Life is hectic! The minute you think you can take a breather, something always pops up that needs your attention.
Being organized helps take some of the stress away when life is going at full speed. The last thing you need when you’re in a race against time is to spend a half-hour looking for a misplaced item.
This is why it’s helpful to find quick ways to get organized before you get swamped. These seven tips can help you get more organized in ten minutes or less.
1. Create an Organization Station
The first step to getting more organized is to have a space dedicated to that very end. Of course, you don’t want this to take up too much room because that would defeat the purpose.
Find a place out of the way – like hanging on the wall – to put this organization station. What would you include here?
You will want it to have places to sort papers. One spot to use as an inbox (say for mail). Another to serve as an outbox for things you need to send out, and possibly one for miscellaneous documents to file and keep.
You also want to add a keyring for each set of keys you own and make a habit of putting your keys there every time you walk through the door. That way, you never lose your keys.
You can also add extra hooks to keep your sunglasses, umbrellas, and purse hanging. If possible, add a shelf or box to keep your phone and wallet.
This organization station could very well be a lifesaver. When your life gets extra crazy, the last thing you need is to lose your keys or a crucial piece of paper.
2. Inventory Your Necessities
The habit of taking inventory is a great one to establish. That way, you always have what you need when you need it instead of having to interrupt an important task to make a trip to the store.
Emergency Supplies
This first set of necessities that you should check on is your emergency supplies – things like lightbulbs, batteries, and matches that you might need at any time.
You also might want to keep some candles, bottled water, and canned goods in stock just in case.
Hygiene Essentials
Another area of items that a person never wants to run out of stock is for hygiene and first aid.
Regularly check on how low your toilet paper supply is. And if you have plenty of soap, including hand, body, dish, and laundry soap.
You will also want to make sure there are no first aid items missing like bandaids, triple antibiotic ointment, and peroxide.
Groceries
In every household, certain grocery items seem impossible to keep stocked. For many, bread, milk, butter, and eggs are high on the list, but some families have other favorite foods that they like to keep on hand.
Making sure never to run out of these foods will help your week run much smoother.
Helpful Tip: Instead of making a hard copy of the items you need (and risk losing that piece of paper), download an app on your phone. Now, you can have your list with you wherever you go!
3. Write Out a Meal Plan
Speaking of groceries, a meal plan might save you money on food and will undoubtedly save you the headache of trying to figure out what to cook for dinner.
Many veteran meal planners choose a day of the week. Usually, Sunday or Monday, to plan out the meals they want to cook that week. This helps in two ways.
First, it helps you to know what ingredients to add to your grocery shopping list.
Second, you can save time and money by knowing exactly what you will cook that night and putting every perishable item to use. For instance, you can plan your meals to use up the veggies you have in your fridge before they go bad.
4. Track Your Electronics
The number of devices in a home has seemed to triple in the past ten years. All these devices have cords and remotes that go along with them. This can cause a big messy jumble in the living room.
Organize your cables by keeping them clearly labeled. Use a color-coded system by adding a sticker to both ends of the cord to know exactly which plug goes where.
You can also match the cord to the device by clipping bread clips to a wire and labeling it with the name of the corresponding device.
Then do the same for the remotes – if you have trouble remembering which one goes to which device. The biggest issue with remotes often seems to be keeping track of their location.
A sure fix for this problem comes in the form of a small sticker with GPS location. These stickers announce their position through an app on your phone.
5. Organize Your Inbox
Many people waste precious time scrolling through their emails. You can save time by doing an email inbox organization.
The first thing on the list is to purge some unnecessary emails. Go through and unsubscribe from ten email lists that you never read.
Next, mark important emails with a star so that you can easily find them through your full inbox. Now you can directly click on and read them without having to scan through the rest.
If you have emails that are important to you, but you’ve already opened and read them, make a folder for them. Getting them out of your inbox will keep things much tidier.
6. Establish a Morning Routine
Successfully organized people tend to be creatures of habit. They have daily routines that keep them on track.
You can use this tactic to keep your own life more organized. A quick ten minute morning routine should consist of making your bed. A well-made bed can change the entire environment of the room.
You should also take some time in the morning to review your to-do list for that day to ensure you don’t forget any appointments or tasks.
As you are drinking your coffee, empty the dishwasher. After you have freshened up, quickly clear any clutter off the bathroom counter.
7. Set Up a Bedtime Routine
A good habit for a bedtime routine is to prepare for the next day – lay out your clothes for the next day so you can get ready faster.
Write down three things you want to accomplish the next day. Nighttime is usually our most creative and peaceful time when it’s best to brainstorm.
Lastly, fill the dishwasher and start it. A sink full of dirty dishes in the morning is not pleasant to wake up to.
Conclusion
These are seven simple ways that you can help keep your life less disorganized. This will help you feel more in control, reduce damaging stress, and lead to you being more productive every day.
Being more organized will also help you feel prepared for whatever craziness life might throw at you next!
About the author
Caitlin Sinclair is the Property Manager at Verandas at Timberglen and has been a team member since the doors opened at the community. She takes great pride in the management team providing superior service as well as establishing and maintaining relationships between Verandas at Timberglen and local businesses.
