Would you like ideas to organize yourself? Are you struggling to be organized?
The benefits of the organization are many. The organization improves the quality of life, reduces stress, reduces task rework, increases productivity, brings practicality and functionality in the execution of tasks, reduces waste and saves money. Here are some ideas for getting organized:
1. Make a weekly shopping list
Shopping once a week not only saves money as you only buy the items that are missing, it also keeps your fridge, freezer and pantry always fresh. Have a list pinned to the refrigerator door so that all family members can write down items that are missing, try to keep a list on your cell phone, today, the vast majority of mobile phones allow us to create lists. I used to put the shopping list in the back pocket of my pants and I always lost my list before I got to the grocery store. Today, before I go shopping, I copy the list or take a photo. If you do this when you go shopping, you won’t run the risk of forgetting anything or taking other items on impulse.
2. Plan a meal menu
Planning a weekly meal menu will help you build a shopping list for the week and keep your grocery trips on track. With a list in hand, you buy only what you need, besides, you won’t need to open the refrigerator door “to think” about what you’ll cook for your family. It is very easy to plan meals, there are 7 lunches and 7 dinners, if you usually have lunch in restaurants, you need to plan 7 dinners or less, after all, there is always pizza day, right? Before planning the meals of the week, take into account what you already have in the pantry and refrigerator and try to think about the seasonality of the products, that is, the product that is cheaper on the supermarket shelves. Add the ingredients for each meal to your shopping list. You don’t need to elaborate a very complicated menu, think of unique and easy-to-prepare dishes. Remember to include a protein, a carbohydrate and a salad.
Here’s a menu suggestion, but you can make one according to your eating habits.
Menu for 7 dinners
Monday – Escondidinho of potato parsley with dried meat + green leafy salad
Tuesday – Chicken fricassee + caprese salad
Wednesday – Salted tuna pie + watercress salad
Thursday – Minced meat pancake + carrot and beet salad
Friday – Mexican tacos
Saturday – Pizza
Sunday – Turkey Breast Beirut + Potato Chips
3. Have a master shopping list
Develop a master grocery shopping list of products you typically buy each time you go to the grocery store. Include in this list hygiene and beauty products, meats, dairy products, bakeries, beverages, etc.
4. Have a list of meals you prepare regularly
This can help you add variety to meals and remind you of recipes that are guaranteed success. Add new recipes to the list as you try!
5. Check your mail daily
Always open your mail near a Dumpster and be quick. Throw envelopes and mailings in the trash. File what is needed and set aside invoices for payment. If you’re getting a lot of direct mailings, consider calling and requesting that your name and address from the companies mailing be deleted. As for bills for payment, consider receiving them by email and putting the account on automatic debit, this will decrease the volume of mail drastically. If you have a lot of magazine subscriptions, choose to read through an electronic device such as a tablet. I prefer to read magazines and books on tablet, if you don’t mind reading on an electronic device, it can considerably reduce the pile of papers and magazines in your house.
6. Check your email daily and keep your inbox empty
I try to reply to emails immediately or leave them in the inbox marked to reply as soon as possible. What I need to archive goes to the corresponding folder, the rest of the emails I immediately delete, as I know I’ll hardly see them again. If you have been receiving a lot of direct mail and advertisements in your email, you can easily unsubscribe, usually at the end of each email you have the option to opt-out. This can save you time when deleting unwanted messages.
7. Have a file for documents
You can choose to archive everything from A to Z or archive by subject, which I prefer as it saves time on searching. File personal documents, contracts, income tax, education, health, notes, employees, etc. in folders. To reduce the amount of paper in your home, such as visual travel references, decorations and others, try using pinterest which is an electronic image board. Searching is much easier and paper reduction is significant.
8. Put the money correctly in your wallet
Instead of throwing the money in your purse, pants pocket or car coaster, it takes just 30 seconds to put the money correctly in your wallet and you won’t go through any situation thinking you had money when you really don’t remember where he is.
9. Install hooks or shelves next to your home’s entryway
Using a sideboard, hooks or shelves in the entryway serve to hang bags, leave wallets, car keys, house keys and mail. This place is for leaving that item that you can’t forget when you leave the house the next morning.
10. Have a laundry routine
Wash, dry, iron, fold and store a little laundry each day or according to the number of people you have at home. Plan your laundry routine. Choose the day to wash sheets, towels, dark clothes, light clothes, tea towels and cleaning cloths. Here at home, clothes are washed every day of the week, except on weekends, and as winter in Curitiba is grey, rainy and cold, the machine usually spends the night on drying clothes (clothes that can be dried in the machine ). The important thing is to take the laundry out of the machine as soon as the cycle ends. Depending on how long the laundry stays wet inside the washing machine it can have an unpleasant odor. In the case of drying clothes in the machine, it is important to remove the clothes as soon as possible, because when the clothes are left in the machine for a long time, it becomes more wrinkled, which makes it difficult to pass. If you don’t like ironing, try to buy clothes with fabrics that do not need this step. When hanging clothes, hang shirts on hangers, this also makes it easier when ironing each item. When the clothes are dry on the clothesline or in the machine, make it a habit to fold the items immediately after drying and do not bundle them in the laundry bin or basket. Note parts that do not need ironing, fold and store immediately. This is a cycle that needs to be done almost daily to keep clothes in order. When the clothes are dry on the clothesline or in the machine, make it a habit to fold the items immediately after drying and do not bundle them in the laundry bin or basket. Note parts that do not need ironing, fold and store immediately. This is a cycle that needs to be done almost daily to keep clothes in order. When the clothes are dry on the clothesline or in the machine, make it a habit to fold the items immediately after drying and do not bundle them in the laundry bin or basket. Note parts that do not need ironing, fold and store immediately. This is a cycle that needs to be done almost daily to keep clothes in order.
11. Make a 15-minute cleaning list
This list should include quick and simple tasks that can be done in 15 minutes, such as dusting furniture, sweeping the kitchen, taking out the trash, washing the dishes or emptying the dishwasher, etc. You can assign a task to all family members. One idea that might work with teenagers is to create a rotation of tasks. Simple tasks can make a huge difference in your home. In addition to these household chores, don’t forget the personal tasks of each member, such as making the bed, and leaving the bathroom in a usable condition for the next one.
12. Organize one location in your home per day
Organizing your home will benefit your life every day, whether your makeup drawer is a mess or you have a drawer full of clutter in the kitchen that gets in the way of preparing meals. Start organizing and enjoy a daily dose of organization each day. Make a list of what you want to organize. Start with simple tasks like organizing a drawer a day. Resist the temptation to throw everything on the floor, it will only discourage you from continuing.
13. Multitask
Be careful with this task, I prefer to do one thing at a time so I don’t lose focus, but while you’re waiting on the phone you can stretch, update the shopping list, organize a drawer, dust off furniture or put the dishes in the drying rack .
14. Use a timer
Instead of procrastinating on a task, use a timer. Schedule the time to complete the task and do your best! You might be amazed at how fast you are! A timer next to the computer helps you stay focused on your work!
15. Don’t steal your time!
Don’t get distracted when using a timer to accomplish a task! Stay focused and when the timer warns you that the time is up, finish as soon as possible. Continuing to set the timer for the same task will waste your time on something else.
16. Divide your house into areas
Dividing the house into areas helps you to clean the house. Instead of taking a day to clean the house, clean gradually. This strategy will keep your house clean for longer and with less effort. You can separate the areas of the house by days of the week. Area 1 can be the living room, dining room, guest toilet and garage. Area 2 can be kitchen, laundry and outdoor barbecue area. Area 3 double suite and TV room. Area 4 children’s bedrooms and bathroom. Area 5 Home theater, balcony and stairs. You can divide your house according to how many rooms you have. On the day of each area, do a general cleaning, check inside the cabinets and include heavy cleaning on windows, doors, etc.
17. Housework is not perfect
“Done is better than perfect. If you can’t do it right… at least do it.” Housework never ends, so work you didn’t do today could be the beginning of tomorrow’s chaos.
18. Choose to be punctual
I’m always elegantly late. I’m still working on it. My strategy to stop being late is to schedule myself to be there 15 minutes early. If I had to be somewhere at 9:30, then I plan to arrive at 9:15. I know I need 40 minutes to get ready and 20 minutes to pack my daughter who leaves the house with me every morning to go to school and the time I need to gather all the things to go out is 5 minutes! So I figure 10 minutes for breakfast, 10 minutes for the ride to school and another 5 minutes for where I need to go. I add 5 minutes for unexpected traffic. So I need to start getting ready at 7:40. The time to get out the door is essential for most people who are habitually late. At some point, we don’t think about the time it takes to gather the bag, the coat, the last look in the mirror, secure the child in the car seat, get in the car, put on the seat belt, start the car, maneuver the car and leave the gate . Leaving early saves stress. Arriving early has its advantages, you can chat with people or take a look at social media.
19. Use a calendar effectively
You can jot down your activities on a calendar, a paper calendar, or use your mobile calendar. I take the last option, as I always have my cell phone handy from the time I get up until the time I go to sleep. You can manage the activities of all family members using the cell phone calendar, you can schedule activities together and if you are a “mother-caregiver” like me, you can organize your activities while you wait for your child in extracurricular activities like English or swimming. I usually check the calendar every morning to check the schedule for the day.
20. Plan your week
Planning the week is essential for it to be organized and productive. From washing clothes, shopping at the supermarket, going to the gym, to socializing with friends and children’s birthday parties, which includes taking the time to buy a gift. Plan even time to do nothing. This is critical for that last-minute commitment and cannot be postponed.
21. Separate clothes the day before
Before bed, define the clothes you will use the next day, choose accessories such as shoes and accessories. If your week is very busy, you can plan what to wear for the entire week on Sunday, it will certainly make your mornings much more relaxed.
22. Keep your daily makeup in a case, basket or tray
Most women love makeup and like your clothes, you probably wear less than half as much makeup as you have. So to avoid an endless search in the makeup drawer, use a basket, tray or case to keep the basics of everyday life separate like foundation, lipstick, eyeliner, blush and mascara. For a more elaborate nighttime makeup you will have a drawer at your disposal.
23. Turn off the TV and computer
There is no time for physical activity or anything else, my suggestion is that you turn off the TV and computer. TV robs us of a lot of time and being on the internet for hours surfing social networks or playing games can be the reason for all the procrastination.
24. Keep the car’s fuel tank above half
Keeping the tank full or above half can save you from the unexpected. Here are some examples of what can happen to you. You can refuel your car the next morning and your child needs to be taken to the emergency room urgently, or you are stuck in an endless traffic jam and your tank is in the last drops and eventually you missed the path and you’re in a hazardous location and no fuel in the tank.
25. Live with less
Keeping a few good quality items at home will significantly reduce clutter, you don’t need crockery for different occasions, just a nice set to meet your needs. A wardrobe with few pieces of excellent quality is better than a wardrobe full of clothes that don’t suit you. You don’t need more than 4 sets of sheets per bed and no more than 4 towels per person in your home. Rethink how many items and objects you have at home. Living on less is the secret!
I hope these ideas for getting organized inspire you!
