I often get told by friends, family and clients that they would love to be more organised but they just don't have the time to do it. So today, I wanted to share just some of the ways that being organised is a huge time-saver, as well as helping you cut down on stress, effort, energy and costs. It just requires that bit of extra effort up-front! To get you feeling motivated, here are some of the huge benefits of being organised...
1 | Everything is easy to find
When everything has a place in your home, it will be rare for you to lose things. There is nothing more frustrating than searching for something that you swear you saw 5 minutes ago! When you know where everything belongs in your home, you're definitely saving yourself time, and stress, in the long run.
2 | Labels and storage containers save your sanity
Although I get teased by people for having labels on EVERYTHING - it really is an obsession (see examples in our shed, laundry, fridge and freezer) - I find it so helpful because I know exactly where everything is! Which brings us back to the point number 1. It also saves time for my husband and my young children (kids can always read picture labels!). Storage boxes, baskets and containers are inexpensive (or could be repurposed from things around your home) and help to create order and organisation.
3 | There's a lot less stress leaving the house in the mornings
No-one likes rushing around in the morning on their way out the door, and this can be particularly challenging with kids. I've spoken before about ways we save time in the morning by being prepared the evening before, and having routines in place. Yes, it requires more of an effort in the evening, but it sure does save the headache and stress the next day. Side-note - we added another level of hooks above our bag hooks for coats and scarves. This has been an awesome addition, both in terms of time-saving, and being able to get out the door quickly!
4 | You feel on top of the housework (most of the time!)
Let's face it - housework is never going to go away. And if you get behind on it (especially the dreaded laundry), it can be tough to get back on top again. Being organised with cleaning is all about getting into good routines - whether it's doing different jobs or rooms of the house on specific days, or having one day of the week dedicated to a cleaning blitz. I find that if I keep on top of my weekly chores, and spread out the other home and gardening jobs throughout the months, I can avoid having to do massive 'spring cleaning' sessions, where you can waste a whole day, or even a weekend, cleaning. Not my idea of fun!
5 | Paperwork doesn't take over your life
There are definitely periods when we have more paper clutter lying around than other times. I'm sure that if you have kids in kinder or school, you'd know that it's a pretty constant flow of forms and info you need to keep track of. By having systems in place for dealing with the paperwork - from sorting, discarding, actioning, and filing - the overwhelm from paper clutter will be kept to a minimum. I showed you the paper system we use here that is kept in our command center, which is still going strong. Having a personalised system that works for you and your family is an essential step in keeping the paper clutter under control.
>> Learn the step-by-step process for creating your own family command centre in my paperwork course ‘Making Your Paper Work’! Learn more here >>
6. Meal planning is no longer such a headache
I think one of the most beneficial areas for being organised is in the kitchen - in terms of meal planning; grocery shopping; preparing and packing lunches and snacks; pantry, fridge and freezer organisation and having an organised kitchen. If you've got these things sorted, then you are definitely saving yourself a huge amount of time, money and effort in the long run! I will be going into each of these areas in more specific detail over the coming months, with lots of tips and tricks, but if you are feeling the overwhelm of being disorganised, any of these areas would be a great place to start.
>> Want to learn how to plan, prioritise and organise
your time better? The Productivity Pack will help
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