When you’re a mom, you might think there’s no such thing as getting it together. After all, no one plans diaper changes, tears at preschool, or even “last minute” bake sales.
And while it’s great to be organized, sometimes all the extra planning in the world just won’t fix it.
So what then? Don’t you wish you could finally feel organized and like you have room to breathe???
Right now, grab The Ultimate Productivity Bundle for 97% off. Learn more here:
The key to feeling a little more organized is a little planning (and these five tricks).
1. Set your expectations
Set your expectations for what you want to accomplish. What’s the absolute minimum that you need to do to keep your home running smoothly? Write it down.
Do you want to have a clean house? Decide when (and what) you’ll clean. You can make a list of everything you need to clean in each room or make an overall list for your entire home. (For a done-for-you list of everything you need to clean in your home, grab my Organized Motherhood Cleaning Planner here.)
Want to have a great night out? Make a list of everything your babysitter will need to keep your kids alive and happy.
2. Do things once
Once you make a list, save it. Why reinvent the wheel?
When doing things around the house, use a “touch it once” principle. Once you do something, reuse it. This also applies to getting things out or even putting things away.
The monthly meal plan that you made during baseball season? Save it for the next busy season.
The addresses that you saved for Christmas cards? Save the contacts to send each year.
Opening mail? Open it over the garbage and immediately toss the envelopes and extra papers before filing the important info.
3. Create a routine (and write it down)
After always being late, forgetting appointments, and feeling like I was losing my mind on a daily basis, I created the Organized Motherhood Planner to keep track of my day.
But then I noticed something funny. Yes, I had my kids on a routine, but I also had myself on a routine (even if it wasn’t the routine that I wanted to be on).
By taking charge of your time (and your routine), you’ll be able to spend your time wisely.
Make your ideal schedule and write it down. Whether your routine changes every day or stays the same, write it down.
I write my general routine in my planner using time blocks so that I know whether or not I have enough time to finish everything. This also helps prevent me from double booking myself, like that time that I accidentally took my son for his haircut while my daughter was supposed to be in swim class.
It may seem redundant to write your routine every day, but at least make sure that you’re blocking out enough time to get everything done.
4. Set goals
Every day, set three “must do” goals. Even if it’s just taking out the garbage, doing the dinner dishes, and folding a load of laundry instead of letting it wrinkle in the basket, set goals.
But set larger goals, too. In addition to your daily goals, think about your bigger goals, like taking a family vacation next year or decluttering your basement.
Once you have your large goals written down, create a plan to reach them. Think about how much you’ll need to save each month in order to pay for your family trip to Disney next year. Decide when you’ll go and where you’ll stay.
5. Make a (movable) command center
Maybe you have visions of creating a room in your home that’s all yours but you don’t have the space. Maybe you have the room but you’re overwhelmed with the Pinterest-perfect choices. Regardless, you need a way to keep everything together.
Make a binder that’s filled with everything you need. A place to save important receipts, babysitter notes, chore charts, etc.
Put your brain in a binder and then breathe a sigh of relief!
Overwhelmed with the thought of making a binder? I just put the finishing touches on the Organized Motherhood Home Binder! It’s everything you need to finally get your home (and your life) organized.
Download your copy now and use code EARLYHB to get a copy of my Cleaning Planner with your binder.