
37. Stick to the list:
I have learned this the hard way. While grocery shopping, you must make a list and ALWAYS stick to the list. It will save you so much time and money. I cannot stress this enough. And if you feel like you sometimes waste hours in supermarkets then this is a must.
38. MEal prep:
I love meal prepping and I swear by it. And meal prepping is the only reason why I could still have home cooked meals while working insane hours in the corporate. It’s life changing.
But I am not a big fan of eating the same meal throughout the week. So I do not do the usual bento box kind of meal prep. But I prepare the veggies etc.
You can still do same basic things that will make your cooking process go so much faster during the week. Do what you think will make your life easier.
39.LABEL BOXES & JARS:
If you have boxes and jars in your kitchen that aren’t see through, make sure to label them to save yourself the pain. And this is especially useful when you use multiple flours or similar looking food items. Labelling them will save you the time and energy.
This also works great if you have little kids. Making a basket that is labelled snacks is a great idea. Your kids can then go into the snack basket and grab a snack whenever they want something for a quick bite.
#ORGANISE YOUR WARDROBE:
40. Donate things you don’t need:
Every few months, I like looking through my stuff and donating things I no longer use. And I think it is such a good habit to have. This allows me to have more space in my wardrobe for things that I actually love. This sin’t just limited to clothes though. I also donate home decor that I don’t resonate with anymore.
41. Clean wardrobe and organise monthly:
I have this habit of cleaning out my entire wardrobe and organising everything ever since I was a kid.And I think it’s again such a good one. And I am so glad my mother made us do that every other Sunday.
Through out the month, things start getting a little messy and organising everything nicely gives me peace of mind.
#Organise how you work:
42: Clean your desk post work:
Make it a habit to clean your desk after you are done for the day. This will leave you with a clean workspace to come back to the next day. And there is something about organised work spaces that makes you more productive.
When your space is clean and organised, you will realise you have clearer thoughts and are more productive.
43. Do not open multiple tabs at once:
Do you ever start searching for something and then end up opening 20 tabs at a point? I know I do. And I know I am not the only one. But the thing with opening so many tabs is, that it makes your research process longer than it needs to be.
And that of course cuts into your time to take action. It’s good to research well, but it’s even better to get work done. So I limit myself to a maximum of 5 tabs at one time.
44. Have a set time to finish off work:
Even if you work for yourself and you work from home, have a set time when you get off work. I learned this the hard way too. I struggled for so long to keep a schedule when i switched from corporate to freelance.
And for those of you who work in corporate, do not bring your work home.
45. Divide your time between tasks:
I find that dividing my time between various tasks is the best way to be organised about my time. I work from home and have multiple things to do in day, and dividing this time allows me to balance all those things together.
You can do this either by using time blocking method, like we used to do in school. Different time for different subjects. Or you could do so by having theme days through the week. So let’s say Mondays are for marketing of your courses, Tuesdays are all about Pinterest and so on.
Phew! That’s it. That’s the long list. I hope you found some of these useful in some way. let me know which ones did you find helpful or if you have any other suggestions for me.
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