5 Tips to Stay Organized

Today, we are going to read about and employ 5 Tips to STAY ORGANIZED.  According to research done by Phillippa Lally, a health psychology researcher at University College London. It takes on average more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic.  In Dr. Lally’s study, it took participants anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form a new habit.

Creating a loose structure to your day allows you to practice habit-forming activities that will simplify your life.

Because certain mental habitudes

once set up, their nature

is to go on for ever unless they

should be displaced by other habits.

-Charlotte Mason

Before we go on to the tips, let’s take a look at the 5 principles that are the foundation of organizing your home.    In order to continue to keep yourself, your family, and your home organized you are going to have to embrace and even memorize these principles.  Some people have naturally organized brains but if you are like me and are naturally disorganized then memorizing these steps will help you internalize and live out these new habits and at the same time you will be saving money to put toward more important priorities.

5 Guiding Principles

• Organize from the inside out
• Start small and gradually get bigger
• Use what you have
• Give things away 
• Group like things together

5 Tips To Stay Organized

PRAY     Start your day by praying, if you only accomplish this one tip you will have a high success rate.  Put the five principles on your prayer list and daily ask God to help you accomplish these things.

TOUCH IT ONCE     Make sure that when you are handling any item in your house that you apply the one-touch rule.  For example, when sorting daily mail.  Make sure to put each piece where it belongs.  The trash, the bill drawer, or the coupon container.  Same with things like cooking utensils and folding laundry.

TIMER     The timer is a tool that I have recently implemented into my own daily organization routine.  It makes things fun and I am able to accomplish tasks that I would normally avoid in a timely manner.  Put some music on, call the kids and get some order in your home.  You would be amazed at what you can accomplish in just 15 minutes.  Laughter always accompanies this task at our home.

BRING IN TAKE OUT     This is an easy one.  If you bring something in make sure you bless someone else with what you no longer need. Make a bin in the basement or entrance area for items you would like to give away.

UPDATE    Update your “To-Do List” and “Calendar” on a daily basis and you can stop carrying all that mental baggage!  Simplify your life by inserting this task into your daily schedule.

YOUR TURN…

What tips do you have to stay organized on a budget?

Blessings,