I've never been meticulous when it comes to organization. I often have cluttered table tops and junk drawers. Sometimes I can't remember where I left some of my belongings. I forget about replying to emails and comments and text messages. And sometimes, my idea of cleaning means shoving things out of sight. Why? I don't know. It's not a good way to go through life.
Now that I'm a responsible adult (wait, what?), I'm supposed to start getting my life together. I didn't even know where to begin a year ago! I was just a college senior with no concept of how the real world worked. Since then, I've been making small improvements toward organizing my time and my belongings... And it hasn't been bad at all.
You and I may never reach a perfect state of organization, but that's okay. There will be roadblocks. There will be setbacks. There will always be that one junk drawer to hide all our stuff in (let's be real). Regardless, I'm happy with the progress I've made. So, if you're wondering how to start getting more organized or how to finally organize your life, here are six easy ways to jumpstart your journey.
Organize your time
Make lists. This is easily the most important tip I could share with you. Writing things down, whether on your phone or on a notepad, helps you organize your thoughts. It can also help you plan your day, set some goals, or even...
Prioritize. Prioritizing your task list can help you get things done quicker. What needs your attention immediately, and what can wait? By deciding this, you'll waste less of your time. And if you procrastinate as much as I do, having a prioritized list can help you focus. (If this doesn't help, check out my popular 7 ways to be productive when you really don't feel like it!)
Schedule your time into blocks. It's definitely the most efficient way to use your time, but it can also end up saving you time. If I work without setting a deadline I'll inadvertently spend too long working on a single blog post or graphic, which is wasteful if I can do an even better job in less time. Setting aside a specific period for a task allows you to mentally prepare for it and give it your best effort before your deadline. This also works well, I've found, for cleaning and decluttering your home.
Organize your belongings
Follow the minute rule. That is, if it takes less than a minute to put away then you're obligated to do it. I use this for the clothes I leave in odd places, especially if they're only worn for a short time and are still clean. You'll need to put your clothes away eventually, so why not take the ten seconds required to put it on a hanger or back in a drawer? I think it's much easier than doing it all at once later.
Take it with you. If you know something doesn't belong in a room you're in, bring it with you when you leave. Sometimes I'll leave a book in the living room or my computer in the dining room, but they all belong in my bedroom so I take them back with me when I leave the room. This helps stop the clutter before it gets too far out of hand.
Do a nightly "reset". In a similar vein, put things back where they belong before you go to bed. Those shoes you wore today? Put them in the closet. All those makeup bottles you left on your vanity? Back in the drawer. Starting the day with a clean slate will put you in a good mood. The last thing you want to see when you wake up in the morning is yesterday's mess. There will be better ones to make today!
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Now it's your turn: Do you have any secrets to getting and staying organized? Share the knowledge down below! We need all the help we can get. ;)
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