Hello, dear friend. Thank you for joining me for another virtual coffee date. What is your beverage of choice today? My go-to is a latte or cappuccino.
Let’s talk about organization. I like to be organized and on top of my schedule, but after the holidays, I always feel like I’m starting over. To keep my stress level in check and to maintain emotional health, I try to re-instate organization ASAP. I like to use a method that is tried and true so I can get back to my work. I break down the potentially overwhelming process of getting organized into three chunks. You can too without the use of a professional organizer. (Although practicing good organizational habits, an improved filing system, and new storage solutions may be necessary.)
1. Establish due dates and a schedule.
This week, I assigned due dates to the tasks on my to-do list and scheduled times to complete them. Now that I have written this into my daily schedule, I no longer have to think about it and my focus can stay in the moment. In addition, this provides me the opportunity to be spontaneous when different things present themselves because I can look at my schedule and see if I actually have time to fit it in.
2. Organize your things.
Next, I like to address the organization of my stuff. I don’t know about you, but I find so many things are out of place or just not put away after the holidays. If this is your problem too, start by getting them put away. Join me in throwing away the last of the holiday treats, filing those receipts, finding a place for the gifts you received, and getting everything back to its original location.
This is a great time to throw away those things you don’t need or to donate any clothes or usable unwanted items so that other people might be able to access them. And don’t forget those gift cards. Put them in your wallet or purse and make sure you use them. I have a tendency to forget about them. You’ll enjoy such a sense of accomplishment once you’re done. I know I did.
3. Organize your space.
This step is similar to the last one and you may even contribute to organizing your space while you’re organizing your things. But this step focuses more on the utility and even aesthetic of your space. I find it to be a bit more overwhelming.
Thanks to the Christmas decorating and then undecorating, I have identified many changes that need to be made to improve the look and organization of both my home and my office. Keeping all my work areas orderly (especially my home office, my kitchen, and my work office) and conducive to focused attention and task completion is very important for me.
During the holidays, things were moved or areas were used for new purposes. Now it’s time to re-establish my spaces and make them ready for 2022. However, my busy schedule doesn’t allow me to do this all at once. I have to work within my time limit.
I could just give up and sit in my feeling of being overwhelmed and decide to avoid it. Or I can choose to make small changes every day or every other day or even once a week.
So, that’s the plan. I’ll keep you posted on my progress. I hope hearing my getting organized process helps inspire and give you some structure for your own organizational ambitions.
Thanks for enjoying a cup of coffee with me! Until next time…
