The Importance of Organizing Systems (latest Article for neighborhood Newsletter)
The busier and more hectic our lives
become, the more disorganized we seem to be.
We all strive to be organized, but getting organized is not something
that happens overnight.
Getting organized is not a perfect science,
but it does take a little thought and time to set up “organizing systems” that
work for your family. If you spend the time to become organized, you want to
have these systems in place to keep things organized or you have wasted your
time. Take the time to think about your daily lives and where the problem areas
arise. Then, create systems to help these areas or times of your day run more
smoothly. The systems that are put in place must make sense to you and your
family. Once you have systems in place, explain them to the other members of
your family. If a system doesn't work at first, change it until it does. Remember
when creating these systems that everyone will not view being organized the
same way.
One of the most important systems to
have in place is a calendar or schedule. Time management and being organized go
hand in hand. Some people prefer to keep a paper or dry erase calendar in a
central location while others use their phone as their primary calendar. Whatever your style, it is very important
that everyone in the home has the same information and that all information is
added to the calendar. If you have older children and you keep the calendar on
your phone, sync everyone’s calendars so everyone has the same information and
dates are not overscheduled or double booked. After all, we can’t be in two
places at once.
By having a calendar already in place, you can also save yourself
time as the month goes by. For example,
if you see that you are going to attend two birthday parties and a wedding in
the same month as well as provide snacks on the first Monday for your child’s
ball team you can go ahead and purchase cards, gifts and other items in
advance. This will prevent the running around at the last minute and
overspending as well as the added stress.
Schedules can also be a tool to help keep you on track on a
daily and monthly basis. Make a list of
your household chores and create a weekly schedule for getting these
accomplished. Wash laundry on Monday and Wednesday for example or clean the
living room on Tuesday. By keeping a weekly and monthly cleaning schedule, you
free your time up later with deep cleaning. You also feel you have accomplished
something at the end of the day when you can mark off what you have done. Monthly
schedules can include the deep cleaning tasks along with tasks such as changing
the air conditioner filter or changing batteries in the smoke detectors. You
can also include other household maintenance on this schedule such as
sharpening the lawn mower blade and having the air conditioner inspected. This
will not only save time, but could save on costly repair bills later on down
the road.
Meal plans are also a type of schedule. Plan meals by the
week, make grocery lists to match and clip coupons. Not only will this save you
time and money, it may also help you stay healthy. Include several crock pot
meals, casseroles or have breakfast for dinner. If planning meals by the week
stresses you out, go online and search for meal plans that are already created
for you. There are sites such as E-Meals that will email you menus and grocery
lists for the week. With these prepared meal plans, you can also focus on your
style of eating such as Low Carb or Natural and Organic. When you plan a meal
that is a hit with everyone in the family, double the recipe and freeze part
for a meal later on when time is a factor. By planning meals and eating as a
family, the family can spend more time together as well.
Having schedules and calendars is a great way to begin your
overall home organization, but what about the items we already have that cause
clutter? One of the biggest creators of clutter in the home is bringing items
into the home that we do not need to keep. We often bring goody bags in from
parties and events, we bring swag from business meetings, and our kids bring
flyers and art in from school. Our mailboxes are often filled with junk mail. Having a system in place for these types of
clutter is a must and having a specific time of week to siphon through it is
also a must.
Mail: If it is junk mail, separate it and toss it
as soon as you walk into the house. The
other important mail such as bills and items you need to respond to should go
in a place where they will not get lost in the shuffle – especially if they
need to be taken care of later. The entryway or command center for the home is
a perfect place to have a divided holder for the mail with labels such as
Bills, Respond, File, and/or Shred. You
could also have a section for school mail and coupons. Coupons for eating out or shopping (Grocery
coupons are separate) could then be placed in a large Ziploc bag in the car
where they will be available when needed. That way, you can check this bag
depending on where you go and it will keep you from letting coupons expire.
Goody Bags
and Party Favors: Save these items and
box them up for your child’s teacher to use in their classroom treasure
chest. When attending events, don’t feel
obligated to accept or take every flyer that is offered. If you do attend an
event where you are handed a goody bag of papers and items, go through it as
soon as you bring it into the house. Toss what you will not use and place the
other items where they are needed. We all could use the extra pens and drink
Koozies, but other items are not something we should clutter our home with.
Magazines:
Read the magazines you know have articles of interest and recycle the others.
You could also donate them to a doctor’s office waiting room. By cancelling
magazine subscriptions of magazines you never read or no longer have an
interest in, you can also save money.
The above are just a few suggestions of systems to set up
that will benefit most people. Whatever systems you decide to put in place in
your home, remember to work with the other members of your family. Discuss what
works and change systems as the need arises. Everyone in the home should have a
part in keeping the house running smoothly. By maintaining these systems and by
cleaning clutter a little each day, you will soon have a more organized home
that is running more smoothly.
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