5 Tips to staying organized

1. Set a Goal

Tip #1: set a realistic goal (emphasis on realistic) and write. it. down. Committing your goal to paper gives you clear focus and a consistent visual reminder of what you are working toward. It doesn’t have to be pretty - even a post-it note will do - just slap that puppy up on a wall or somewhere you will see it every day. The bathroom mirror or the fridge are great places! Don’t forget to include action steps on how you’re going to make it happen. These are your roadmap to making your goal a reality.

2. Commit to 30 Days

Developing new habits that will help you stay organized isn’t going to miraculously happen over night. Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all! So what’s the secret? Tip #2: Commit to 30 days and make it a routine. Just one month is all it takes to develop a new habit, but the key is consistency! Perform the same action every day, at the same time, and in same place. Whether it’s sorting your mail right when you come home or creating a better system for tackling the laundry, just be consistent about the “when” and the “where” (and remind yourself about the “why!”). You can even track your progress with my FREE handy-dandy habit tracker. Click here to snag your free habit tracker and grab a bonus decluttering checklist while you are at it! My gifts to you.

3. Keep it Simple

Tip #3: Keep it simple, people. I believe submitting to the principle of “less is more” will take you far in life and it’s particularly applicable to organizing. One of the easiest ways to stay organized is to simply have less stuff. It’s a no-brainer, really. Here’s some food for thought: Did you know the typical American only wears 20% of the clothes in their closet and kids typically play with the same 12 toys? Check facts. Next time you are shopping ask yourself: 1) Do I love it? and 2) Is it worth my time and energy to keep it?

4. Give Items Homes

Tip #4: A place for everything and everything in its (labeled) place. The biggest reason reason people cannot stay organized is because they failed to designate a “home” for their items. Think about it. How many times have you picked up something and thought, “Hmm, where should I put this? I know I’ll just shove it in this drawer or the back of the closet!”? Stop, please. As you are organizing be sure to create a place for your item to live and be thoughtful about it. Items that are seldom used should be stored in harder to reach areas and more frequently used items should be stored with easy access in mind. If you find yourself struggling with where to put something, perhaps it doesn’t need to be in your house at all. And last, but not least - label, label, label! Labels not only help identify the contents of a container, but they also tell you (cough* or your children/spouse) where things belong.

5. Organize Together

Tip #5: Make it a party. And by that I mean, don’t do it alone. Keeping your house organized will feel like an uphill battle if you are the only one helping to maintain the new and fabulous systems you’ve put into place. Get your kids/spouse/significant other/roommate/pets (jk) involved too! Sorting toys and doing the laundry (yes, I said laundry) can be turned into a fun game. Putting laundry in the hamper is target practice at my house. Kids really do love helping and feeling like they’ve accomplished something. It’s not always rainbows🌈 and sunshine☀️, but it can’t hurt to try, ammiright?!