Self Improvement

7 Simple Daily Habits To Stay Organized

posted on April 9, 2018 | by Sam Brown

It can be SO hard to stay organized when you’ve got a million things on your to-do list, so I thought I’d put together a bunch of my favorite daily habits that help me feel like I’ve got my shit together – even when I don’t!

In this post I’ve included 7 different habits that will help you stay organized, but I recommend you start with just one of them. That way, they’re much more likely to stick. Let’s just get straight into it (because I know you’re busy!):

Make your plans the night before

I know I’m not the only one who’s guilty of thinking that, for whatever reason, winging it is a better idea than planning. Usually it’s just me trying to avoid the fact that there are a limited number of hours in the day which means that if I actually plan properly, I’ll have to consciously say no to things. Which I don’t like doing. But planning out my day the night before makes a HUGE difference when it comes to staying organized – especially if I’ve got A LOT going on (if you have trouble sticking to your planner, make sure you read this post).

Prioritize your tasks

I totally get that this is an obvious one but spending just a few minutes each day prioritizing your tasks will really help you feel organized – especially if you’ve got the kind of life where you’ve got things coming at you from every direction! If you didn’t prioritize your to-do list when you were planning your day, make sure you go back and do it.

Batch similar tasks together

I always find that my life feels the most messy when I’m constantly jumping around from task to task. I know they say we women are AMAZING multi-taskers but personally, I find that when I’m trying to do a lot of things at once I’m not doing anything 100%. To keep your day organized, group together tasks like checking emails, preparing meals and replying to text messages so that you don’t have constant interruptions throughout your day. You can find more of my advice on batching tasks in this blog post.

Keep the space around you clutter-free

I know as well as anyone that it’s insanely easy for things to pile up around you, especially if you feel like you’re WAY too busy for cleaning, but clearing your workspace each day will make a huge difference when it comes to your productivity and your mindset. If you need some help with decluttering, make sure you check out this guide! And bonus points if you keep some fresh flowers on your desk – it sounds simple and they don’t have to be expensive but having fresh flowers is something organized people do. And seeing them on your desk will make you believe that you are one.

Wake up at the same time everyday

This isn’t possible for everyone, but if the kind of work you do allows for it then waking up at the same time can go a LONG way to helping you feel organized and in control of your life. I’m not saying you need to wake up early (though if you do want to wake up a little earlier, here’s my best advice) just that waking up at a consistent time – whether that’s early or late – will help create routine which creates a sense of control. A morning routine also helps, too!

Plan some ‘me-time’ every day

Do you know what organized people do? They use their organizing skills to actually create the kind of life they want, rather than telling themselves that they’re simply ‘too busy’ for the stuff that really matters. I’m not saying you need to do anything crazy but making time for a few little things that are purely for you (NOT your boss) will really help you feel like you’ve got your shit together.

Cut out mindless social media scrolling

It’s hard to feel organized when you reach for your phone every third minute and scroll mindlessly through Instagram, just so you can avoid whatever it is you should be doing. Yes, it’s hard to stop procrastinating and there will always be shitty tasks you’ll need to do throughout each day. I find that when I really need to get stuff done, using an app like Forest really helps me stay focused. And being focused makes me feel SO much more organized!

Which of these daily habits do you think you’ll try? Let me know in the comments!

And just so you know, I write more blog posts like this on my blog Smart Twenties.