5 Things You Can Do to Feel More Organised

Organisation is one of those things that I’m working to be much better at, but I’ve definitely found that it takes setting some routines and following them through. I’m not sure it will ever be something that I’m perfect at, as sometimes life and busyness gets in the way and it takes some extra work to get back on track.

The good thing about this embracing imperfection series, is that I’m learning to be ok with it not being perfect, but being what works for me. It’s certainly got easier over the past two years. Here are some of what’s worked for me and what I’d like to try.

5 ways to feel more organised:

1. Write lists – Since I started writing things down and not relying on my memory to get all the things done, I’ve had much more success at actually finishing stuff. If you’re looking for lists to start with I have: a weekly shopping list, a home maintenance list, a work to-do list, and a dreams and goals list. These help me get things on paper so they get done.
2. Organise one room at a time – I organised my laundry last year, and my kitchen earlier this year and what I’ve realised is that they’ve stayed really neat and tidy since. They’re so much less stressful to be in and by focusing on one room at a time it wasn’t overwhelming. Start with a high traffic area and add storage solutions that give everything that “lives” in there a home to easily be returned to.
3. Have a wall calendar – I have more than one calendar for the different parts of my life, but having a calendar where we can see who has what on at what time has made for less double bookings and clashes. If you want to take it up a notch having a different colour for each person makes it easy to see who has something on at a glance.
4. Create a command centre – This one is on my home maintenance list, but I love the idea of having a command centre where you keep all the important things you need for the week. Here’s a great round up post of 20 command centres that other people have in their homes.
5. Set reminders in your phone – If you feel like you need more time to prepare for things, but you only really notice them on the calendar the day before, set a reminder in your phone a couple of weeks ahead of time and again a few days out. This will give you that notice you need to feel a little more prepared for what’s coming. This works well if you need to have special clothes ready for an event or if you need to get a card in the mail by a certain date so it arrives on time. (I dropped the ball on this lately, and really need to start it again).

Sometimes it feels like organisation needs to be all or nothing, but I’ve found that by adding a bit at a time and letting it become routine and then adding a bit more, it becomes so much more achievable. These are just 5 things to get the ball rolling, but once you have them down, you can always add in more. I have more tips and tricks in my organisation category if you’re looking to add more.

What’s one thing you do that makes you feel more organised?

Note: The Embracing Imperfection series is a fortnightly blog post series, every second Thursday, where I talk about creating a great, happy home for you and for me. One where we not only talk about embracing imperfection, but where we make steps to do it. Read more about it here.

P.S. Style for a Happy Home’s first E-Course starts May 25! If you’re looking to make your home feel happier this year and want a fun and practical way to do it, with a community of others who will be with you along the way, come join us: Find out more and sign up here.