If you always seem to be juggling personal and professional things, you’re not alone. Along with running your business, you might also be planning this summer’s family vacation, figuring out what to get your mom for her birthday, helping the kids to study for a test, and arranging date night with your partner. It is full throttle ahead and it’s natural to drop the ball from time to time. That’s where help comes in handy; try these 3 ways to stay organized and in control.
1. Write it all down to stay organized
Few people can stay on top of absolutely everything, all from memory. Whilst some people seem to remember things better than others, a great way to manage better than before is when you write things down.
You might choose to use paper and pen to jot down notes or do so digitally instead. Use whichever method you are most comfortable with. Make a note of any dates, events, and appointments that you need to attend, and then keep an ongoing to-do task list with you. Consider adding cute planner stickers to your notes to get you more inspired when doing your planning.
Your task list should include absolutely everything that needs to be done, and by writing it down you will not only be able to remember it, it will also free up your mind to think about other things. When you write everything out, you won’t get that constant nagging feeling that you are forgetting something.
2. Plan ahead
When you plan ahead, you feel organized and there is less room for things to go wrong. You should also find that you end up spending less time on the activities.
For example, take a look at your calendar and start planning gifts for any upcoming birthdays and occasions. Try to get the present done at least a week ahead or, alternatively, buy all gifts for the month in one go to do it all in a single sweeping gesture.
This plan should save you time in the long run. Whether you are shopping for children’s books, men’s glasses, or home accessories, take a moment to learn more and check around for the best deals and group things to take advantage of free shipping offers.
An approach like this kind is useful for almost any upcoming event and for busy parents who want to get organized. Work on the basis that you are all set for the month ahead and can then just handle the day-to-day stuff that comes up.
3. More ways to stay organized: Get help
There are no rules that say that you have to do everything yourself. Before you start to feel the mental strain, take a few proactive measures and get some help.
How you choose to get help will depend on your personality and the kind of help that you need too. You might still want to be in charge of overseeing everything, but delegating could really take a load off your plate. If this is the case, get others in your home to take on more responsibility, according to your direction.
You might feel that there are just a few too many tasks to handle and your partner is equally stressed at work. If so, look into getting help around the home, such as a cleaner or professional organizer.
Another option is to hire an event planner or work with a travel specialist. The costs can be affordable and are worth it for giving you peace of mind!
Yeah, I fought against writing stuff down, but now I have so much to keep track of I write down every little thing! LOL I’m still working on the “planning ahead” system, especially when it comes to writing submissions…they all still pile up at the end of the month! Thanks for this post…I need all the help I can get! :-)
Oh I have lots of notes so you’re not alone in that!! Wishing you all the best with your writing submissions xx
Ha, hope you are well during the lockdown time!
Thanks, quiet life right now on purpose… Hope you’re doing well xx
Good to know!
I’ve used the A+ calendar app for years. It syncs with my contacts list and automatically fills in birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. I just feed in my work schedule, and I have everything going on in one place. Every little bit of organization helps! Thanks for the tips Christy!
That’s great, Amy! I really don’t know what I’d do without my digital calendar
Great tips, Christy, as always. Thank you! :)
Thanks for the sweet compliment, Natalie!
Planning ahead definitely helps, especially when you need to prioritize what you need to do or complete first.
So true. Planning saves time
Very convenient recommendations. As it is lived today, at the speed of light, it is necessary to have a well-defined agenda so as not to waste time. Your article is good.
Manuel
Making good use of time is more important than ever, as you indicated here. Hope you and family are staying in good health
In Chile, we are even with a curfew at night. The quarantine is total and we have been 20 days without leaving. Order the groceries online. All the family well. I hope that you also find yourself without novelty. Sorry for the delay in answering.
Thank you for your kindness and good wishes.
A big hug
Manuel
Thank you for a fantastic read, I really enjoyed it! I always have some wacky ways of organizing my stuff that people don’t get, but it works for me. I try to be more normal though lol.
It’s what works best for YOU so do what keeps you organized ✅ Who knows, it could be that our ears are backwards and yours is more efficient!
I think each person has a specific way to handle this and there’s no right or wrong! We all need to be doing what works for us! :)
Yeah, it easy staying organized. Thank you for this post.
Sending healing thoughts your way, hope you’re doing ok
Doing well. Thank you. Taking it one day at a time. I think that is what al of us need to do right now.
Be safe.
Yes, looking at it that way can keep things from getting too much.. I’m glad you’re well
It helps with this being on lockdown at home, too.
That’s exactly what I was thinking!
That’s a very helpful post. Thank you Christy.
Appreciate that, Sumith
Yes! This is always a struggle. I love calendars and Alexa, and one of my new favorite tools is the Google Keep app. SO useful for SO many things. It’s like a virtual sticky note!
Ooooh I’ll gave you try the Google Keep app, thanks for the recommendation!
You’re welcome!