Does your home feel untidy, disorganised and a struggle to keep under control? Do you feel frustrated by your lack of progress? Or tell yourself you should be able to keep on top of it all!
I know if you feel disorganised or stressed out by your home, it can really affect how you feel about yourself.
Be kind, it’s not easy to get to everything.
If you could dedicate a big chunk of time to organising and streamlining your home and habits that would be great, but not everyone has the time, energy or headspace.
But you can regain control of your home over time by focusing on the tiny tasks.
Don’t Underestimate the Tiny Tasks
“Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be. Success is the product of daily habits”
– James Clear, Atomic Habits.
I love this quote because it sums up the importance of the little actions we take. In the moment it’s easy to overlook or underestimate the impact they can have, but they all add up. And this applies to organising your home too.
Every tiny step you take to get organised and keep your home under control, or to anticipate and plan for your day, can have a huge cumulative impact on your life. The more you do, the more organised you’ll feel and the more you’ll want to do.
And as each task is so small you’ll be able to take action regardless of the restrictions on your time, energy and resources.
Over time, you’ll feel better organised, less overwhelmed and like you’re in control of your day.
When is the Best Time of Day for you to Take Action?
I feel more energised in the morning. So I know this is a good time to take quick action to make our home feel better organised. And it gives me a sense of achievement early in my day when I make the house feel calmer for when we return home later, or progress an organising project.
If you are interested in understanding the best time of day to take action you may like to find out about your chronotype by doing this quiz.
51 Tiny Tasks to Help you Feel More Organised
Below is a list of tasks that will help you move forward.
Make each action matter:
- pick one task that you can fit into your day or fancy doing
- remember to choose the optimum time of day that works for you and your energy levels
- try to do it mindfully – be present in the moment (feel the warm soapy water as you wash up), observe what you are doing and enjoy the process.
Repeat if you can – if you can, choose another task to move on to. But if you don’t have time or energy, that’s ok, you’ve achieved one thing already!
Invest in these actions because the cumulative benefit will come. I promise it will make you feel great, give you a sense of achievement and help you feel that you are making the best use of the small amount of time you have available.
What will you pick from the list?
Kitchen
- Empty the dishwasher
- Wash up/load the dishwasher
- Tidy up and wipe around the sink
- Tidy jars, packets, containers into cupboards
- Clear and wipe counters
- Put a laundry load on
- Empty washing machine and hang up laundry
- Put away appliances you don’t use often
- Tidy a cupboard shelf, removing expired items
- Empty recycling and rubbish bins
- Put reusable shopping bags into the car/your handbag
Bedroom
- Make the bed
- Hang or fold clothes that you have worn and can get more wear out of
- Tidy creams and make-up so that they are easy to find again
- Put away items that you aren’t using today
- Put away any clean laundry
- Tidy away items that live elsewhere
Bathroom
- Fold/hang towels
- Display products used daily so they are easy to access
- Tidy away products you don’t use daily
- Restock toilet rolls
- Empty bins
- Quick clean round sinks and toilet
Hallway
- Tidy shoes / put away lesser used
- Hang coats and bags
- Tidy away seasonal accessories
- Remove items that live in other rooms
- Create a home for school books & PE kit bags for easy access
- Hang keys and dog leads
Lounge
- Tidy books onto bookshelves
- Gather magazines & recycle old copies
- Remove items that live in other rooms
- Tidy remote controls and gaming tech back to their home
- Fold blankets
- Tidy up the sofa
- Stow childrens’ toys
- Tidy items from surfaces to their homes
- Vacuum round
Planning
- Create a meal plan for the week
- Look through cupboards and make a shopping list
- Plan out what you need for the next day
- Book appointments
- Complete forms
- Check your emails and schedule any follow-up tasks
- Recycle/shred/file any documents hanging around
- Plan any journeys
- Write any cards, address, stamp and put on the front door
- Book an online food shop
- Set-up a subscription for toilet rolls, cleaning products or other regular items
- Set up a direct debit for a regular bill
- Fill a bag with donations from around the home that you can take to a charity shop as you pass by this week
For questions to ask yourself when decluttering a room, get my free Declutter Guide download here.
Read next – Sunday Evening Organising