2024 Archives - OrganisedWell - Professional Declutterer & Organiser

51 Tiny Tasks to Help you Feel More Organised

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.

How to Harness your Energy to Spring Clean your Home

Spring brings brighter days, longer day-time hours and increased energy, so embrace the chance to Spring clean your home.

As the weather starts to improve, we have longer daylight hours and see growth and renewal all around us in the natural world. It’s a wonderful time to embrace our increasing energy levels to clear our clutter and bring positivity to our home.

If you are struggling to take action, to freshen up those rooms, brighten up your space and clear out the dust and clutter accumulated over the winter months, I’ve got you. In this blog I share why we Spring Clean, remind you why you should tackle your home, and share 6 ideas to help you harness your energy for a good clear out!

Why do we traditionally Spring Clean?

The origins of Spring Cleaning are unclear; a number of religious traditions involve cleaning the home, the alter or church.

But you know I’m all about the practical, so let’s consider Spring Cleaning from that perspective! Here in the UK, though we still have cooler spells, the weather becomes warmer in Spring. Historically this was a good time to open up the home and clean off the soot, dust and dirt accumulated over the winter months. Home fires, oil lamps, candles and other methods of heating and lighting the home would leave the house dirty, dull and in need of a good clean.

Biologically Spring is great time to make changes as the weather has a positive affects on our bodies. Over winter the days are shorter, we may go out less and we are exposed to less sunlight which affects melatonin production and makes us more sleepy. During Spring increased natural light causes less melatonin production which gives us more energy.

And don’t forget the Clutter

Over Autumn and Winter we acquire possessions, and after spending more time indoors, may have stopped noticing the things that we no longer use or love. Spring is a great time to take a fresh look.

Clutter can make it difficult to process information, affects our ability to focus and affects our memory. It can negatively affect our mood, stress levels and can even affect our physical health, including our eating habits. Read more in Psychology Today.

Aside from the traditions and the practical reasons to Spring Clean, it’s a great time to tackle the clutter that has a negative impact on our body and mind.

When you declutter your home, you get intentional about your environment. You make conscious choices about what you want to keep, how you want to feel and what you want to be able to do in your home. And you remove the things that you no longer need or love, to create space to live and enjoy. You also make it so much easier to freshen up your home, keep it clean and to decorate.

What better time to embrace clearing out your clutter!

‘Clean home, clear mind’.
Unknown

6 ways to harness your energy for that Spring clean:

1. Define your goal

Do you want your home to feel fresh, open, cleaner, and lighter as we head towards to brighter months? Are you expecting guests, activities, birthday parties? Do you want to make things more manageable as you head into a busy period at work. Or perhaps you have teens at home who are facing exams. A clearer, cleaner home gives them a great environment to focus.

Whatever is coming up for you, use this goal to help you focus, so that you get started and stay on track with your decluttering tasks.

2. Get super focused

We all only have so many hours each week and so much energy to work on tasks; so we need to focus our efforts on what matters most. It can help to focus energy on the priorities and get help, or spread out work on the other areas over time.

It can be overwhelming to think about everything that needs to be done so it’s helpful to write them down. You can then prioritise and cross off as you complete items. You can also schedule any tasks that don’t help you achieve your goal for later.

Some of my clients find it really useful to talk through their tasks, areas to focus on and how to achieve them. If you’d like some support feel, free to contact me for a chat.

3. Make it fun

I know decluttering can sometimes feel like hard work, so make it fun with some of these ideas:

Stimulate your senses – play your favourite playlist, podcast or audio book while you get decluttering
Make it competitive! Race a timer, another member of the household or appliances (such as declutter a drawer while the kettle boils)
Chat to a friend or family member while you work through some possessions

4. Don’t try to do it all on your own

Working alone can be satisfying but it can also take time and energy. If you can, getting some help can help you go much faster. Consider asking a friend or family member for support reviewing your clothes, or decluttering the garage or shed.

Outside help can also be useful if you are pushed for time, energy or need a boost. You might hire a cleaner to deep clean, an oven cleaning company to bring back the sparkle or gardener to help you refresh the outside space. And a Professional Organiser can help you declutter and organise any area of your home.

5. Re-imagine each room

A lick of paint can do wonders to freshen up a space. But it’s also a great opportunity to evaluate and get intentional about what you keep in each room. (And I’ll tell you a secret; you don’t even really have to decorate to make a difference).

Imagine (or do this) if you were to empty the room and redecorate, what furniture and possessions would you want to return to this refreshed room? This exercise can really help you to work out what’s important and what you can release.

6. Schedule your Spring Clean

We are more likely to do something if we set an intention; deciding when and where we are going to do a task (Achieve Your Goals: The Simple Trick That Doubles Your Odds of Success).

We also have the opportunity to consider our needs or anticipate barriers, and can ensure that we support ourselves to achieve our goals.

Consider what time you have available, when you feel most energetic and how long you can work on it. Then commit time in your diary for the task you want to accomplish.

Make sure you include time for rest, hydration and other demands you have on your energy – you may need to take longer or take more breaks to achieve your goals.

If it’s a bigger task, you’ll need to engage other household members or ask for support with other tasks.

Ready to make a start?

You may also be interested in my blog Spring clearing!

If you’d like help getting started, keeping going or dealing with tricky challenges, contact me for practical advice and support.

Banish Your Paper Clutter in 5 Easy Steps

It is possible to regain control of your paper clutter!

If you have paper clutter about your home, you’ll know how it makes you feel. Your home always feels messy, it’s stressful trying to find what you need and you risk missing important events or deadlines.

There is no denying we live in a digital world, but physical paperwork remains a fact of life. Letters, leaflets, tickets, manuals, kids artwork, official documents and other papers continue to come into our home every day. This paper clutter can soon build up, gathering on surfaces and getting in our way.

If this sounds familiar, you’ll know how it can make you feel!

If we don’t keep a handle on this paperwork deluge it can quickly have negative consequences for our home and our health. Messy unsightly piles can cause stress and embarrassment when visitors come around, and clutter can affect our ability to focus on tasks and our work. Plus, we risk impacting our family, finances and health if we end up missing appointments or payments when we can’t find the documents we need.

If your paper clutter is out of control, know that you’re not alone.

And, with some work (it’s well worth doing, I promise) it’s possible to get it back under control using my simple system to manage your paperwork.

5 Easy Steps to Regain Control of Your Paper Clutter

1. Prepare

Gather your paperwork together from all over the house and bring together on one clear surface where you have a bit of room. If you’ve built up a lot it may be easier to do this on the floor.

2. Quickly dispose

Recycle (shred personal details) all envelopes, leaflets, old notes and documents you don’t need. Any documents you were holding temporarily but are now finished with can also go. This step will thin out the pile of paperwork, reduce any overwhelm and enable you to give thought to the remaining documents.

3. Sort into loose categories

Organise your remaining documents into piles using the following categories:

Action: These are the documents that you are currently using or will need soon (e.g. forms you need to complete, letters that you need to take to appointments, I also keep name tags for kids items in my Action section as I always need to label something )
Keep long-term This pile will contain these would be documents that you need to refer to again in future or, that you can’t easily be replaced (including Identity documents such as passports and, birth, adoption, or marriage certificates; education and employment documents; important information and contracts related to your car, house, finances and health.) If you’re unsure of whether you should hold on to something, do so for now and get advice
Memories should be managed separately. Whilst you may wish to keep some school reports, children’s artwork, personal letters etc, make sure that you store these separately so that they don’t hinder your search for important documents when you need them.

4. Create your action folder

The idea is to create a holding space for all of the paperwork you’ll need soon. The things you put in here should only be there temporarily, until you use them or no longer need them, and then they should be thrown out or stored in your long-term filing system.

Many people like to use a letter rack in the entrance hall, a noticeboard, in-tray in the home office or magazine file in the kitchen. Alternatively you may not need to keep the document but instead can save a screen shot to your phone or cloud drive, or note the details in your calendar, a digital notebook or a secure filing app. Whatever works for you!

Whatever you choose to use, keep it somewhere you can easily access when you acquire new paperwork to deal with, and where you won’t forget to deal with what you’ve put in there!

5. Long-term filing

Now it’s time to create homes for all of the paperwork that you need to keep. You may want to invest in a safe or off-site storage for some important documents.

Take a moment to consider which documents you need to keep but aren’t necessary as hard copies stored by you. For example, you may be able to download some paperwork for your utility bills, subscriptions, online purchases, bank statements from your accounts as and when you want them. Don’t forget to get copies before you close any accounts if you may need them later.

Whether you store documents in hard copy or electronic form, it’s important to review them periodically and dispose of anything that you no longer need to keep. You might do this when you add a document; 1 in, 1 out.

You may have heard that bank statements should be kept for six years, but Martin Lewis now recommends you keep them for longer than this. You can read his thoughts on the subject here Don’t throw bank statements away after six years

Reduce your physical paper storage by going digital

If you want to keep physical storage to a minimum, you could consider filing original documents you’ll need for evidence in a concertina folder, filing box, or safe and digitise the rest. One example of a digital filing cabinet solution is the FYIO app.

How to manage your paperwork day to day

Now you’ve regained control of your paper clutter, it’s important to keep on top of it or it will only build up again. The key is to manage it quickly and as soon as it comes into your home wherever possible.

Here is my quick and easy process for how to do it.

Dispose! -Recycle/shred anything you know you don’t need. If you put it down and come back to it later, you’ll handle it more than once which wastes your time

Do it quickly! -If it will take 2 minutes, take action immediately – book the appointment, complete the return slip, schedule the bill for payment

Schedule -Diarise any task that will take more than a few mins and store any related paperwork for easy access

Give it a home -Pop it into your action folder or into your long term filing system!

If you loved this article you may also be interested in: Discover how the Apps I love could make you better organised.

Paperwork can feel overwhelming because we usually have a lot of it. If you’d like help with an initial sort, setting up your filing system and reviewing your paperwork or advice on storage options, contact me for practical advice and support.

Note: get advice if you are unsure about whether you need to keep a document and for how long.

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Podcast #3: Avoid Costly Clutter in the January Sales

play Episode on Spotify

With all the hype about the bargains we can buy in the January sales it’s easy to get carried away, but could our purchases quickly become clutter?

We are bombarded with tempting offers everywhere we go. There are so many products and services that can solve our problems, even problems we don’t realise we have. How many social media and TV adverts, and promotional emails have you come across offering bargains and special offers?

Bargain or clutter?

It’s easy to get carried away with the idea of a special offer or the need to buy ‘while stocks last’! Clever marketing is persuasive but if we find our purchases don’t quite meet our needs or we don’t have space for them, they can easily become clutter.

So I invite you to get yourself a hot drink and join me for my latest podcast. We think about how to avoid costly clutter in the January sales.

You might also be interested in my blog Buying feels good but holding on is the problem.

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Find out about Organising Support

I’m Laura, sensitive and practical Professional Organiser based in Nottingham and supporting clients all over the Midlands. Find out more here