Buy Wisely
Buy what you need and use what you buy. This is a simple straight forward directive, but can be challenging to do. I use shopping guidelines and gatekeeper questions to help me buy wisely.
Tag Archive for: Organizing habits
Morning Routine
Set up a morning routine to help start each day in an organized way. Keep it simple and be consistent. My morning routine is, make bed, open all my curtains, meditate, stretch, eat breakfast, and shower. Establishing simple routines help us control our time and organize our day.
Incoming vs. Outgoing
The rate of what comes in needs to be less than or equal to the rate of what goes out. It is easy to bring things into our lives and spaces, but it requires more effort to remove things. Therefore we need to consistently and continually work to remove things from our lives and space. By consciously working at it we increase our chances of being able to manage what we own and keep it organized.
10 Effective Organizing Habits
Habits help us establish and maintain order. According to Stephen Covey, in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, creating a habit requires three things, knowing what to do, knowing how to do it, and wanting to do it. I can help with knowing what to do and knowing how to do it, but you have to want to do it. Below I’ve listed 10 effective organizing habits that work for me. I’d like to encourage you to pick one and create a new organizing habit for a month. Pick one that sounds doable to you and give it a try. (This is knowing what to do.) Do it every day for a month. I find it helpful to perform a new habit at the same time every day. (This is knowing how to do it.) Adjust your mindset and tell yourself that you want to and wish to do this habit. Think of it as an experiment. (This is wanting to do it.)
10 Effective Organizing Habits
- Collect mail every day and immediately recycle all junk mail.
- Establish one specific spot for keys and put them there every time you return home.
- Use only one date book/calendar to keep track of appointments, obligations, important dates and to dos.
- Have one ongoing grocery list and write down what needs replenishing as soon as it gets used up.
- Hold coupons and receipts in one designated spot and clean them out at least once a month.
- Place purse in one specific location and always put it there when home.
- Put all dirty clothes in hamper every night.
- Put clothes that can be re-worn in one designated spot in your closet.
- Plan the next day’s outfit the night before.
- After dinner each night plan dinner for the next night.
How did you do? Did you successfully create a new habit for yourself? Please share your experience with me in the comment section.
©July 2019 Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer® All Rights Reserved
Top 3 Organizing Tips
- Having a specific home for groups of like items is necessary to create and maintain order.
- Labeling bins and containers is helpful and important.
- Scheduling 2 hours to work exclusively on organizing once a week will help reclaim order in any space.
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