Become an organised mum: 10 ideas to help you get there
I remember when I was younger, prior to being a Mum, I always thought that I was a really organised person. On my CV I included that I was well organised, in job interviews one of the answers I’d give to the common question ‘what are some of your best attributes’ would always be that I was very organised.
Well how wrong was I! What I thought was organised back then is so far from reality. I think back then my problem was that I just didn’t have enough to do or I didn’t know what busy as so my idea of being organised was totally out of whack!
If people ask me now if I am organised I would say, sometimes but not all the time. There are definitely areas I can improve on and where I want to get back on track. This post is sort of like a lesson to myself on how I might be able to go from being somewhat disorganised (or less than organised) to becoming an organised mum , even if it means just starting with a few of the points below on how you can become an organised mum.
Write it down
At the beginning of the day write the most important tasks you must achieve in the day on a whiteboard, blackboard, in a notebook or on a piece of paper. It acts as a reminder and a motivator.
Do one thing at a time
Oh gosh, this is my nemesis. Look at my blog title for goodness sakes. This is one of the most IMPORTANT things I need to start doing to get more organised, I know for a fact I will feel as though I’ve accomplished more at the end of the day.
Say No
This is the second most IMPORTANT thing that I find so hard, actually I think I’ve written about it before. It’s true though, not being able to say no to your family, friends or work means you can easily drop yourself right into the middle of overwhelm, not being able to get out. NO, NO, NO, NO….say NO!
Sort and cull
I’m a bit of a hoarder, I always have in the back of my mind when I look at something I’m considering throwing away ‘Oh, but what happens if I need it down the track’. Part of getting organised is to remove clutter and so sorting crap and getting rid of it is a perfect way to become clutter free.
Find a proper place
I’ve started to realise that my home often gets full of clutter and makes me feel a bit blah because some things don’t have a place. My goal is to make a place for everything and if it doesn’t have a place, well that may just be code for getting rid of it!
Put it away
Oh dear, I’ve turned into one of those people that creates piles of clothes and things and doesn’t put them away. Over the week, the pile grows and grows, it stresses me out and makes me feel so disorganised! My new mantra…Put it away, put it away NOW!
Use folders or filing systems
I was in stationery heaven the other day in KiKiK. I was admiring their beautiful big binder folders and realised that I needed to start using one for all of my paperwork and bills. At the moment I have an intray in my office and that’s where everything lands. Not good Jan.
Remember, social media won’t miss you
One of the toughest things being a Social Media Manager for Kids on the Coast Magazine is that I’m on social media ALL THE TIME, its’ my job. As much as I love it, there are times when I really need to take a break. It’s a habit to be checking it all the time, I have terrible FOMO (fear of missing out). I think the best tip I’ve heard here is to schedule particular times during the day to check it and stick to it, say 3-4 times a day for about 10 minutes or so. Let’s see how that goes!
Use a calendar
I rely too heavily on my memory and, well, it’s failing me more often. I have a gorgeous diary and my Google Calendar linked up to all my accounts, but I don’t use it near enough. I think the key is to stick with which one works for you and for me, I think it’s the online calendar. I can see it from my desktop and from my phone, it also sends me beeping reminders which my diary doesn’t do.
Prioritise
It’s a little cliché but it’s true, if you don’t prioritise then you become a mish mash of disorganisation. The most important thing is that tasks that are very important, the ones that need to get done that very day otherwise there are not so good consequences (like you won’t get paid) are the ones you need to do and then it goes down in a scale. I have to remind myself of this a lot instead of trying to do every single task at once.
So, would you call yourself an organised person? What do you do to get back on track?
Good tips, I am trying to be more organised but I can never focus on one thing at a time so end up half doing lots of tasks but finishing none! Then I feel like I haven’t achieved anything.
great tips, my personal favourites are say no and do one thing at a time 🙂
Fantastic Tips! So true that social media won’t miss you. My mum used to say “do it properly the first time” i.e put whatever away in its proper place then you don’t have to do it twice. I try to follow that (most of the time)…