Although it may seem like it would take too much time to sort through the piles of paper and cluttered drawers, the returns on investing time in getting organized are priceless. Once you've created a system that works for you and your family, you will find that each day runs more smoothly and that there is more time to enjoy one another.
De-Clutter Your Home
By simply putting away clothes and sorting through mail each day, you can save time. If you know where items are, you will not waste time searching through piles to find them. Allow for only one junk drawer, so that the concept doesn't grow and take over your whole home.
Be systematic in your approach to de-cluttering. Choose one room to start and devote a few hours to organizing that room. Commit to keeping the room organized and enlist the help of other family members in your quest toward organizational salvation. When you are satisfied with the results, move on to another room and repeat the process. This approach will give you satisfaction quickly, and won't overwhelm you into quitting.
Make a "To Do" List
First, write down a double column list (one column for work tasks, the other for personal tasks) of all of the tasks that you need to complete, no matter how mundane or simple. Next, highlight or underline those that must be done before the end of the day. Finally, number the items in the order in which they are to be completed. As you go through the day, cross off each item as you complete this. The sense of accomplishment that you feel will help to keep you on track and focused.
Keep an Up to Date Calendar for the Family
Have a family calendar on which each member's appointments are kept. School projects and due dates should be highlighted as well. Keep the calendar in a central location and refer to it when planning eac day.
Using an online calendar that can sync to your handheld, such as a Google calendar, is one way to keep on top of everybody's appointments. Setting up such calendars to allow partners to add appointments will help to avoid double-booking yourself or your family, or missing appointments altogether. As necessary, print hard copies and post them at home.
Evaluate Your Work
After you have begun to organize your space, you may notice that one or more of the storage choices you have made does not work with your family's lifestyle. Perhaps you have stored items that are regularly used in a hard to reach location, or you have stored seldomly used items where they become obstacles.
Additionally, as noted in "Clutter-Busting Secrets of the Pros", you may be storing inefficiently. Make sure that items such as batteries and matches are stored in one location throughout your home. Having these items in one central location will make them easier to find when the need arises. Periodically evaluating your decisions and making changes as necessary will improve your chances of staying organized.
No matter where you begin, be supportive of yourself and remember that Rome wasn't built in a day. Any progress that you make is just that, progress. Before you know it, your home will be a well-oiled machine with a place for everything, and everything in its place.
Alice Bowman - I am a Freelance writer, English educator and supervisor in a junior/senior high school with students from grades seven through twelve. ...
