Simplify Your Life In 5 Easy Steps

Do you always feel disorganized and scattered? This article, Simplify Your Life In 5 Easy Steps, will help you streamline your life so you can spend more time crushing your goals!

I will be the first one to tell you that I tend to feel scattered no matter how many organization strategies I’ve tried over the years, but I have a couple of old school tips that I learned from my Mom that still hold true today and a few tips I’ve learned recently.

A book that I learned a lot of tips from is Maria Menounos’s book “Every Girls Guide To Life” I’ve had this book for years, and she has so many useful tools for organizing your life in a way that allows you to be more productive.

I’m starting a new job in a week and know it’s essential to put a system in place to make sure that I’m holding down the front to keep my household in good order financially and keep my home clean and organized.

I’m entirely reorganizing my place and declutter. I’ve always wanted a clean and with all items stored and labeled. I’ve been working over the last few days getting rid of or donating most of my possessions to have only bare essentials and then purchasing clear storage containers and labeling them.

I hope to have an update on my progress and post a video of my updated living space. Here are some tips that my Mom did when we were growing up that I still do today.

1. Simplify Your Life By Preparing The Night Before

When I was growing up, my Mom had us on an organized schedule. She worked nights and, for a time, worked two jobs to help make ends meet. The one thing that we had to do after dinner was to get our clothes out for the next day. That meant underwear, pants, tops, shoes ready to go. This saves a lot of time in the morning when you are feeling tired.

We were also responsible for setting the table for breakfast the night before and having our lunches made after dinner. I started making my lunch in first grade, and it always baffles me when parents come to me complaining about doing so much for their kids or their kids not eating their lunch at school. 

My Mom had us taking responsibilities early, mostly because she had to work and needed help keeping the house in order. Years later, I use the same strategies and have everything prepared the night before and have my bag at the door. Try this strategy, and I’m sure you’ll love the low-stress process of getting ready in the morning.

2. Declutter & Only Keep Bare Essentials

I don’t know about you, but I get anxious when I have too much stuff at home. I’ve felt this way as a kid, and I was continually trying to find a way to keep my side of the room organized.

When I moved out, I realized that living lean had its perks. If I need to move again, I could do it by myself and save money. If you love in a small space as I do, keeping your home clutter-free is everything! Find ways to cut down on extras in your home. I recently recycled my old college textbooks because I never use them. I’ve been out of college for over eight years! Why was I holding on to these books!

If you haven’t used an item in the past three to six months, it’s time to donate, sale or trash that item. If you have heavy items, some charities will send a truck and carry it out of your home, or you can have a junk truck come by for a fee and take your extra things out.

3. Everything Has A Place

The easiest way to simplify your life is by creating a system for storing clothing, shoes, books, etc. Storage cubicles, clear plastic tubs, and baskets can all be used for specific items. I recently reorganized my bathroom and moved all of my medications and vitamins into my bedroom in a clear front opening shoebox in my storage cube shelves. This area works best for me because I typically take my medicine before bed. If I forget to take it, I can quickly grab it, and my water is nearby.

My medicine cabinet doesn’t work as well because I hardly go inside of it, and I found that I forget to take my medicine if it’s not visible. I love my new open front shoe boxes because I don’t have to pull out the whole tub to reach my allergy medicine. I pop open the front and put the bottle back in when I’m done.

Create a system that makes sense for you. If you have a hard time finding your keys, make a table or hook next to your door, your key station, and consistently put your keys in that area.

4. Label Everything

The best way to keep things organized is to label the storage container or drawer. This will remind yourself where things belong, and if you have a housekeeper or relative, they can easily read the label and put things back—no more searching through random drawers to find batteries.

Create a box dedicated to batteries, crafts, beauty products, skincare supplies, and kitchen utensils. Especially label items that you use outside of your home like water bottles, lunch boxes, or phone case. I typically find a bright color like orange to make my items stand out.

5. Write Everything Down In A Journal

I’m a fan of good old fashion handwriting on paper. There is something about writing something down that helps me remember things better. For years I had a notebook on my desk at work and wrote everything down on it in one space. Phone messages, instructions for staff, document incidents, take meeting notes, etc.

I recently learned about the bullet journal method and realized that I’ve been using that method for years but not without an index. Write everything down from birthdays, meetings, to-do’s, reminders, and goals. You can easily pull out your journal and read notes to refresh your memory on incidents. The key is putting all your thoughts down in one journal.

These 5 Key Strategies To Simplify Your Life will help you reduce the stress and anxiety of time-wasting searching for items you need. If you enjoyed this article, check out How To Declutter Your Life