To ask for your tips on being organised?

[Strongenoug3]

I don't have kids and live alone, and I'm forever hearing about how this means by house should be spotless and everything should be smooth saving, and yet I always feel like I'm swimming against the tide without enough time to stay on top of things.

I'm out of the house most evenings & would appreciate any tips on how to keep on top of things or anything that helps keep your life more organised and less stressful.

I know you said you dont have kids but i would suggest the organized mum's method is really simple and has helped me massively !

Throw tons of stuff out. Easy. Now you don't have to tidy it.

Put stuff away properly. So if you've finished your cup of tea, don't leave the cup on the counter, put it in the dishwasher. If you have a blanket for when you watch TV, fold it up as you leave the TV room, don't just leave it in a bundle on the sofa. Etc. It takes maybe 4 seconds extra but is worth it. And I echo getting rid of loads of stuff, makes a big difference

Get rid of things that you don't use/need.

Try to put things away when you're finished with them instead of leaving until later.

Try to get into a routine, set days/times to do things but start small. E.g. I always wash the dishes straight after dinner at night.

When you get on top of things it's just a quick once over and much easier to keep on top of.

I find a list helps - if I make a list of all the jobs I need to do and work down it then it keeps me on track, I don’t forget anything and it’s satisfying to tick things off as I finish them.

Have a set time every week to check your diary for the next couple of weeks and write a to do list.

On your phone in the notes section keep a month by month calendar of things you need to do every year eg
January
Boiler service
Helen’s birthday - 7th
Smear (2020)

February
MOT

September

• buy anti freezer

November

• Christmas shopping

Every 3 months, mark it in your diary, check you have the right clothes for the up and coming season.

Sunday nights sort out your work clothes for the week and hang them in your wardrobe in order.

Online food shopping

Perhaps you need to sacrifice one evening out per week to keep the rest of your life running smoothly?

Thanks for these.

Perhaps you need to sacrifice one evening out per week to keep the rest of your life running smoothly? I always do have at least one evening a week in the house, but it still feels like I'm always playing catch-up rather than being on top of things. I'm seriously considering a cleaner but it's such a waste of money.

I suppose I'm asking for cheats to make things simpler.

I struggle with this too, OP. I think it's all about creating routines that work and then sticking to them. And doing stuff little and often so that it doesn't mount up.

What are you struggling with specifically? Cleaning? Eating healthy? Life admin? Finding time to exercise?

Perhaps you are a bit like my DD who seems to believe she has to go to the gym five times a week, eat perfectly balanced vegan food every mealtime, wear cool ethically sourced (from charity shops) outfits, have a stylish immaculate flat and who also suffers from FOMO meaning she is totally incapable of turning down a bit of socialising.

Maybe you need to chill a bit and accept something has to give; there aren’t enough hours in the day.

Marie Kondo the sh*t out of your whole house. Once everything is decluttered and has it's own place It's pretty easy to keep on top of it.

Spend 10-15 minutes a day having a quick blitz clean, set timer on your phone and just get it done.

What are you struggling with specifically? Cleaning? Eating healthy? Life admin? Finding time to exercise? Cleaning, I suppose. I exercise and eat well most of the time, but I definitely suffer the same way as your daughter from not being able to say no to socialising! I'm also working two demanding jobs & doing a masters, and I feel like there isn't enough hours in the day.

My mother is obsessed with cleaning & I've never wanted to be like that, but I hear so much from people how much I must enjoy having a spotless house because I don't have children. It isn't spotless. It isn't messy, and it's hoovered & the bathroom and kitchen cleaned regularly, bed sheets changed every week, but the more I do it seems the more there is to do. My friend washes her door frames down, washes her windows, polishes every surface every week, and I definitely does. I'm scared that people who are visiting me are judging the house.

Oh cleaning, sod the cleaning. You sound like you are doing brilliantly. Don’t beat yourself up because you don’t wash your door frames down once a week. I would imagine less than one percent of the population clean to those standards.

Get yourself some friends with lower standards. Your views have been skewed by your mother.

If it'd make you feel better you could pay out for a cleaner to come in and do a one off blitz your house so you just need to worry about organising "stuff" then do little and often to keep on top of it?