Just follow these 2 rules and you'll be on the road to being super organized!

[messinmyhead]

Ok my friend is ridiculously organised. I'm not. But I really want to be. Every year or so I'll get my self all motivated, buy planners and lovely pens, download apps. I'll keep the momentum going for about a week or two before I go back to my slothenly ways till the next time.

Fed up and frustrated I asked my friend for only one tip, one thing I could do which would make a difference. She gave me 2 and an analogy which I thought I'd share and see if other organised people would agree.

According to my friend, I'm doing it all wrong as I'm trying to do what she's doing or what advice online I'm reading. It won't work for me because my life and my personality is unique to me.

It's like cooking. Two people make a roast from a recipe and the end result gives a roast but they look a bit different from each other, they both taste delicious but different. There's differences in both of them.

And this analogy she uses for being organised. I need to create my own style of organised for me. It'll take practice just like learning to make that roast but I'll find my own methods, preferences and tweaks to suit my life and personality.

The two tips were:

1. Wake up early
2. Never stop doing something, anything. Just do it. Stop thinking!

That's it!

I keep a low tech paper diary- week to view. And use my phone alarm for reminders.
No apps, no additional planner or calendar. Just one place to write everything.

My two would be:

Don't put things down, put them away.

Never go anywhere in the house empty-handed, there is always something that needs to be taken to another room / taken upstairs / taken downstairs.

I think keeping busy is key.
If you have a half hour or so do something. Put a bit of music on and clear out a cupboard or buy your gifts online.

@JamesWilbysAbs

I keep a low tech paper diary- week to view. And use my phone alarm for reminders. No apps, no additional planner or calendar. Just one place to write everything.

Similar here. I use Filofax to write everything down and phone to give alarm reminders.

A

I'm here for ideas. I'd love to be organised but I'm failing massively at home.

My tip is don't wait until you have time. Just clean the bathroom sink if that's all you have time for not the whole bathroom. Put away half the clothes! Just do what you can when you can.

2 tips you say?
Don't have dc.
Don't have dpets.
And your house will be clean and tidy always...

@Santaischeckinglists

2 tips you say? Don't have dc. Don't have dpets. And your house will be clean and tidy always...

Yes! And can we add

1. Be single.

Great tips!

Looks like a lot of people are saying one version or another of my friends tip of just doing something with whatever time you have in that moment.

Don't wait for things like the kettle, do something in parallel.

So while the kettle is boiling, I might put away the dry crockery, or sort the washing up ready to be done.

I’m organised and don’t do early unless it’s absolutely necessary. You don’t have to be busy all the time to be organised. You can plan a lot of stuff while having a nice sit down and a cup of tea.

A place for everything and everything in its place.

Before you leave a room do 1 or 2 things to improve it. Doesn't have to be massive can just be small like put the cap back on the toothpaste, take the dirty cup to the kitchen etc.

Agree with PP about not going anywhere empty handed. Definitely helps at least get things to the right area of the house!

DH and I have synced out Outlook calendars on our phones so birthdays, bills, football fixtures, school stuff for DS, work stuff for us, all go in there.

This really helps with all the life admin stuff like meal planning, childcare planning, insurance renewals. It takes a big mental weight off as we’re not constantly checking in about who should be where each day or getting our wires crossed.

That sounds awful though!

I mean the first part, getting up early, I do that. I work all day I get home, and I spend about 35 minutes tidying up the kitchen after the mess the teenagers have left it in. Then I make my dinner and then I relax. I roughly know where everything is.
I don't want to spend my entire evening making everything perfect.

@MsChatterbox

My tip is don't wait until you have time. Just clean the bathroom sink if that's all you have time for not the whole bathroom. Put away half the clothes! Just do what you can when you can.

I agree with this, and the theme across all these tips seems to be just to do small things and then they add up. It means that for a while, there will be lots of half-done things, but that’s ok because at some point you realise everything is more or less organised and sorted.

Being organised sort of creeps up on you, in the same way that chaos does!

I’m useless at home.. so scatty and unorganised. At work.. complete opposite. Im organised, tidy and I know where everything is… even the weird random shit no one has a clue about. I have methods and procedures and follow them meticulously. Need to learn how to apply this at home as I’m sure I’d be so much happier!!

Desperately following and taking notes!

I have a really tidy and organised house, a full time job and teenagers. I'd say there were a few main things that make a massive difference...

Do things straight away, like others have said do dishwasher whilst kettle boiling, wipe worktops while chatting to the kids, squeegee shower while still in it etc

Make a list! I do 2, things to do and things to buy. I even put daft small things on it like changing lightbulbs that have gone, or posting a letter. I find it really motivating crossing stuff off and having it written down helps me focus on which things are essential and which I can leave for now.

Declutter and keep things in defined places. I can immediately lay my hands on an envelope, a lightbulb, the passports etc as they are always in the same place and we all know what that place is. I ruthlessly declutter regularly!

Finally, never go upstairs or downstairs empty handed. This one makes a massive difference I think!

I’ve realised I need to play to my strengths and not fight against them. My brain and body want to be active at night so instead of trying to make myself a morning person Im embracing my night owl and doing as much as I can in the evening. I was setting the table for breakfast tonight and my DC said I’m weird but if I normally leave it until the morning when I feel like shit so forget stuff and in my foggy brain state put things down and lose them.

1. Wake up early

Well, I'm fucked then
(first trimester, absolutely bone tired, no chance of getting up early!)

Mine would be do something while you wait. Unloading the dishwasher while the kettle is boiling and the tea brews is my main one; giving the loo a quick wipe round while the shower gets to the right temperature, or wash up the non-dishwasher bits while cooking help too.

I'm pinning my hopes on reincarnation...

Failing that, get a cleaner. Move out, visit the house occasionally to admire it.

I write a list and then categorize by important and immediate

Then do the important and immediate first
Important second
Immediate and unimportant third and you get my drift

So getting Christmas gifts sorted is important but doesnt qualify as immediate until November
Unblocking the blocked toilet is important and immediate
Planning next years holidays is neither nor, so can be done but only when the other stuff is done

@Beachbreak2411

I’m useless at home.. so scatty and unorganised. At work.. complete opposite. Im organised, tidy and I know where everything is… even the weird random shit no one has a clue about. I have methods and procedures and follow them meticulously. Need to learn how to apply this at home as I’m sure I’d be so much happier!!

I am also like this.

It's the adhd

Being organised means you don’t have to be busy all of the time. I don’t get up early unless for work and I consider myself very organised.

I have a vision of everyone jumping out of bed early and then being in perpetual motion throughout the house/day with hands always full.