Photos by: Torrey Fox
Recently at work and at home I’ve become super overwhelmed. I’ve been taking on a lot more tasks and have found things just piling up on my desk. Whether they were things I’ve completed or something left from whoever sat here before me, who the heck knows, but I was getting sick of it. By the time I get home from work I’m exhausted and things have just started piling up there too. This past weekend I decided to take control and get organized. I finally feel like I have things under control and am just a happier version of myself now that I’ve cleaned up my life a bit. I put together 5 of my tips to staying organized below and I hope they help you as much as they helped me…
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Put it away now.
My dad always taught us to clean while we cook. As soon as we were done with the item we were using we had to put it away. So whenever I bake I out all of my ingredients on the counter and as I go through and complete each step, I’ll put that item back in the pantry. That way when you’re done baking you don’t have an overwhelming mess to clean up and you can enjoy the treat right away. I like to use this strategy for almost everything, not just with baking. At work it’s easy to have things pile up on your desk so as you complete each task file away the item or close the tab on your computer.
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An easy and workable to do list.
I am a huge sucker for to do lists. I seriously make to do lists for every aspect of my life whether it’s for work. the blog, my health, or my social life, you can pretty much guarantee I have a list for it. I know some people might think it’s a waste of paper, but it honestly helps me to remember things more when I physically write them down and get them out of my head.
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Do one thing at a time.
I am so guilty of trying to be an almighty multitasker and get a million things done at once but let me just tell you it’s not worth it people! It is so much better for the quality of your work and for your sanity to do one task at a time. Not only will you get your work done faster if you focus on one thing at a time but you’ll be giving 100% of your focus to that task which is crucial. Why work on a million things at once when it’s not going to be your best work?
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Keep your planner up-to-date.
Whether you’re using a physical planner or an online calendar make sure you are constantly updating and checking it. I like to use a physical planner because when I write things down I have a better chance of remembering them. Plus I can only look at a computer screen for so long. It’s nice to be able to take breaks to add something to my planner or double check it. It definitely helps me stay organized and on top of
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Check your attitude.
Finally, stop beating yourself up! Coming down hard on yourself does nothing except make you miserable. Tomorrow is another day. Celebrate every accomplishment no matter how small. And if you’re feeling down on yourself just make yourself some coffee and a delicious cinnamon donut loaf. I promise it’ll turn things around for you!
I hope you enjoyed these tips for staying organized! I’d love to hear some of the things you guys do to get organized…feel free to share below 🙂
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Okay, #5 is actually speaking to me.. It really determines how much I get done lately. And always, always leave work at work!!! But let’s talk about storage organization, I’m obsessed with the container store!!!! You have to check it out.
-Ashley
Number two I make a list for just about everything on my iPhone. At the end of the day I enjoy seeing how many things I checked off.
My mom gave me same advice your dad gave you. It really helps to keep things tidy as we carry out our chores.
The way I try to stay organised is to stay focused, and not let my self get distracted by everything that needs attention around me. Seriously, we can’t do it all, so let’s do the best we can and be grateful for it like you said.
Wow, your page is captivating! I love it! I love the first tip. My stepmom also taught me to clean while cooking.. it makes everything so much easier!
These are great tips! I need to get better at the cleaning while cooking thing.
I am very guilty of multi-tasking. I need to learn to finish something before I move on to the next thing.
#4 seems to be an issue for me. I don’t know why- but I keep a paper and on my phone calendar and they never seen to catch up with one another. Time to choose, I suppose! Thanks for the tips!