There are times when we are on top of our adulting and then something happens that gets us sidetracked and before we know it our life is not as organized as it used to be and it affects our productivity and efficiency along with our mood. So how do we organize things in our life in an effective manner to get back on track? Since I have had my fair share of “my life is all over the place” kind of moments and I have had to take sick leaves from work to get things organized yours truly have developed a system that makes it all streamlined and effective.
These are the simple steps I took to get my life organized and on track. These are tips and tricks that helped me and I am certain you could adapt the same and tweak it a bit based on your lifestyle.
Some things to keep in mind before you start organizing:
- Declutter your physical space
- Declutter your digital space
- Declutter your mind
- After decluttering these three aspects of your life sit down and make a simple 1-week to-do list
- Take out your daily planner only once you feel ready
Decluttering physical space
This is very straightforward. I start by throwing all the pillow and cushion cases and bedspread in the washer. Then proceed to tidy up and vacuum and end with a full floor moping. I wipe down the couch and dust the living area and follow it up with moping. Since my bathroom is always in top shape (I have a kid so I can not make excuses about hygiene ) a simple floor moping and counter wiping does the trick. Then I take a little tea break before I proceed to dress up my bed. Lighting candles and incense towards the very end just amplifies the clean energy in the house. It truly feels like a fresh start.
Now obviously I stay in a 1 bedroom apartment and this full-fledged cleaning is possible in 2 to 3 hours and it will differ for you based on how messy and big your place is. But the point is getting your living environment sorted and organized helps you feel like you are getting things done. That momentum is exactly what we need to proceed on to the next steps.
My bathroom cabinet is very basic with just face wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and tongue cleaner so it hardly needs any declutter. If you are a product junkie and have a lot of skincare and beauty products lying in your bathroom turn on some fun music or audiobook and get it sorted. Use up products that are close to expiry before you buy anything new.
Kitchen cabinets and the fridge is your next place. Again I have a minimalistic life and I am a planner and list-maker so my fridge and cabinets are stocked only with essentials. You could start by getting rid of expired products and spices that you don’t ever use but bought for that fancy recipe that you did not end up making. I personally got rid of a spice called Javitri that was too intense for my liking. I kept holding on to it for weeks and tried to like it but nope it did not happen.
And in all honesty, I feel so relieved now. It might sound like an over-exaggeration but getting rid of things that do not serve you is like closing a tab on your computer. Once the decluttering is done you could do a quick disinfecting wipe down the interiors and exterior of your fridge and cabinets. I use Dettol or Clorox wipes.
Decluttering digital space
Declutter your phone by deleting unwanted apps, images, and videos. Transfer your images and videos to your back up source and reclaim your phone space. I have also gone for a white marble screensaver that looks so classy and minimalistic. Clear up your inbox and unsubscribe from random email lists. My laptop was a mess and I had to spend more than 2 hours organizing it. Now, my desktop has a folder for me, one for my blog, one for Mr. Husband and another for my son. Then, of course, there is the much required miscellaneous folder which also has only files and images that we truly require.
Decluttering mind
This is something not enough people give importance to but, for me, this makes all the difference. On a regular basis, I carry self-doubts, guilt, anger and unexpressed sorrow with me and not going to a therapist means I never have a chance to let it all out. That is why brain dump is so therapeutical for me.
You can do it at any time but I prefer doing it right before I go to bed. It calms me and soothes me. I end my sessions by giving myself forgiveness for acting out or thinking unpleasant thoughts and just reflect on the lessons these instances have taught me.
1-week to-do list
The key to getting this done effectively without overwhelming yourself is by keeping it very simple. I call it the bare essentials list. Meeting someone, doing a grocery run, getting a week’s worth of clothes washed and ironed for all 3 of us, writing a blog post, creating new worksheets for my son and getting my eyebrows done are things that top my list.
Planner
I love my daily planner. It reminds me to write my gratitude for the day and focus on what exactly to do. It is easy and to the point. I have uploaded some of my daily planner printables and self-care worksheets so that you can also benefit from them by clicking here.
Now why this kind of re-organizing works better than going full Konmari is because in one day we are tackling multiple aspects of our daily life that influences us. In the past, I have tried just cleaning up my physical space or just tackling the wardrobe and though it gives you a sense of accomplishment it does not truly feel like you got your entire life in order. Now if you have a hoarding problem that is reflected in multiple facets of your life Konmari Method is a great way to proceed.
Please let me know how this post has inspired you and do share your tips and tricks.
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