I didn’t grow up in an organised home. Warm and welcoming yes, but definitely not organised. But once I flew the nest, I had to learn quick. As a single parent working full time as a Primary School Teacher, being organised was a necessity. The key to this was establishing habits and routines that simplified my life and created order. They only took a few minutes each day, but were life-changing.
Make the bed every morning
Choose a seasonal duvet with a cotton or linen cover and this becomes a 20 second feat. It’s such a small thing but you will immediately feel more organised, having accomplished one of the first tasks of the day.
Hang up coats
Resist the urge to drape them on the nearest surface. Get into the habit of hanging up coats before you do anything else. Do the same with bags, umberellas and dog leads. In fact, anything with a loop in it can be suspended on a peg or hook.
Keep keys in the same place
Pick an option that works best for you: hang them, stow them or toss into a container. What matters is that you identify a place and stick scrupulously to it. Do the same with reading and sunglasses and you’ll never have to hunt them down again.
Open mail daily
Incoming and outgoing mail can get lost in the shuffle and create pileups. Open mail and deal with it daily by either filing, recycling or shredding. Designate a place for ‘pending’ documents and action them on a weekly basis.
Do a quick reset at the end of the day
Gather stray shoes and put them away along with anything else that has strayed from it’s ‘home’. Collect up used crockery and clear kitchen counters. Wash the dishes or load and start the dishwasher.
Put away clothes at bedtime
Hang, fold or put into a laundry basket. If you tend to pile clothes on the floor, wall hooks might be the answer, particularly for clothes that have another wear in them before washing.
Lay out clothes for the next day
This will save you time in the morning and avoid the inevitable staring into the wardrobe wondering what to wear. Laying clothes out will help you to feel on top of things
So there’s my list of essentials for helping you to be better organised and in control. Turn them into daily habits and you won’t look back.
Good habits are worth being fanatical about
John Irving
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Here I share some of the ways I kept the plates spinning – the daily rituals – that I still do today. The only difference is that now I don’t have to think about doing them, they’ve become lifetime habits for staying organised.
If you need help to get organised,you can find more information about my services here: https://aneaterlife.com/services/