When you think about qualities a boss babe possesses, one of the main traits is being put together. In order to keep your shit straight, you must be organized.
For some of us, it is natural to be organized, but not for everyone. If you are one of those that could use some help being more organized, I have some helpful tips. Here is a run down on just a few of the methods that I use to keep my insane life in order.
Cleanliness then Godliness
Whether you heard it in a scripture or by Billy Corgen, keeping your workspace and surroundings clean will help you be more successful. You will have more time to do what you need to instead of looking for the items you need to do your job/project. If you are not naturally a clean and organized person, I suggest looking at different boards on Pinterest for ways that you can organize your desk, vanity, kitchen, bathroom, etc. There are people whose careers are to organized for others, so it is okay if you are not good at it.
Calendar / Planner / Journal
Whether you are a digital lover or old school, you must have a calendar to keep track of your appointments. I prefer to use both. If you are going to use both, you must always add your appointments into both though or you can actual make matters worse. Below I have broken down different categories I have in my planner so contribute to my success.
Appointments
The main purpose of a calendar is to keep all of your appointments straight. In my physical calendar, I use a color coding system to keep track of my appointments by category. For example: Pink appointments for me, Blue appointments for Larry, Green appointments for Vincent, and Yellow appointments for the dogs, etc. You can do this in your digital calendar also.
In your digital calendar, you can set alarms and reminders which is huge! Ensure that those alarms push to your cell phone and then you will not miss an appointment again.
To-do Lists
This can be done in many ways. You can keep an ongoing list, a weekly list, different categories of to do lists such as work, personal, children, etc.
Weekly Goals
This is different than your to do list. This should be things that are not tasks. For example, I usually give myself 4-5 weekly goals. Some goals I repeat each week like read one chapter each day, do not eat after 8PM, etc.
Payments Due
I recommend setting as many of your payments to auto-pay. For any that you cannot, write them in your planner so that you can stay on top of your credit.
Shopping Lists
I am the type of person who shops usually once a week for groceries and house keeping supplies, so I like to keep a list throughout the week in my planner so that I do not forget the items that I need.
Shopping can also be done online now, so when my life is really hectic, I will use grocery delivery or Amazon Now to eliminate an errand.
You can also sign up for subscriptions for items that you go through on a regular basis such as paper towels, toilet paper and diapers, so that you don't even have to place the order. Amazon also has those buttons that you can get where all you need to do is press the button and whatever item you have the button for will automatically be ordered and shipped to you.
For more information and details on my planner/journal please watch my video: Tattooed Mom Boss Keeps Her $hit Straight. Hopefully I will get this video posted over the weekend.
Sunday Meal Prep
Speaking of eating, meal prep is a huge part of being organized. Not only does prepping your meals for the week save you money and time but prevents you from those last minute pizza orders and fast food that hurt all that hard work you have put into losing that post pregnancy bod. I like to prepare my lunches for work and my breakfast. I might make something in the slow cooker for lunch such as veggie chili or prep some delicious salads for my lunches.
For breakfast I have been on this green smoothie kick and found that to be really easy and portable for those mornings where I do not have time to eat at the house.
For dinner, I do not actually prepare the items unless it makes sense, but I do plan what we will make each night. Then there is no need to decide on what to make after a long day and realize you needed tomato paste and do not have any. As I said, I decide what we are going to eat and see what ingredients I need for these meals. Now I can add the items that I need to my grocery list and do not have to stop on my way home from work.
Chores list
Above I talked about cleanliness in regards to having your workspace organized, but there are other cleaning tasks than keeping your shit together.
We all have them. Those household tasks that never end like laundry, cleaning the bathroom, washing the dishes, etc. If you tackle some of these tasks each day and every week, they will not take up an entire day to complete. I am lucky enough to have a partner who contributes to the household chores, so we keep a list in a common area of the house that has all the chores we need to get done each week and any unique chores we may have for the week. That way whether we are home together or not, we can see what the other has been able to accomplish and work on the other chores.
I want to conclude this blog by stating that if you do not follow through with all these ideas on how to be more organized, then what is the point? Just by putting down errands/assignments you need to do, chores that need to be done, and prepping meals for the week does not mean those tasks will be completed if you do not follow through. Remember, this just helps you keep your thoughts, tasks, appointments and shit together so that you can be more efficient with the completion of them. Do not let your lists overwhelm you. Tackle them one at a time and remember that you are human. If you cannot complete them all, you are not a bad person, a loser or a failure. You are a fucking boss and sometimes there are just too many things to do. It's okay. You can get them done the next week. Don't give up!