People often comment about my organizational skills and how I keep it all together. I have to admit, I don’t have to work too hard at it, it’s just who I am. I do not fly by the seat of my pants well at all! In fact, I don’t even function under those circumstances. I like my house neat and tidy and clean, I like my closets organized, my drawers, my cabinets etc. I don’t do it to please anybody else but me. I like my schedule planned and I like structure. Call me OCD if you would like but being organized and life running smoothly is how I need to roll. Back in November I begin working 2 jobs and started this blog so I was very thankful I had already laid the ground work for an organized life. This is not to say that I don’t at times struggle, get tired, get all out of whack and shut down, and if you are not the most organized, if it doesn’t come naturally to you, rest assured you can work on it, BUT don’t beat yourself up in the process! Below I am going to share just a few of my favorite tips for keeping it together.
Let me start by first saying this. I start every day with at least 10-15 minutes of prayer, mediation, gratefulness and declarations and then exercise. A great book that I can recommend that helped get me started is called The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. Let me urge you to start getting up a few minutes early every day and start your day this way. It will set the tone for your entire day. The days I do not do this, I feel it all day long! My days do not run smoothly when I don’t, and when I just jump out of bed and run like crazy the entire day. By the time my day is at the end, I have nothing left!
Scheduling:
Let’s just start with a schedule to begin with. My all time favorite day timer is the Whitney English Day Designer. You can check it out here: www.daydesigner.com. I have tried a few different ones and always go back to this one. The first part of the Day Designer is setting your word and your goals for the year. I love to do this at the end of the year for the new year. The other thing I love about this is each day has it’s own page and not only are there places for your appointments, there is a to do list that you can check off, a notes section, daily gratitude section, things that are due, things you don’t want to forget and a place for dinner. Aside from that, each day has a great motivational saying. I urge you to check it out. This is how I keep my days organized, get where I need to be, and have my to do list right in one spot. This year, I also added a white board calendar to the wall in my office. Six days in, this has already proven beneficial. I just ordered that at Amazon. Both of these items get me through 2 jobs, my daughter’s cheer calendar, my workouts and everywhere else I am supposed to be!
Home Organization:
The cabinets in my bathrooms absolutely looked like bombs went off recently. I went to Lowes and bought these clear plastic containers with lids. I organized them by cold and flu, pain, bandages, extra supplies, my husband has his own of the things he uses every day, the kids have one with their stuff they use every day, shoe polishes and cleaners, etc. They stack nicely in the cabinet and you can see what you need quickly and easily. In my pantry I have an array of different things to help me stay organized. Glass jars from Walmart, cereal containers from Sam’s Club, baskets from Bed, Bath and Beyond, containers from Dollar Tree. Anywhere I was able to find items I bought them. I like my pantry organized when the doors are open in my kitchen. Not to mention, you can easily see what you’re looking for, and there’s no digging!
Grocery Shopping:
This is a no brainer! Kroger Clicklist or Walmart grocery pick up has both saved my life! I plan my meals out for the week, sit down to my laptop and grocery shop! Pay and pick up at the designated time! Can I just tell you this saves my sanity, not to mention my wallet! And how nice they load your groceries for you! Score! I prefer Walmart grocery pick up, there’s no fee. On that note though, let me share this tip with you. I once wondered just what the price difference was between Kroger, paying their $5 fee and Walmart, which is free pick up. If you have good coupons for Kroger it’s roughly the same amount of money. I did a trial one time between the two sites and it was a couple dollars different with coupons for their prices. Walmart is just closer to me so I use Walmart. All you working moms and busy working women out there, this is a life saver. It does take a little planning but man is it worth it! While we’re on the subject of food, I am a huge crock pot person too! I have found some amazing recipes on Pinterest! This also is a life saver. Another thing I do is on Sunday’s, I always make a big meal that will feed everybody Sunday and Monday. Monday’s are hectic enough!
Meal planning to keep my nutrition on track:
Sunday is my meal prep day day. I make up a weeks worth of protein shakes and stock the fridge, make sure I have a box of protein bars to take to work and make my meals. I will cut up veggies, brown my ground chicken or turkey, and make my lunch meals. I bought enough containers to get me through a week of lunches for work. If I do not do this on Sunday, I do not stick to my meal plans. Honestly, I don’t know any other way to tell you that makes your nutrition a priority! If I can’t just grab my food out of the fridge as I run out the door on Monday morning, I will make bad choices. There are plenty of places to buy healthy food choices these days around the country, but I love to cook and I can cook so I make my own. If you do not, check out places in your area.
Vacation packing:
I have been known to have a suitcase setting out 1 to 2 weeks ahead of a trip. I begin by laying out the clothes I want for a few days. This allows me to look at them and make a final decision before packing the suitcase. I keep a bathroom bag stocked at all times so that just gets a glance over and put in. I have space saver bags and bags to keep everything organized. I just like to know that as I leave, one there’s no stress about last minute packing and two I am prepared for everything! Last minute packing is stressful and you inevitably forget something! I also have my bag packed for the plane with my books, magazines and snacks.
Just a few last tips. Every night before bed, I always pick out my clothes for work and lay out my workout clothes and tennis shoes. I lay out my shoes, jewelry and anything I will need. I also make sure my purse and briefcase are ready and sitting out on the bar. My husband and I set out the coffee, set out our mugs, and he will set the timer. I get my gym bag ready and make my workout drinks as well. Mornings can be so hectic. Anything you do ahead of time I promise will remove the stress away from your morning!
I hope you have maybe found some tips to help you be more organized in 2019 and to take some of the craziness out of life!
With love for you all!
Shauna
Shauna's Sisters 