How To Stay Organized so You Don’t Get Overwhelmed
Recently I noticed I had a lot of Google Docs and was feeling overwhelmed when I opened my files. I like to stay organized, but clearly I had not done this with my documents. As I was creating folders and moving documents, I thought about a question I often get asked.
How do you stay organized and focused and manage your time?
For me, it sorta comes naturally. It’s just the way I am. I like to stay organized. Things need to be in their place…pretty much. I do better with routine.
Now, before I go on, I will add this disclaimer: our greatest strengths can become our greatest weaknesses. I know that I can tend towards being too rigid.
How to stay organized so you don't get overwhelmed. #tips Click To Tweet
I’ll keep working on adding some flexibility, but I can tell you that it is important to stay organized. You get things accomplished and have free time for the extras and unplanned moments. And then you still have a system you can jump right back into
I’ve picked a few areas to highlight and how I stay organized by essentially simplifying and spreading out my tasks.
Around the house
- Clean a little everyday.
- After I brush my teeth, I wipe down the sink.
- Every few days, I’ll clean the mirror in the bathroom.
- I keep sanitizing wipes in the bathrooms and under the kitchen sink so I can wipe things off quickly
- Dust off furniture in the main living areas regularly.
- Do a load of laundry each day.
- Keep things picked up and put in place by having a spot for things.
Fitness
- Lay clothes out the night before.
- Write out your plan for the week. List what workouts you plan to do and when you plan to do them.
- Get some accountability.
- Let go of the notion that you have to have a gym membership or an hour a day to make it count.
Meal Planning
- I don’t live out of tupperwares, but I do have a general idea of what I’m going to eat for the coming week and what I’ll fix for meals.
- I consider everyone’s schedule, then I get things out of the freezer and into the refrigerator a couple of days prior to when I’ll fix it.
Schedule
- Nobody messes with my sleep schedule! I’m typically in bed around 9:00PM (having started to wind down around 8:00PM) and wake up is usually 4:30~4:45 every day of the week.
Get others to help
- Even if they don’t do major chores, just instilling in your husband and kids a sense of organization and being relatively neat, helps out. They will often just place their shoes to the side or put their clothes in the hamper. They won’t slop around in the bathroom.
Make a list
- I have a list of things I need to accomplish each day in my business and for the home. It includes everything from writing a blog post or listening to a podcast to writing out bills or placing my Target, Kroger, or Green Bean Delivery order online.
- I also list projects that I’m working on. Spend a little time on those when time allows. Make sure to add a deadline.
Bonus Tip: Each season set aside some time to get organized. For instance, at the beginning of summer break, we take the first few days to catch up and clean up and organize. I’m sure you understand how busy it gets at the end of the school year so even the best intentions don’t help at the time of year.
We’re not meant to live life in a state of overwhelm.
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
We weren't meant to live in overwhelm. How will you start organizing today? #tips Click To Tweet
How can you begin to implement some changes so that your day doesn’t feel so overwhelming?
Trying to do everything listed above would in and of itself be overwhelming, but what one or two things can you try to do today or this week?
This is by no means an exhaustive list of how to stay organized. Hopefully it will get you thinking and approaching your daily living in a different way.
Some of these things may not work for you. But simplifying or streamlining one or two things can help relieve some of your stress and overwhelm and help you stay organized.
P.S. If you choose to order a Kitlife Planner, use coupon code “marsha” for $5 off.
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