10 Super Simple Tweaks to Getting, and Staying, Organized

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Getting and staying organized can sometimes seem like an impossible task.  Depending on your starting point, it could feel like wading through chaos just to get started.  Knowing where to start, how to make progress, and how to keep improving can be tricky.

We can combat some of this chaos with simple organizational tips that will actually add time to your day.  These tips are so simple you don’t even have to go out of your way to incorporate them.  Making a few tweaks to these daily routines will bring huge gains in the efficiency department. 

Adding these simple tips to your daily routine will help you stay organized effortlessly without completely revamping your schedule.  Let’s get down to sizing up these 10 super simple tweaks to getting and staying organized.  These game changers will help you avoid the chaos, stay on top of the mess, and keep you on track with your commitments, motivation, and goals.

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Why am I so disorganized?

Disorganization can be caused by many factors beyond your control.  ADHD/ADD, stress, and depression are all proven sources of disorganized living spaces.

Being disorganized does not mean you’re lazy.  There are so many factors, including mental and emotional, that can go into this.  Using “lazy” to sum it up in one word is too simplistic.

To get things back on track, you need a strategy that not only gets you organized but also allows you to incorporate simple solutions to stay that way.  Creating simple routines and adding them into your day-to-day life will help you avoid mess and chaos in the first place.

10 Super Simple Tweaks To Getting, And Staying, Organized

These steps are simple and designed to be added to your day.  While starting this organizational journey, add these tasks to your daily to-do list to build the habits.  Repetition and routine will help turn these tasks from chores into behaviours.

Once these tasks become a habit, you can incorporate them into your daily routines.  For example, one chore I do naturally without any thought is tidying the kitchen counters while cooking or making coffee in the morning.  This is a behaviour.  I will begin without any forethought or prompting.

My day doesn’t start without coffee, so it is the first thing I do in the morning.  While waiting for it to brew, I immediately begin clearing counters, stacking any dishes, and making space.  Once my counters are free, I wipe them down and have time I move on to my kitchen table.

I only work as long as it takes to brew my coffee.  This is realistically maybe 2 to 3 minutes.  It’s not a significant amount of time to focus on cleaning, but since it is so focused on a small space, it really makes a big difference.  

Small routines like that add up to create a considerable impact.  Anywhere you can focus these tips and fold them into habits you already have will help you stay organized with less effort.

Try the 2-minute rule to take care of quick tasks.

This tip is the simplest of them all, so it’s a great place to start.  While it seems like I was doing this in the coffee example, it has a bit of a twist.  I worked for 2 minutes because that’s how long my coffee took to brew.  The 2-minute rule specifically seeks out short tasks to tackle and complete to help increase your motivation by getting them done. Because of its impact and ability to boost motivation, it’s a great place to start.

If a task takes 2 minutes or less to complete, do it now.  Don’t even bother adding it to your to-do list.  Just take care of it before moving on with the day.  Easy right?

Two minutes is barely a diversion in the grand scheme of your day.  You hardly have to interrupt what you are doing to complete a task like this.  Since this is a bit of a gimme, I will couple it with a bonus tip.

Shhhhh… don’t tell anyone.  No one reads top 11 lists!

Keep an inbox for all the tasks you cannot take care of immediately.

This is great for bills received before payday or notes that you leave for yourself.  It would be wonderful if we all had the cash to pay bills the day we receive them, but let’s get real… we don’t. 

Inboxes are an excellent place for reminders and other things you just can’t take care of now.  Put all these slips of paper in the inbox, but check it regularly.  Take care of the tasks that you can and leave the rest in this safe space. 

Use dollar store containers to organize items.

Keeping loose items in a bin makes clean-up super quick and easy.  These containers can be used anywhere objects accumulate to organize and keep the area clean.  Use these bins in the cupboard to manage juice packets, spice refills, or pasta packages.  Use them under the sink to keep all your cleaning supplies together.

This is a straightforward way to keep areas tidy that tend to accumulate a lot of clutter.  Plastic bins make this basically effortless.  Use containers with lids in the cupboard or pantry to stack them more easily.  Items like spice refills that are not used regularly can be stacked beneath bins with contents that are used more often to save even more space.  You can similarly use these in the fridge and freezer to keep yogurt tubes, packets, or other oddly shaped items together.

Do not limit this helpful tool to the kitchen; try bins in the bedroom, bathroom and just about anywhere else.  They can hold your blow dryer, flat iron, and curling irons all in one place.  Store all loose cables, your massive nail polish collection, and the plethora of manicure tools in baskets.  These bins will keep the area neat, and clean-up is easy. Just toss everything back in, and put the container back on the shelf or in the closet.

Keep a consistent schedule throughout the week.

Keeping the times you both wake up and go to bed consistent will help with feeling fatigued throughout the day.  Routines make everything easy because there is little to remember, and patterns are reassuring.  A consistent schedule keeps your entire day comfortable because everything is the same.  Maintaining this consistency will ensure that all your obligations are addressed and that nothing is forgotten.  

Keeping a regular daily routine can also help to mitigate anxiety.  A plan can often help to quell anxious thoughts, and schedules can be soothing.  This repetition can give you a feeling of control when you feel powerless over your schedule.

Keep your routine as close as possible to the weekdays, even on your days off.  Wake up, have breakfast, and fill the time you typically spend in class or work with other productive obligations or hobbies.  Study course material, catch up on assignments, or even run errands.  Do some deep cleaning tasks you don’t have time for during the week. Even though you are still being productive, include extra special rewards for yourself.  

I like to dedicate one day on the weekend to self-care as a reward for hitting all my weekly targets or goals.  On Sundays, I do my best to disconnect from social media and any stress or negativity I may have encountered over the week.  Instead, I focus on myself, my family, and my friends.  This doesn’t necessarily mean I’m spending the entire day in a bubble bath with a face mask on.  I might do some cooking or baking, play video games, or even spend the day at one of my favourite locations, like the zoo.

Pack away out-of-season clothing or donate items you no longer use.

Up here in Canada, seasons change quickly.  As you notice the change in weather, pack away your winter or summer clothing.  Sweaters are bulky and take up a ton of room.  If they share a drawer with T-shirts, they are a nightmare to organize, and if you leave them in the closet, there will be no room for your cute summer dresses.  

Keep a storage bin in your closet or under your bed so you can quickly toss them in as you fold your laundry.  This can allow you to easily pack away out-of-season clothing without making a big to-do about it.  While you’re in there, pull out some summer items. 

The same goes as fall approaches.  As the wind blows colder, you’ll want to pull out some of those sweaters to keep warm.  As you’re doing this, toss in a couple of dresses to clear up some space.  You will be surprised to realize how much time and effort it takes to keep an out-of-season wardrobe organized when you’re not using it.  Pack it up, put it away, and be done with it. 

Keeping an “out-of-season” bin under your bed will help to encourage turning over your wardrobe.  You can also keep a second for things that are not in use.  Storing them in this bin is much less of an obligation than giving them away.

Instead, hide them in the bin.  Once it gets full, go through and donate the items inside.  Occasionally you might find a treasure that you want to keep, but more often than not, you will be ready to part with these objects.

Find a home for your essential items.

Everything should have a home, be it your keys or curling iron.  Having a place for each item makes life much easier because it’s always in the same place.  Once you get into the routine of putting an object in its home, you will instinctually return it to this same spot every time you use it. 

Your keys are perhaps the best example of this.  If you keep your keys in your purse and never put them down anywhere else, you will be much less likely to leave them or lose them.  Tossing them on the table when you walk into the house will only ensure that someone moves them.  High-traffic surfaces are not safe places for your keys or your wallet.  They are going to get misplaced, for sure.  This might be by you or another member of your household.

How many times have you picked up an object that did not have a permanent home and thought to yourself, “I need to put this somewhere safe so I do not forget where it is.” That is your last memory of that object, isn’t it?  How many of these safely secured items are you still looking for today?  Give it a home and leave it there.

Plan your meals and outfits to save time and effort.

Weekly batching and planning of meals is a great time saver.  It also spares you of the dreaded staring into the fridge on an empty stomach.  If you plan your meals and shop accordingly, you will always know what is for dinner and have the items on hand to prepare it.

Planning your outfits is also a terrific batching trick.  Check the weather Sunday night and pick out 4 or 5 outfits accordingly.  This means you don’t have to fumble around in those early mornings trying to find something clean. 

Bullet journals are a great way to track your habits, as well as all of your obligations. They can also be a fantastic outlet for creativity. If you want to experiment with bullet journalling, why not pick up a starter kit that has everything you need?

Use your planner to organize your time and avoid being overwhelmed.

Having a planner is like having your own personal assistant.  It can help you to organize your time and keep up with your obligations.  Adding reminders will ensure that you never let anything slip your mind again. 

Getting into the planner life can take some time to get used to, but there is an entire subculture over here.  Join us. There are so many options!  From bullet journals and agendas to digital planners, there is one that you will love. They can be used for so much more than just remembering dates.  We have an entire video outlining how to get into the routine of using planners that you are welcome to check out for pointers.

Chunk your day by grouping similar tasks together.

Batching and completing similar tasks throughout the day and week will save a ton of time in set-up and clean-up alone.  This can be aided by using your planner.  Schedule similar duties on the same day when you plan out your week.  

Once you get into the rhythm, you can complete these tasks in less time than you would if you spread them throughout the week.  You will also only have to set up for them a single time.  This can also help with tasks that you don’t like to do.  Get them over with. Then you won’t have them hanging over you all week.

Set weekly goals to add focus to your time and effort.

Weekly goals string together to help you to achieve broad-scale goals.  Breaking these big goals into tiny steps makes them much less intimidating and easier to manage.  You should have at least one or two goals for each aspect of your life every week.  Whether it is school, work, or home, have something definite in mind that you want to accomplish, then make a plan to do it.

These goals don’t have to be something novel or outlandish.  Perhaps your goals are to:

1. stick to your study schedule,

2. learn a new recipe,

3. and meal prep.

These superficially simple goals are achievable targets that can help you build something significant, like making the Dean’s List or living a healthier lifestyle. 

Any goal can be achieved regardless of the scale or your starting point.  It is possible if you have a clear and deliberate plan to get there.  The cornerstone of this plan will be the weekly goals that guide your progress.

I hold regular events where we sip coffee, discuss our progress, and set goals.  Being part of a community you can rely on to hold you accountable can help inspire you to stay on track.  You are welcome to pop in anytime.  Check our events page for a complete listing.

Keep a to-do list and work on it every day.

To-do lists are the best way to keep track of everything that you need to get done.  A planner is handy because it allows you to keep this list available at all times.  An organized life means no balls dropped, right?  Keeping a running tally of everything you need to do and plenty of space to add more items as they pop up can help you with your juggling game. 

Reference this list multiple times a day.  Add new items as they come, and take care of any issues you can.  Stay focused on crossing things off this list to push you to make progress faster.  Often, it will seem like this list is incredibly long or discouraging.  You will see the productivity flow as you start working and crossing items off.  This will make you feel great!

Getting organized means much more than just pretty shelves and bundled cords.  Getting organized means getting your life in order and setting priorities.  It means arranging a routine that enables you to get the most done without having the pesky inconvenience of losing items or forgetting obligations.

Having everything you need, where you need it, and having a clearly defined outcome for the time you invest will keep you on track to accomplish what you set out to do.  Having goals and lists allows us to stay on the path, focus and complete tasks.

Staying focused and organized is tough without direction.  Pick up my free goalsetting workbook to help you set actionable goals and actually achieve them.  You can also join one of our regular events to check in on your progress and become part of the community.  Download your copy here.

I would like to be transparent so that there are no misunderstandings. As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission from any products linked in this post. This is not a sponsored post, and I was not asked to recommend these products. These are products that I genuinely love and wanted to share with my audience.