The most effective way I have found to get myself organised is to make lists for almost everything!
Shopping lists, chore lists, household "to do" lists, wishlists, you name it.
I used to procrastinate, and have found that since making lists, I am more focussed, and the "reward" of crossing a completed item off the list gives me a mental buzz, and a real sense of achievement.
Writing lists puts your thoughts safely on paper, freeing your mind and memory up for tasks at hand.
Goals: Things I want to achieve in the coming year
Daily household chores: Cleaning, and tidying you want to do on a daily basis
Daily 'to do' list
The lists can be as vague or as detailed as you wish, however, I have found, that the more detailed they are, the better.
Keep your goals in sight. Write them in a notebook, pin them to a noticeboard, or put them on the fridge so you can see them regularly, and organise your day with your goals in mind.
My current goals for 2013;
- Declutter and organise the house
- Lose weight & get fit
- Pass grades 3 and 4 on the flute
- Publish my first children's book
I use the term "current" as I am likely to add to these goals as I think of more things I want to achieve as the year progresses.
I work well with routines. The first thing I do every morning, (after my son is safely at school), is make myself a cup of tea, and sit down with pen and paper and plan my day.
An example of my day would be
Clean bathroom )
Clean toilet )
Clean bedrooms )
Clean study )
Clean lounge )
Clean dining room )
Clean sitting room )
Clean kitchen )
Put washing on )
Hang out washing )
Bring in washing )
Ironing ) goal = tidying and organising the house
Clean out kitchen cupboards ) goal = organising and decluttering the house
Exercise ) goal = Lose weight and get fit
Flute practice ) goal = to pass grades 3 and 4 in flute
Lunch ) goal = to lose weight
Prep dinner ) goal = to lose weight
Once I have my list, I then estimate how long each task will take, and write up a schedule for the day. This keeps me motivated and on task, ensuring that I get everything done on time.
One of my goals for this year is to declutter and organise my home.
In order to do this, (whilst taking into account my physical limitations), I have decided to add one task per day to my chore list (a task that won't need to be done daily). i.e. I do my chores above, and add something like "clean out fridge", or "clean out kitchen cupboards".
Adding just one task to your daily list will ensure you get closer to your goal of organising your life, every day.
