In Episode 90, 4 Tips to Answer, “How can I get my Partner Organized?” we shared ideas to help you get your family involved in organizing. We briefly discussed a few daily habits to focus on (especially with older kiddos), that can lead to a more organized life and home.
This episode, we wanted to do a deeper dive into those three daily habits because they can really help you become a more organized person, one small step at a time!
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Revisiting 4 simple types of schedules
As we jump into another season of distance learning, we are referring back to the 4 different types of schedules we talked about in Ep 84 Simple Schedules for Less than Simple Times.
Whether you are looking for a structured schedule or a looser plan to guide your day, we touch on ways to structure your day to make this trying time go as smoothly as possible.
Let’s start with the most structured schedule, planning hour by hour.
Daily Schedule – hour by hour
You can find tons of examples of this type of schedule online. Here is a copy of the daily schedule I’ve been using; I modified it from this one.
*If you want to edit my schedule to make your own version, click on this link, and then go to file, make a copy and then you will have a version you can edit.
If an hour by hour schedule feels a little too rigid for you, next up is creating a schedule using time blocking. This is a more flexible version of an hour by hour schedule.
Time Blocking
The basic idea of time blocking is dividing up your day into blocks of time, usually around 3 hours, giving each block a general theme. For example, a block schedule for kids learning at home could look like:
- 6-9 am – morning routine, quiet time, exercise, and breakfast
- 9-12 pm – learning time, craft project
- 12-3 pm – lunch, afternoon chores, reading, nap, quiet time
- 3-6 pm – playing outside
- 6-9 pm – dinner, family time, bedtime routine
The nice thing about time blocking is that it is flexible. You don’t have to abruptly stop an activity just because the allotted time is up. I don’t suggest abruptly stopping activities in the hour-by-hour schedule either, however large blocks of time allow you to be a bit more flexible when interruptions arise.
Planning the “Top 3” for the Day
The next type of schedule is more of a daily plan than a schedule. You are actually planning out 3 things to get done today before anything else.
You could use this for yourself or your kids. I used “top 3” when I had 2 kids under two and my days felt like they were filled with feeding and changing and not much else. Two of my top 3 items stayed the same each day, I had to exercise and plan/make dinner. The third item of the day was reserved for any extra that needed to get done.
The top 3 system allow me to see that I accomplished my main goals even if the house was a mess or there were dirty dishes in the sink. I could still relax in the evening knowing I finished my top 3 items.
I found the top 3 to be a better system for my teenager than the hour by hour schedule I’ve been following for homeschooling with my 2 younger girls. Together, we list out her top 3 most important tasks to get done that day. She can decide when during the day she takes care of those items, but there is no screen time until those items are done.
A Buffet of Options
The most flexible type of schedule is to create a buffet of options from different categories. I listed out categories or subjects and then brainstormed different activities to choose from.
For example:
Academic– read, journal, write letters to mail, flashcards, school work from teachers, science experiment, cursive
Online Learning – Khan Academy, Raz Kids, Starfall, Scholastic, Epic, Learning Upgrade, Prodigy, Mark Rober youtube video
Creative– play dough, baking, painting rocks, friendship bracelets, legos, photobook, board games, puzzles, etc.
Outdoor Activities– hike, bike ride, nature walk, bubbles, jump rope, etc.
Chores– laundry, clean glass door, recycling
This is along the same lines of the Summer Rules printable we shared during our summer episodes, Ep 65 Planning Summer Fun and Ep 18 Organizing your Summer. You can create a “buffet of options” for your kids to choose from before they use electronics.
This brainstormed list can also be used to help fill in your daily schedule even if you choose a more structured, hour-by-hour schedule like I did in my above schedule.
Whether you are organizing your day or organizing your space, it is important to find systems that work with you and your personality.
Virtual Organizing
Bethany had a chance to chat with Ana, the winner of the free Virtual Organizing session giveaway. We wanted to share Ana’s experience after 1 month of virtual organizing sessions. This could be the perfect time for you to get your space in order and take advantage of being at home more (or in your office).
If you have ever been curious about how virtual organizing works or have any other questions, head over to Space for Living Services Page to read more about virtual organizing and sign up for a free consultation call to see if it is the right fit for your project.
Also, if you are interested in signing up for our newsletter, sign up here. The newsletter features the occasional fun updates and it’s where we will host future giveaways.
3 Habits that lead you to a more organized life
It is no surprise that I love habits, routines, and easy shortcuts! We have talked about them a lot in previous episodes. For instance:
You definitely don’t need to go try all of the tips mentioned in the episodes above, but please use these ideas as a catalyst to find areas in your own life where you can simplify and streamline.
Despite all of the tips mentioned in previous episodes, I’ve found there are 3 specific tasks that you can lean on daily to move you towards a more organized life.
1. Daily Chores
Daily chores is not a revolutionary idea, but getting a simple system in place that works for you is so key to helping you keep your home tidy.
We are not talking about cleaning your house for an hour every day. We mean staying on top of daily cleaning maintenance so you are not spend your whole weekend cleaning.
In Ep 60, When You Don’t Have Time to Spring Clean, I shared my list of daily chores I do to keep my home tidy.
*This list is in order of importance so do as many as you can. If that is only the first two, give yourself a high-five and move on!
- Dishes Dishes are first on the list because if you put those off, you soon find an overwhelming mountain of glasses and plates with caked on food. If you avoid dishes it will take twice as long to clean than if you worked on them for just 15 minutes at a time.
*If you can only do one of these maintenance items, do the dishes. Keeping your kitchen tidy is taking care of yourself too! As Peter Walsh says, “no one can make good decisions in a messy kitchen.”
- Make your Bed This small task makes such a big impact! Throw the covers up, fluff the pillows and your room will look 85% cleaner.
Bethany likes to shrug off this tip, but is quick to admit that when her bed is made, it gives her a little boost each time she walks into the bedroom.
- Laundry Dirty clothes can quickly pile up if not maintained. Try to throw a load in a day and to keep the large pile at bay. If possible, delegate the folding and putting away.
Laundry is a necessary evil in my book, so I will accept any arguments against this chore if you have enough underwear and socks to tide you over. But be aware, that pile might eat you alive if you leave it alone for too long.
- Five-Ten Minute Pickup You might not have enough time to do a full house pick up, but just 5 minutes can make a huge dent.
Recruit others and your productivity will soar with the extra sets of hands! Throw on your favorite upbeat music and see what you can get down with this quick round of decluttering.
We also know that 10 minutes spent organizing (or cleaning) can make a huge difference! If you haven’t yet, check out our 10 Minutes for 10 Day Challenge in Ep 85 where we spent 10 minutes each day organizing a new space throughout our home. Also be sure to download a free form to track your progress.
- Bathroom Wipe As you wash your hands do a quick wipe off of the bathroom counters and sink with a damp towel or a few squares of clean toilet paper. The quick wipe down is all you need right now. You can break out your favorite cleaners next time. We are just keeping the sink crusty-toothpaste-free for now.
EXTRA: If you have enough time (and/or pets or kids), you could do a quick run of the vacuum. No need to move any furniture or get into all the corners. Spend 15 minutes tops.
In Ep 86, Following a Cleaning Routine with Becky Rapinchuk of Clean Mama, Becky shares her simple and streamlined weekly cleaning routine along with her daily task list.
If you are feeling lost about where to start with a cleaning routine, Ep 86 is a must listen to! Becky is an expert!
2. Quick Decisions – Avoid Delaying decisions
Quick decisions make a huge impact, and get easier the more you practice making them. Clutter accumulates because we put off making decisions about where items go, or what to do with a particular item.
Begin working on always asking yourself, what is next step I need to take with this item instead putting it down. This is a skill that adults and kiddos can practice.
In Ep 90, we used the example of the kids paper flow chart to follow to help make decisions about incoming paper. You can also use this as a guide to lead you through other decisions.
For example, practice this with your kids. If they are finished with a toy, you can practice asking them, “Where does this go now?”
What if you’re not sure where an item goes? If an item you want to keep doesn’t have a clear home, it’s important that you create a home where the items are easy to access for use and easy to return during clean-up. In general when items don’t have homes, I encourage clients to put it with like items.
In the episode, we share an example of keeping cords together. You may not have devoted time to creating a cord system, but if you need an electronics cord, you know it will be found in that one spot.
As a wise organizer says, “Later is the best friend of clutter.” – Peter Walsh If you get into the habit of making a quick decision now, you will prevent the pile up of clutter (delayed decisions).
3. Put Things Away right after using them
You’ve heard the motto, don’t put it down, put it away. Instead of tossing that paper onto the desk, ask the question, “What needs to happen with this item?”
Maybe it’s a bill that needs to be paid, or an article to read, or maybe it actually goes right into the recycle bin! Putting things away sounds easy enough so why is it that it is so hard to do sometimes?! Here are a few tricks to make putting things away a habit.
Microwave game
I am competitive, and so you introduce a timer into anything and I’m pretty hooked. Whenever I microwave something, I turn that mini-timer into a challenge to see how much I can get put away or how many dishes I can get washed.
When you leave room a room, grab an item that belongs in another to put away as you go.
Someone even invented a stair basket to help make this tip a habit! We don’t live in two story houses, but we have made it a habit to grab that glass to put it in the sink if we’re headed towards the kitchen. You’re heading there anyway, you might as well make your trip do double duty.
If it doesn’t have a home put it with like items even if the space it not completely organized for now. You can use the 10 Day Challenge to organizing one small space at a time.
Designate a spot for lost toys and game pieces.
I have a small drawer in my house where I toss any left out game piece or odd doll shoe that I find hanging out on the carpet. The kids know if they are missing a piece, they should first go check in the drawer.
Make a pending drawer.
Bethany designated a drawer for pending projects that are too big for her inbox. For example, a broken necklace that needed repair was listed on her to-do list, but the actual necklace was placed in the pending drawer instead of out on the counter.
She loves visual reminders, so she is practicing the habit of trusting her calendar and to-do list instead of keeping her to-do’s out on her desk.
Hopefully those are a few tips to lead you towards a more organized life. What is your favorite daily habit that keeps you more organized?
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