Organizing Tasks to keep chaos at bay


Set daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal organizing tasks

Staying on top of our daily organizing tasks and managing our possessions can feel like a part-time job – a job for which our compensation is personal satisfaction, improved productivity and enjoyment. Because the demands of each day don’t allow us much time to organize our personal “stuff”, keeping a daily routine is important to help us stay organized. Time management is self-management. I believe that we manage our organized selves when our goals are embedded in our hearts and minds.

Daily Organizing Tasks

Planning daily works! Maintaining order is best accomplished by planning daily. Schedule 15 minutes, at the beginning and at the end of each day, to put away (tidy up) any misplaced or “homeless” items. This daily routine will minimize a weekly Herculean task on your day off. Eyeball the common areas of your home (kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom, mudroom/entryway) for any items out of place, and quickly find their “homes”. This includes: dishes in the drain board/dishwasher, counter clutter, mail, papers, technology, books, clothing, accessories, shoes, beauty supplies, and food items. The simplest way to begin is by making your bed each morning as recommended by Admiral William H. McRaven in his book Make Your Bed. Starting your day this way can give you a feeling of accomplishment and control.

Weekly Organizing Tasks

If you’re not able to complete your daily organizing routines, catch up each week. There are some simple rules to make your weekly organizing easier. For each new item you bring in, eliminate one (or two) to avoid clutter. Identify miscellaneous (homeless) items by having a home for everything. Label each area so that you never forget where you put it.

On a weekly basis, start with organizing the inside of your refrigerator, freezer, shelves and pantry. Not only will this help you with meal planning, you will avoid the odor and accidental eating of expired food items. Be sure all containers are well sealed. Next, review your mail for urgent replies, future projects, and junk. Your bedroom needs some TLC each week. Move strewn clothing into the laundry or closets. Keep a covered laundry basket inside your closet to make this easier. Organize the contents of your handbags and totes. If you work from home, straighten up your work space at the beginning of each week to prepare for the week to come.

Monthly and Seasonal Organizing Tasks

Some organizing tasks can wait for monthly or seasonal review. Attics, garages and vehicles tend to be used as storage for the extraneous. On each holiday, review your decorations and supplies for any broken items and repair them. Alternatively, toss or give away those holiday/seasonal items that you no longer find useful or sentimental. If you keep separate storage for off-season clothing, examine stored items for pests, moth holes, too big, too small, stained or damaged clothing.

Make it fun

Make a game of putting stuff away. Play beat the clock. Set a timer and stay focused. See how much you can do in 5 minutes. When the chore is fun, the more motivated we are to accomplish it.

The most disorganized areas

The frequently occupied areas of the home are often the most disorganized. To stay on top of all areas, try to follow the 80/20 rule which suggests that we use approximately 20% of our possessions around 80% of the time. Which possessions gather dust and can be eliminated from our living space? Be sure your medicines and cosmetics are not expired. Avoid rusted tools by cleaning and oiling them at the end of each season before storing. Insert drawer dividers to avoid the junk drawer effect and arrange sections for like-related items.

For more guidance, read this article in Homes and Gardens to learn more ways to maintain order and keep chaos at bay.