This post is all about how to organize yourself for real.
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Everyone on the internet is talking about how a new cleaning product or purging a closet one time will help you get organized af!
And if your life is an absolute mess, you might want these crazy organization hacks.
But the real problem that comes after using these ‘get organized quickly’ hacks is that they don’t tell you how to STAY organized.
How to set up systems and create habits so you won’t end up in the exact same mess 2 months later?
Because staying organized is much more than color coding your clothes and scheduling your google calendar and calling it a day!
Here are 18 habits that every organized woman has; that’ll help you stay organized af every single day. Some of these are really niched, haha because I’ve tried and tested each one of these and I’m telling you exactly what works for me.
This post is all about how to organize yourself.
How To Organize Yourself
1. organize yourself the night before
Plan for the next day the night before. This will hardly take 15 minutes of your time but will set you up for an organized and calm morning.
Here are some things that you can do at night to prepare yourself :
1) Lay your gym clothes out – If you hate working out, this might be game changing. Change into the workout clothes you laid out as soon as you wake up without thinking much. You’ll automatically feel more active and it will reduce resistance in going to the gym.
2) Keep a water bottle on the bedside table – Water before coffee!
3) Put your journal on the bedside table as well – If you’re starting a new habit, leaving visual reminders such as this one can be really helpful. This 5 minute journal is perfect for beginners.
4) Load the dishwasher – One less thing to do in the morning.
5) Look at your to-do list for the next day – To get a clear idea of what your day is going to look like and start your mornings with the right mindset
2. keep everything where you found it
This is literally something my mom always used to say to me. Put everything back where you found it, and you won’t have to deal with a cluttered house ever again. This is the easiest tip on how to organize yourself.
Noted!
But before that, make sure that everything has a place of it’s own. Your t.v. remote will obviously clutter your couch or the coffee table if you don’t have a designated space to hold it, even if it’s just a tray.
Make sure everything has a home and nothing is left out roaming around in the open.
3. clean your bed at night
Everyone talks about making your bed first thing in the morning.
But if you start cleaning your bed right before you go to sleep, you’ll a) sleep so much better b) will make your morning task much easier.
And it obviously makes sure you’re keeping the pesky dirt particles away from your face.
4. keep a notebook with you at all times
This is the best tips to stay organized, especially if you have a distracted mind like mine.
So, the next time you have a thought in between your meetings (whether that’s an idea or an important reminder), you write it down. So you won’t end up forgetting them and can come back to this list later.
I love using this pocket size spiral notebook that’s easy to carry around with you.
5. habit stacking
I learned this tips to stay organized from Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Basically, the concept is that if you want to start a new habit, stack it on top of pre existing ones. Your pre existing habit will be your cue to start the new one.
For example, if you want to keep your kitchen clean at all times, wash your utensils right after you had your meals. This will hardly take 10 minutes because you won’t have many utensils lying there if you’re washing them after every meal.
Or saying 3 things you’re grateful for right after you pour your morning coffee.
6. keep your mornings slow
I’m sure it’s no secret that getting up 30 mins before you have to leave for work is not the best way on how to organize yourself.
That’s why scheduling some time in the morning to focus on yourself and your goals, before going out and focusing on everyone else, can do wonders!
Even if you can just find 20 mins in the morning, use that time to think about what you want your day to look like. You can read, meditate, workout, or simply enjoy your morning coffee in peace.
I’m a huge fan of morning routines. And I always feel lost and chaotic on days when I don’t follow my morning routine.
Here’s exactly how to start a morning routine that works for you!
7. automate tasks
Staying organized doesn’t mean that you have to clean every 15 minutes and make a 100 lists. It’s more about being efficient.
Start automating the tasks that you have to do on a daily basis.
For eg, start with automating your monthly bills. This will save you from the last minute hassle and make you feel on top of your money game.
But honestly you can automate literally everything these days. From posting on social media to getting dinner recommendations to taking regular backups, simplify your life as much as you can!
8. Don’t keep too many tabs open
If you have a distracted mind like mine, you probably have 10 tabs opened (at least) already, haha. And I don’t need to explain how distracting it can get.
Specially when one of those tabs starts throwing a notification!
So, make a 2 tab rule, that will force you to only focus on one task at a time (even tho you want to google every random thought that’s crossing your mind).
You can also use apps like freedom to block all the unnecessary websites while working.
9. keep a minimal work desk
I don’t know about you but I hate it when I have anything on my desk except my laptop and my mouse, haha. Because I always want enough room to move my hands around.
And honestly you can’t get any work done when your desk is messy and distracting.
So, get rid of everything on your work desk, while keeping your essentials nearby – like documents, stationary, headphones, specs, and water bottle.
Allocate them a space near your desk, if you can. Like using this headphones hanger is pure genius. Or get a desk organizer to reduce the space occupancy.
Related Post : The Best Desk Layout For Productivity (Minimal + Clean)
10. stay strict with the deadlines you set for yourself
We’re all pretty good in following through with external deadlines, but slack through when it come to the deadline you set for yourself.
But it’s an important skill on how to organize yourself.
Decide how much time do you want to spend on a given task, and then follow through with it.
More importantly, have a work cut off time, say 6 pm, after which you aren’t allowed to work on anything. This creates a sense of urgency, increases your productivity, and helps you maintain balance.
Literally, my 4-6 are my most productive hours on days when I try to follow this deadline.
11. limit decisions
You can only make so many decisions in a day.
And research’s have shown that you make better, more accurate decisions in the morning. Using that to your benefit can obviously help you be more efficient.
Keep less important meetings later in the day. Complete your low value tasks, like following up on an email and decisions like what you want to wear the next day, the night before.
12. Schedule focus hours
You can’t expect yourself to be a 100% focused at all time, that’s wishful thinking.
Something that I’ve found that works for me instead is to have a 2-3 hr focus block in my day. Basically, scheduling some undistracted focus time in my days when I sit down and get the most important sh*t done.
And after that, I can put on an episode of Friends in the background and work on low value tasks. Basically, allow myself to get distracted.
Similarly, have strict rest hours as well. You don’t need to be half ass working or worrying about work, all the time!
13. do a brain dump every time you feel overwhelmed
No matter how big of a planner you are, there are still gonna be moments when something random pops up, or you start feeling overwhelmed, that’s life!
And the first thing that helps me calm down in such situations, is a brain dump.
Anytime you feel confused, or overwhelmed with tasks, get yourself a pen and paper, and write down everything that’s on your mind. No judgements!
And by the end of the brain dump, you’d already start feeling much more calm and in control.
And looking at your thoughts on paper will help you articulate them properly, and come up with possible solutions to deal with the problem.
14. order groceries on a weekday to pickup on friday
I learned this tip from Fly Lady cleaning, and it’s honestly genius.
Basically, every Thursday place your grocery pickup order online. And then, on Friday on your way back from work, pick up your groceries.
This way you won’t have to make an extra run to the grocery shop. It’s a simple way to save you time and money, while staying healthy.
15. ‘Gifts they want’ list
This might be way too niched, but I heard a girl on Instagram talk about this and I thought it was so smart!
Basically, keep a running list in your notes app of all the gifts your friends and family keep asking for.
This way you won’t have to struggle trying to find a meaningful gift on their birthdays or holidays. And you can also keep an eye out for sale!
While you’re at it, write birthday messages for them way in advance (you know, on days when you’re feeling extra grateful to have them in your life <3)
16. Use organization tools
I’m a big paper planner person, but I also use some organization tools religiously to simplify my life.
There are obviously so many good ones out there, but here are some that I use every single day.
1) Google calendar – I time schedule my entire week using google calendars, mainly because it’s so easy to move things around in it.
2) Notion – I’m obsessed with Notion. From goal setting, to reading journal, to travel planning, you can organize your entire life in Notion.
3) Toggl Time Tracking App – Helps you track your time to get insights on how to optimize it better.
17. 10-minute cleaning timers
I know it’s so hard to keep your house if order if you have a 9-5 job, personal projects and try to maintain a social life on top of it.
Which is why 10 min cleaning breaks are the best tip on how to organize yourself.
Just put on a 10 minute timer and without getting overwhelmed, simply start putting your house in order. Vacuum the house, unload the dishwasher, put everything back to where it belongs.
You’ll be shocked to see how much you can get done in just 10 minutes. Your house will never get messy thanks to these 10 minute breaks.
18. create email templates
The world is racing towards AI at this point. And here you are writing every single mail by yourself, not the most efficient thing to do I suppose!?
Use AI tools to prepare an email template for you, so you can just change a few words around and send it away.
You can also create and save email templates for future use using these ideas.
This post is all about how to organize yourself.
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3) 16 Ways To Keep Your Life Organized In All Areas