It is so easy to become a disorganized mess when life gets extra busy.
I know that for me, it only takes one day of not staying up on my usual organizing habits or chores and then all of the sudden it looks like a bomb hit our house and I feel completely overwhelmed by everything.
I’ve learned that even though I don’t necessarily want to prioritize organization when life gets busy, it’s usually key to maintaining my sanity during those tougher days or seasons of life.
Sometimes it’s the smallest habits in our days that make the biggest overall difference in our lives. Making small changes to your daily routine can help you stay more organized and allow you to feel more in control so that your busy schedule feels less overwhelming to you.
So today I’m going to share some habits that I’ve found to be super helpful when it comes to staying organized even when life feels a bit chaotic!
Tips to Stay Organized When Life is Busy:
1. Create a morning routine
As a former night owl, I have to say that creating a morning routine has been key for me to start my day off on the right foot, especially when I’m busy!
I took Crystal Paine’s Makeover Your Mornings course several years ago and it completely changed how I view mornings and taught me that the way we approach our morning routine can make such a positive impact on our lives. Creating a morning routine is a great way to start each day off less chaotic 🙂
Related: 15 Ways to Make Your Mornings Happier
2. Use lists for everything
Instead of relying on your memory to remember to complete any to-dos you think of throughout the day, simply add them to various ongoing lists. I have typically have running lists for groceries I need to get, urgent tasks, non-urgent tasks, etc.
Instead of using precious brain power trying to remember all of these things on my own, I just add to my various lists throughout the day so that I can then move on with the rest of my day knowing that I won’t forget any to-dos that I’ve thought of! The notes app on my phone is usually where I store them.
Related: 9 Ways to be Insanely Productive
3. Use the “one minute” rule
If a task is going to take you a minute or less to complete, then do it now instead of putting it off for later. A few tasks that come to mind are things like hanging up your coat when you walk in the door, putting away items from your trip to the store when you get home, and clearing off your plate and putting in the dishwasher right away after you finish a meal.
It’s usually easiest to tackle these small tasks as they pop up instead of allowing them all to pile up so that you’ll need a bigger chunk of time to complete them later on.
Related: 25 Ways You’re Wasting Time on a Daily Basis
4. Do what you can with the time you have
Maybe you keep putting off tasks like doing a thorough cleaning of your bathroom because you simply don’t have the time to do the full deep cleaning you want to do. Instead of trying to do all the deep cleaning at once, perhaps you have time right now to just scrub the toilet, and then tomorrow maybe you will have time to clean the bath tub, and then the day after that you will clean the mirror and vanity.
Sure, it might not be ideal or time efficient to clean the bathroom this way, but the important thing is that it’s all getting done eventually and you are breaking the bigger task of deep cleaning your bathroom up into bite-sized chunks that are more manageable for you right now.
{for more time management tips, sign up for my free 4-week Simplify course}
5. Stay on top of the little things
Make sure your car is filled up with gas so you don’t have to make a last minute stop at the gas station when you’re already running late to get somewhere. Or stay on top of your laundry so that you don’t have to hunt around in the morning as you’re running out the door trying to find a clean shirt!
Related: Productivity Habits to Streamline Your Life
6. Make decisions quickly
If you’re typically indecisive about even the simplest of decisions in your day-to-day life, it could be causing you a lot of unnecessary stress and sucking time away from what’s most important.
If you struggle with indecisiveness, make an effort to start making decisions more quickly so that you can get on with your day and not waste your energy on the things that don’t really matter (i.e. what to wear for the day or what you want to eat for breakfast).
Related: 11 Things to Do When You Feel Overwhelmed
7. Make sure everything has a home
It’s tough to put things away and keep everything neat and tidy if you don’t have a dedicated place to put it all. Make your life easier by dedicating a place for everything in your home so that it’s quicker to clean up and stay organized!
Decluttering the amount of stuff in your home can also be a huge help in staying organized and on top of things. In my Clutterfree course, I share an actionable step-by-step plan to declutter every room in your home and help you feel less overwhelmed by the process!
Are there any other ways you like to stay organized when life is busy? Share with us in the comments section below!
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As I type this from my usual writing spot, which is now covered with Legos, I’m getting quite a chuckle at the irony here! Aside from the chaos on my dining room table at the present moment, I stay organized by donating items regularly.
In fact, I just did a big purge this weekend! Nothing makes you feel freer or more energized than giving things you no longer need to organizations who can give them to those who do.
Thank you so much for your tips. Also, I’m going to share this article with my Facebook followers on Custom Pilates and Yoga.
So sorry I haven’t stopped by in awhile Christina. I hope you are well. The smallest habits can make the biggest difference in our lives. I always feel like my house is a mess, but whenever I get visitors, they rant and rave about how clean it is. I couldn’t live without my lists, I just made a list of all the things I need to get done today. Without it, I would be lost.
I didn’t realize that number 7 is my biggest struggle right now. We had a baby 8 months ago and she has so much stuff and our things are just all over the place now. I’ll spend the weekend tackling number seven! Thank you.
Something I learned from Tim Ferriss was to make your bed first thing in the morning. It’s something the army makes every member do, and it’s supposed to help with discipline. And of course, discipline is a HUGE factor in staying more organized.
Christina,
I LOVE these tips. As a mom to twins and freelance writer (and blogger now) I’m one busy mama. I like your idea of the one minute rule. I find myself not doing those little things as I’m focussing on other bigger tasks, but it makes sense to just do those little things.
Right now, I’m teaching my 4-year-old twins to put their toys back or find a home for new toys. You don’t know how many times all three of us are on the floor, lucking under the course and table and every nook and cranny for a mashum toy!! ha..
Thanks for these tips.
I agree so much with # 2! I am such a list maker. It helps me stay focused, not forget anything and it is so satisfying to check something off once its done. I’m going to incorporate #3 the one minute rule into my life. Thank you for the great tips!
I have a busy life running my Portishead accounting office, and being organised is crucial. With Brexit looming, my office is fuller than ever before with worried UK business owners
These are all so good! I am definitely a list-maker. I’m constantly making lists on my phone – I use the Google Keep app, which I like because of the checkboxes built in! Making lists helps me keep on top of things – especially now with a baby I need extra help keeping track of everything.
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Wow ! The one-minute rule was a game changer for me!
Dedicating a place for everything is definitely a struggle for me. My home is small and we moved from a bigger home. I tend to hold on to things I don’t need so I’ll be working on this one. Thanks for all the great tips!
Good article! Realy interesting!
I’m with commenter Anna Brown, I didn’t even realise that #7 was a huge problem. Well I knew, but some how it didn’t register properly. If people come for a surprise visit, my favourite thing to do is a ‘hidey’ up.
Hidey up’s involve grabbing a huge shopping bag and putting anything that doesn’t belong on display, in there… and then never dealing with the bags. I need to do that.
I think I need a plan of action. Great post!
I really resonate with #3 Use the “one minute” rule. It really does make a huge difference! Thank you for sharing.
What a great article. Since I opened my cleaning business, I have been helping people to stay organized while they are busy. We normaly schedule them bi-weekly so things doesn’t get messy.
What a perfect blog right when I needed it the most! You just reiterated what Ive been trying establish for myself. You must have read my mind to write this article. You helped motivate my every intention on begining each topic right now…TODAY!
Great ideas to stay organized! Thanks
Christina,
These are AWESOME tips. I am not a mom yet but my niece (who is 9 months) stays with me during the daytime and as a freelance writer and blogger now, it sometimes gets difficult to find time. These tips can really help me out.
I love your idea of staying on top of little things. Just an extension of this – I finish a bunch of smaller tasks in the morning (before anyone wakes up). It gives me a sense of accomplishment and keeps me motivated throughout the day.
Thank you for this post
Very nice! 🙂
Great tips! Being a professional maid, these tips help me better organize the stuff for small houses. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome tips! Thanks! ~Dave
I overwhelm so easily, so these tips are so useful for me! Thank you so much! My first step is to create a morning routine, which I’ll work on until I perfect it, then I will most likely blog about the journey on my blog herruralmajesty.com
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Getting old at The Landmark makes me realise i do keep a list with me nowadays. From marketing to daily house chores.
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the one minute rule should be the new golden rule. If i followed just this one alone my room would probably NEVER be a mess again! were all guilty of just throwing our clothes on the floor or not at least rinsing our dishes right away. waste a minute now or waste an hour later.
Thank you for sharing tips to stay organized when life is busy.
Indeed these are some great ideas to organize when busy. The one minute rule is actually a game-changer.
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The list, the list! Love the idea! I’m having my own list from now on.
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After the birth of my daughter, it seemed to me that I had no free time at all and I just constantly lost everything, I forgot everything. At some point, I just found your article and started doing everything as you wrote in it, and it really works. It seems to me that there was total chaos around me, and as soon as I removed it from my life, then everything fell into place, thank you for the advice
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Thank you for the tips! I would say that making decisions quickly is the most important thing to keep in mind. That and setting a timer for each task is the best strategy!
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Stay organized