How to Stay Organized - 3 Tips!

How do you start your day? It's a brand new day and with it comes new challenges and accomplishments. Some wake up to chaos and others to calm. Which do you have...which would you like??? Everyone has a different level of chaos that they can handle. In a perfect world we would all wake up to a calm, serene household; whether you live by yourself or in a full house!

Because of who I am, my house is picked up prior to going to bed - meaning, the last few items I used were put away. Therefore, when I rise, the first thing I do before starting my new day is fluff/put back the couch pillows from my husband the night before and put away all the pots and dishes on our bamboo drying rack. It's a routine and makes for a clean slate. I do have to admit, to my husband's dislike (because he's still in it), I make my half of the bed when I get up, so I don't have to come back later.

You'll hear me state this many times, "Change is challenging, but GREAT!"

Start these 3 new routines: only touch something once, clean up as much as you can before you eat, and put an object away in it's "happy home" right after using it.

Examples:

Only touch something once! Mail: while walking from the mailbox, sort through the mail. Junk mail in the front of your palm, bills in the middle and cards/information to be saved goes in the back. Walk right to your trash and recycling bins and dump the junk mail/empty envelopes. Put your bills in their "happy home" (separate from other mail - possibly with your check book) and pin up the informative pieces on the bulletin board/write the dates on your calendar. DON'T JUST PUT IT DOWN ON THE COUNTER - nor the "In Box/To Do" bin you think you've organized! Touch it ONCE!

Clean up before you eat - at least small meals! Breakfast and lunch should be made and put away (Not including pans - put in sink with water) before you eat. Leave the kitchen looking like you never made your bowl of cereal/sandwich/etc. when you sit down to eat. Then, all you have to do is clean up the bowl/plate when you're done. Put condiments/spices away while you're cooking. Clean the mixing bowls/put them in the dish washer as you're moving through your recipe. It also a good deal if two individuals make a deal that one cooks and the other cleans.
Don't go read your e-mail while waiting for the item to cook - clean up!

Put the item away - well, if you only "touch something once" you've already put it away. But if the phone rings just as you're finishing wrapping that last gift, go back and put the tape, scissors, ribbon, and paper away in your wrapping storage bin so it's all ready for next time! YES, you should keep all wrapping materials and supplies in one spot. No need to go running around your house for tape or scissors each time you need to wrap that last minute gift. Another great idea is to keep extra cards and gifts (those "It's just not me" gifts you can re-gift) in a bin near the wrapping bin/station. Other classic items not put away are jackets and clothes! Do it right when you walk in the door or when you undress. No more clothes out of place! That's not why that chair/top of your dresser is in your room. Touch it once!

After accomplishing these three new routines, your mornings will start off on a brighter, more serene note and your day will be more organized and less stressful. Everything is in its place!