Trying To Keep Organized

Alright, so I am typically a SUPER organized person (which I have my Dad to thank for). 😉 I’ve always prided my efforts to keep all aspects of my life neat and organized… “A clean house is a happy house” (or desk, computer, car, or kitchen for that matter) has always been my motto.

Well somehow, in the last few weeks, my organization has been completely non-existent and it’s driving me BONKERS!!

My desk is a mess, my kitchen table is a wreck, even my blog posts have been all over the place. 😯

At least I know the culprit: preparations for getting ready to go back to school. It gets me in a tizzy every year, and this year has certainly not been any different. With today being my last day before heading back to the grind (insert large “sigh” here), I’m trying my best to get things back to their normal organized state. Are you feeling at all like me? Well, here’s some tips that I like to use in order to keep things organized and orderly:

Use a planner to help organize your schedule. Put your PDA to good use, try managing your time online with Google Calendar, or go with the tried-and-true — an old-school day planner. Even a basic planner with plenty of room for you to jot down notes will help you manage your time more efficiently.

Set up a filing system and keep your papers in order. Pretty file folders can make it nicer to look at, of course, but the trick is to really use your filing system. I have a few different filing spots: one for school stuff, one for household paperwork, one for bills, etc. Even if you don’t have a filing cabinet, expandable files, folders, and storage bins also work great.

Try a timer. Multitasking doesn’t always work when it comes to keeping yourself organized. Sometimes, you need to be able to focus on a single task in order to really get it out of the way. Using a timer can help.

Cut out the clutter. One of the biggest obstacles to overcome when organizing is cutting back on clutter. I tend to hold onto things for a little longer than needed, so I’m trying hard to really make an effort to only keep the things I truly need. One of the things on our to-do list today is actually to get some things ready for a garage sale this month!

Make a to-do list. Writing out what you need to do each day can go a long way toward helping you actually get it all done. I make to-do lists all the time – Post-It Notes are my favorite! I even have a couple going today. 🙂

I’ve been working on tackling my to-do list all morning (after sleeping in a bit, of course, since it’s my last day) and have made a fairly decent dent. While I was working hard, my amazing husband also made me breakfast!

A delicious mug-o-coffee with vanilla almond milk (*I always warm the almond milk a bit before adding it to hot coffee – for some reason, I feel like it incorporates better?)

A veggie omelet made with 1/2 cup Egg Beaters, filled with peppers, onions, and tomatoes & a tiny sprinkle of shredded cheese.

He seriously makes the best omelets ever. I knew there was a reason I have him around. 😉

And a slice of whole wheat bread from The Fresh Market, spread with some Polaner All-Fruit Red Raspberry Jam. This bread is seriously some of the best I’ve ever had. It’s soft and chewy on the inside while being just slightly crunchy on the outside. I have a feeling the loaf will be gone by tomorrow…

Now I’m off to work on tackling more of my to-do list…hopefully a little down time will be included at some point today!

Question for the Day:

What tips do you have for keeping organized?