quick WAYS TO GET MORE ORGANIZED IN 2022

One of the most popular requests from you from you all was tips on getting better organized. I don’t blame you - 2022 feels like it might be THE year we all collectively get our life together after a harrowing few years.

If you’re like me, you get consumed by the need to organize and clean every few days, whether that’s clearing out your hand bag, cleaning out your fridge of anything expired, or rearranging your house altogether. Sound like you? These tips might help you get started on having your best year yet...

Go ahead: brain dump

I wrote about brain dumping back in 2018. If you haven’t done one, open that link and get to reading cause TODAY IS THE DAY. It helps declutter your brain... and isn't that the most important thing to organize from the get-go?

start small

Have a spare 10 minutes? Turn on some music, set a timer for 10 minutes, and get to tidying! Start wherever you are - the living room? Straighten up the pillows and put away any plates or cups left behind. In your kitchen? Clear the countertop, put the dishes in the dishwasher (or quickly put them in the sink), and straighten up the drawers. In your room or near your junk drawer? Put everything in its rightful place. Once that timer goes off, you're free!

something in, something out

We have a rule of thumb in our family: any time you add something IN to your life, take something OUT. Going to buy a new dress? Go through your closet first to make sure you are truly wearing everything in there. Buying a new pot and pan set? Make sure not to double up on anything! One way to stop the accumulation of clutter in the first place is to not give it a reason to pile up.

Clean out and up your...

Desktop folders, phone camera roll, inbox, make up brushes, whatever you can think of! Here are some quick tips...
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• Desktop folders: Open up your pictures, documents, and your downloads. Clean out all of the everything that’s taking up space and you don't need/use.
  
  
• Phone camera roll: Create a set of albums to better categorize what you’re keeping, and back up your photos on a harddrive. Try not to keep more than a year of photos on your phone.
  
  
• Inbox: Spend an hour and go through all unread messages (RESPOND to them), ​clear out anything unneeded, and unsubscribe to those companies or newsletters you just ignore. I do this once a week to keep on top of everything.
  
  
• Brushes: Make sure you clean your brushes in a timely manner - I do this every Sunday to start the week fresh.

Label everything

I'm not saying you have to go out and buy a label maker, but labeling boxes, folders, containers, storage bins, and more helps when trying to find things quickly. By making sure it’s all labeled clearly and neatly, you don’t have to think about what goes where – you have it organized all the time!

store your passwords

Today there are numerous apps that can store and create passwords for your go-to websites. This is one way to keep everything in one place and in a secure place.

look at your budget

One of the most important things to keep organized is, without a doubt, money. Every week I go through my expenses and how they stack up against my budget and short- and long-term goals. By going through everything with a fine tooth comb, nothing truly unexpected can come my way and I can see how my money is working for me.

become a planner

While I am guilty of overplanning, I do suggest that creating a list of "to-do's" for the day help you become more disciplined with your time. Personally, I love time blocking (breaking your day into “blocks,” like 7-9 am, 9-12 pm, 12-2 pm, 2-5 pm, and so on) and assigning a specific "topic" to that block (e.g. my 7-9 am block is all about "self care" and I schedule my exercise and journaling here). Don't forget to allow for some unpredictability in each block!

what organization tips are on now your list?