Has life felt overwhelming and chaotic lately? While a lot of what is happening might be out of your control, getting organized is one way to restore some structure and peace to your life. Here are some of my favorite ways to achieve a more balanced and stress-free lifestyle.
1. End your day by making a list
Avoid going to bed without knowing what you want to do the following day. There’s nothing worse for keeping a handle on your life than waking up without a clue of how to get started. Set aside 10 minutes each evening to plan out the next day. Make a short list of the most important items that need to be accomplished the following day.
2. Begin your day with the list of important tasks
Once you’ve climbed out of bed and pulled yourself together, look over your list and get started. As much as possible, avoid doing anything that isn’t on that list. Keep at it until the items on the list have been completed.
3. Pay bills once each week
Choose a day and time to sit down with your bills and pay them. You’ll never have to pay late fees again, and you’ll stay much more organized. Make a habit of it.
4. Throw away junk mail immediately
When you bring your mail into the house, head straight for the garbage can. Throw away anything you don’t want. Put your bills and anything else you want to keep in the appropriate place.
Misplaced mail and bills can create a lot of challenges. Manage your mail.
5. Spend 15 minutes/day cleaning your most heavily used area
Avoid having to work in a cluttered space. Spend a few minutes each day getting organized and decluttered. You’ll feel better when it’s time to work again. You’ll find that this habit can extend to other rooms in your life, like the kitchen and living room.
6. Look ahead for potential challenges
Much of the chaos in life comes from unplanned obstacles. Look ahead for the things that might go wrong and have a plan for dealing with them. You’ll scramble around less, and the chaos in your life will be reduced.
Clean your car while getting gas. It’s boring to just stand there while you’re waiting for your gas tank to fill. See how much you can accomplish during that time. Clean out the trash in your car. Clean your windshield. Your car will be less messy and more enjoyable to drive.
7. Use a wall calendar With your family
Put up a big wall calendar that everyone in the family can see and use. It’s a lot easier to stay organized this way versus maintaining multiple calendars or individual digital calendars. At a glance, you can see everyone’s activities for the month. When something needs to be added, the responsible party can add it.
A disorganized life finds clever ways of beating you up. You’re overwhelmed and constantly putting out fires. With a little organization, you can tame a complicated life and enjoy yourself more.
Try making a few small changes and notice the effect it has on your life, and keep making additional changes until you’re satisfied.
