I’ve found over the years that spending the time to get organised is one thing, but actually staying super organised is the bigger work.
We can spend a day, or even a week, going from the top to the bottom of our house, car, work and more – decluttering our spaces and feeling happy with the outcome.
But, if we don’t set the systems and habits in place to keep that going – it isn’t going to stick.
Does that mean we have to spend a big chunk of time decluttering every day? No – definitely not!
Here are a few of my favourite ways to stay organised every day that take very little time. They’ve become such engrained habits that I now do them automatically – so being organised is easy.
Does it mean I’m highly organised in every aspect of my life? I wish! I’m a work in progress too – and I hope these ideas give you some inspo:
9 Organisation Ideas To Try Daily
1. A Space for Everything
Just because I have space in my home, I no longer feel the need to fill it all. A tidy home isn’t just a home full of over-stuffed cupboards and neat piles.
I don’t know about you but when I’ve moved into homes with more storage space, I’ve quickly started buying new things to fill them – and all that ‘extra storage’ you thought you had is gone.
Have a space for everything and if you don’t have space spare, don’t buy new ‘stuff’. Consider this – having space that is just that – SPACE!
2. Let Your Stuff ‘Own’ Its Space
On the same these, when I do allocate a specific area to something, I let that thing ‘own it’.
So if you’re magazines are going to live on the side table next to your favourite chair, don’t then pile other things on top or next to it.
If the bottom shelf of your pantry is for herbs and spices, don’t layer packets and other products on top so you can’t see them.
Give your things their own spot, and let them claim it as theirs. Don’t pile on top or shove things over.
3. Stack Vertically to Save Space
If it’s possible and practical to store products vertically, this can be a great way to save room on shelves and in cupboards. But – make it practical.
If stacking vertically results in items balancing precariously or constantly falling on my when I open the cupboard, I reconsider storing my stuff a different way.
I like to stack books and papers vertically and in the pantry, I put things like pasta and rice into tall containers, rather than lying down flat packets.
4. Label Label Label
Oh, how I love stickers! Labeling jars, bottles, containers and more solidifies that you’ve allocated a space to something specific.
It not only helps me to stay organized, but it encourages my family to follow the process too. (Well, it kind of works!).
You can check out my Pantry Labels here and my Herbs and Spices Labels here.
5. Choose Practical, Over Pretty
Not everything has to be pretty for it to work and make my life easier.
Of course, we would all love to have a beautiful, Instagram-perfect home but that just isn’t possible or practical for everyone.
Find a method of organisation that works for you – not one that looks good but doesn’t help. The organised home images I love aren’t always light, bright and beautiful, but they’re clean, happy and homely.
6. Declutter Daily
I don’t make decluttering a ‘one-time thing’ – I do it daily. That definitely does not mean spending hours a day tidying and purging though – well, unless you want to!
Rather, I find small opportunities to spark joy by discarding the things I see immediately instead of letting them pile up.
I used to LOVE piles. Piles made me feel organised – because my piles were neat. However, they were just piles of stuff that would sit on the floor, on top of drawers or hidden in cupboards for years.
I didn’t need or use 99% of the things in the piles – and throwing things away or putting them in their allocated home obliterates the ‘need’ for piles and results in a more organised home.
7. Be Quick About It
Which brings me on to this point: I put things away immediately.
If I’m always leaving certain things out, it’s because it doesn’t have a home yet or the home needs to change to one that works better.
Spending a few seconds putting shoes away when you take them off is a lot easier than spending two hours every week going room to room and picking up things to finally put them away.
8. Don’t Leave A Room Empty-Handed
When I’m moving through the house, I always look for something I can take with me to tidy as I go.
Now, if only I could get the kids and the hubs to do the same!!
9. Create The Habit
I make decluttering an easy habit I stick to by associating regular activities with regular decluttering.
For example, when I’m getting ready for bed, I try to immediately put my clothes in the laundry basket, not just on the floor. (Wow, this was a hard habit to break and one I still work on!).
Or, when I get home from work, I hang my keys up and put my shoes away immediately.
Have a place for everything to be put away into before you move on to your next thing.
Creating a Super Organised Habit
Over time, the habit forms and you’ll do these easy organisation hacks on autopilot!
When it comes to being organised, find ways to make it easy, accessible and a habit that you’ll stick to. There are so many benefits of bring organised that I’ve found, especially when it comes to my mental health.
Related: The Secret to a Tidy House and Tidy Mind
How organised are you? Share your top organisational hacks in the comments!
Read next:
- 5 To Do List Mistakes (And How To Stop Them!)
- 33 Super Fast Things to Declutter Right NOW!
- How to Get Rid of Old Clothes + FREE Closet Declutter Checklist
- How to Declutter your Friends!
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Originally published on June 10th 2020.
