3 Tips to Stay More Organized
Hey hun! It’s LaBrea! I know we are well out of the spring cleaning phase of the year, but it’s never too late to organize our lives. I know you have heard the term “organized chaos” and felt that resonated with you, but I would challenge you to focus this year on making that first word LARGE and the second word small in your life. God calls us to be a good steward of everything in our lives. He says that because we are faithful over a few things he can bless us with many. And I feel so lead to be a better steward so that I can get all that God has designed for me and my family.
In this post, I am going to give you tips on how to do that: become more organied so you can be a better steward.
Determine how YOU like to organize things in your life.
There are so many viral videos about how people can organize their life and organize their tasks. There are people who like to do bullet journaling, some that prefer using tech, and some that just can keep a visual reminder in their heads about their tasks (spoiler alert: that’s not me!) But whatever you choose to do, it needs to be something you can be consistent with. If you’re not a person who can be consistent with pen and paper and want something more digital that twill send you reminders, then do that! I personally use the Microsoft TO DO app as well as the Trello app to keep things in their rightful place.
Maybe you are into physical journals and highlighters and want to make a meaningful experience so you can stay motivated to do it. Then purchasing journals and writing utensils may be an appropriate tool for you moving forward so that you can create that habit. If you want some direction about tools that I think would be helpful, check below. Whatever you choose to do, create an expectation of consistency. There should be a day where you set expectations for your week and set small objectives for the week. Speaking practically, Sundays are the days I feel most available to prioritize the goals for the week. It’s when I have the most help with the boys and the least responsibilities since after church we don’t tend to make plans. And If there is any prep that needs to be done, I would feel most equipped to do it on Saturday because I can get a lot done during the boys nap time. But that is going to look different for everyone. I would encourage to you to make an effort to learn your patterns and assessments. One thing I used to be expected to when working was to do a time study. It was a way to increase effectiveness and I have found that it has also been helpful when I think about how use my time now. Again, whatever you do, just make sure that you are consistent with it.Focus on making small progressions daily instead of GETTING IT ALL DONE.
I know I mention videos a lot but personally I know that I look for inspiration from other moms. Sometimes it’s in the form of video. And sometimes, they aren’t helpful. They are hurtful. That brings me to the GET IT ALL DONE videos that are on social media. Now don’t get me wrong, on days that you are needing inspiration to clean and want to feel like you have a mom with you, however, it’s not a realistic way to manage your home for most people. These moms that post these videos are making content and they are able to show a finished product but most are not showing you a process. Finished products may not be conducive to productivity that you can manage and maintain. So try to make small progressions daily in stead of having an all day cleaning marathon. For me, I have set up my Microsoft To Do to inform me of the tasks I have planned for today as a weekly reminder so that I don’t ever have to think about what I need to get done today. And as you continue to make small progresses daily, and weekly, you will find your home, and your life, more organized on a regular basis. There will be days where you will have to troubleshoot because other things in your home happen but you won’t have to start from fresh. If you want a tool for setting small goals for your week and for your day, I have a great tool that I have used in my journey to keep me mentally grounded. Comment down below.
Make sure EVERYTHING has a place (and get rid of anything that doesn’t)
When I think of everyone who has an impact on me and my motherhood, they have everything in its place (both physically and mentally). Let’s start with the physical. Clutter is the enemy of home management. Do you have a lot of clothes that you honestly don’t wear? Do you have random blankets or books or other clutter items? It’s time to start purging and get rid of things that don’t have an appropriate place in your home. Think of times when you have wanted to do a quick tidy. I could imagine there has been some stacking of things that don’t have anywhere to go and you have moved things from one room to another as you try to clean the area you area. Now you will have to touch that item several times before it goes to its final destination even though you may not even really use it. See! Everything has to have its place. You can just pick up an item and take it right to where it’s supposed to go. Now, on to the mental. This is all about priorities. I have found that I feel so much more confident and at peace with my life when I focus on my priorities. Sometimes people ask me to do things or go places that may not be in alignment with my priorities. I used to feel guilty but in being a good steward of my time, that means that I can’t just sign up for things just because people ask me because my priorities will suffer. My family will not get the best of me if I am always tired from managing other people’s things. A great way to make decisions around what does and does not fit into your schedule is a values assessment. There are so many out there that you can use but I have linked one that I like.
I want to be sure that I say that I am not an expert. I am just a friend walking this journey with you. So many people are posing themselves as an expert of your life and the best person to change your life, other than God, is you. Take the time to be a student of your life and make the changes that need to be made to enjoy your life to the fullest.
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog and I can’t wait to talk to you soon! Bye!