The ultimate household chores list is a comprehensive guide to help manage your home efficiently and keep it in top shape. It includes daily tasks such as washing dishes, opening and closing the house for sunlight, taking out garbage, wiping tables and kitchen counters, and tidying up after kids.
Creating a well-organized chore list can foster efficiency and harmony in your home. From daily bed-making to monthly deep cleaning, there are various ways to make chores easier and less stressful. Some chores may be therapeutic and calming, while others provide a sense of accomplishment and purpose.
For stay-at-home moms, a morning cleaning routine includes unloading the dishwasher, cleaning breakfast dishes, wiping down counters, making beds, and starting one. Consistent household tasks include meal preparation, doing dishes after each meal, removing shoes when entering the home, and placing items in shared spaces.
To start, choose two chores to do in a day, ensuring you don’t exceed this limit or you will pay for them the next couple of days. This guide provides ten ideas for organizing and completing daily, weekly, and monthly household chores. By following these guidelines, you can create a well-organized and efficient household chores list that helps you maintain a clean and organized home.
📹 7 Things Organized People Do That You (Probably) Don’t Do
Huge thanks to Brilliant for sponsoring this video and supporting the channel! Learning how to be an organized person will help …
📹 How to Plan Your Week Effectively
No matter what productivity or organization system you use in your life, hopefully, you can implement some of these tips to make …
0:52 Organization 1:39 Don’t Rely too much on their brain to store information 3:02 Label All Things (that need labeling) 4:12 Build a Mindfulness Loop 6:24 Have a backup (2 is 1, 1 is none) 7:25 Organizing by Experience, not by dogma 8:14 Respect the phrase “mise en place” 9:15 Be deliberate about the things you own
I feel like you’re literally talking about my life. I’ve discussed all of these habits with my husband. Most people think I’m “too organized,” but honestly, being organized gives you the freedom to maximize your life and do spontaneous activities without hindering your goals or success. It’s the best of both worlds!
When I was growing up, my father had the reputation of being the most productive employee they had. No one could figure it out. He was constantly stopping..shooting the breeze. Never seemed to have anywhere in particular to go. Extremely easy going. He told me when I got older that he would get up around 5 am..three hours before he needed to leave the house. Got himself a cup of coffee..and in the early hours, mentally review his day. What needed doing. What tools he would need..how long tasks might take. Then..when he got to work..would pack his van with the day’s tools and supplies, IN THE ORDER HE WOULD NEED THEM, then put them in job pails in the order they would be needed per task in his van. Then..when he got to the job site..which, because of his approach, was always later than anyone else..he would work through the pails, getting his tasks done in a fraction of the time the others took because he wasn’t spending timevrunning back and forth to his van, or runs to the shop to pick up missing materials. He would finish hours before everybody else with way more done,, leaving him plenty of time to do what he loved best–shooting the breeze. Probably because of my father, efficiency and effectiveness are my first loves. People don’t know how powerful those two little things are. My dad used to tell me exactly the same thing. There are two ways to do things: the right way and again. He NEVER said..my way. It was–the right way..or again. Something else he would tell me: practice the habit of touching things once.
I have ADHD. What this means for me in terms of organization is this: I know that I am not going to remember. Whatever it is, I cannot count on myself to remember it, no matter how important it is. Timers and notes and lists are requisite, not optional. I don’t have time NOT to take a couple seconds and set the timer or write a list etc. This is a boundary I have to defend when people want me to do things fast, nownownow! I have to do it this way. Full stop. What you say about labeling is spot-on. Absolutely. When we broke down flat-pack furniture to move it, I dropped the screws, as they came off, into a plastic freezer bag, which I had labeled as “Drafting table hardware.” I also wrote on it which screwdriver/Allen wrench puts it together. If it has a special tool, well, that drops into the bag too. And this tapes with shipping tape to the underside of the desk/ around a strut, and then the whole pile of pieces get wrapped with pallet wrap to make a coherent package, which then got labeled as to what it was and what room it was going to in the move. This took a little longer. It was worth the time spent. Chaos around me means chaos in the brain.
Wow! I Do all 7 of these things. I might have gone a bit too far to organize my home like an inventory warehouse with quantities, maintenance schedules, grouped items, priority scores, and much more. These skills are really good for organizing a person’s of family’s budget, income, expenses, and transactions.
Plan in buffer zones in your schedule for unexpected events and delays. In my experience, people who are always late for everything and get incredibly stressed about every little hick up are those with the unreasonable expectation that everything will go ideally and the world will bow to their plans. Organized people factor in randomness and others with competing agendas.
When I pack, I write out my list by pretending I’m taking a shower. Starting from hair to toes are my bathroom products (clothing, nail clippers, polish, soap, all that good stuff) and then I pretend I’m going to my class. I pretend I’m having a bad today in class so I would not miss anything. For example: whoops cant find a certain color pen or made a mistake and need white out or i need food around a certain time. Always bring snacks, a water bottle, and a change purse. Mhm prepared
Wow! You have described the way my mind works! I have never been able to put into words the constant “checks and balances” my mind does in the background. “Mindfulness Loop” is exactly it! I love to be organized and feel like I will drop the ball on something if I’m not! Thank you for making this article. Now I know nothing is wrong with me and I’m not crazy! 😆
In all the years when I was thrown into the deep end, each time in a new job, in a different sector and in a different position, I had to learn new things quickly. Only because I always wanted to structure new knowledge, I was able to absorb it more quickly. So far, I’ve stuck to the idea that I have to organise everything, think about dependencies and present them visually. It helps a lot! Thank you for your content 😊
I consider myself an organized person, but I notice that a lot of the tools I use are repetitive, example multiple emails and task tools, so I am now organizing and getting rid of organization tools. This article was helpful in reminding me why I organize diligently. Our digital space is just as important as our physical environment . 🌱 😊 Take it one step at a time.
Mise en place! That’s me😅 saves me a lot of time & money. Recently I’m working on being a minimalist & being more self disciplined when buying things & food. Im also working on being more organized when it comes to electronic files, emails & picture documents. I love organization! I’m glad there’s ppl like me out there😋
I’m a retired elementary school librarian. I’m organized to a tee! I can’t work if my life wasn’t organized. One of my best tips in the kitchen: Put all your recipe ingredients on the left of your bowl/pan, add ingredients as they are called for on the recipe, put used ingredients on the right of the bowl/pan. When finished adding, put everything away before mixing. I also keep a “running” grocery list. That way, I don’t run out of anything. Lynne
I could have written this. I have been practicing organizing for about 30 years and constantly adding to my skills. It took years of training and discipline. I found that the whole key is to invest a little time in the beginning in order to save much more time in the future. Lots of friends want to be able to do what I do but they all openly admit that they don’t want to invest the initial time to get their organized life off and running. This is like saying I want to be able to play the piano but I don’t want to practice to become competent! It takes work but it is well worth the time invested for the time it saves…and did I mention efficiency? I can eat a complete healthy breakfast and prepare to go out in the morning in less than 15 minutes now because I have everything set up in an organized system…unfortunately I am retired now and it doesn’t matter as much now as it did when I had a career…oh well.
Lots of good info! I’m always surprised to hear someone say, “I couldn’t print that because my printer was out of ink, so I had to wait until I could buy more.” You’re going to have to buy it someday – why not stock it before you need it? For example, my husband and I each take a few pills every day (yes, we’re old). For each med, we have a small container that holds a two-week supply. When we dip into the backup, we know it’s time to get a refill. And when the refill arrives, the small container is restocked for another two week backup. It’s a simple system that prevents running out.
You say you are not a minimalist, but I would say you are! The keys to minimalism are keeping things that are useful, bring joy, and help you live in the present instead of the past. If a poster of Megaman gives you joy, keep it! The number or things don’t matter, its the mental freedom, utility, and long lasting happiness they bring to your life :).
Hey Thomas! I just wanted to thank you a lot for all of your articles. Before I found out about your articles I was procrastinating and not making my HS homework. But when I found out about them at the beginning of 2018 you motivated me to actually go work. Now looking back on this year I can’t thank you enough. I finally feel like I have the time to do all my homework, I don’t really play games anymore, I meditate 10 minutes a day and read 5 productivity books that you recommended. Now I’ve got better grades, feel happier at school and can still persue all my hobbies. Now the fact is that no one is perfect and I’m still learning and I am still procrasinating and still have bad days. But everyone has this, even the best productivity experts. Still can’t thank you enough Nola 🙂 tl;dr love you thomas
Just found your website. Apparently, I’m fairly well organised. 1) Understand the value of back-up and arrange it. If you think it’s hard to remember things now, wait till you get older… 2) Labeling is a very good life skill. If you have very little, you might know which parts came from what. Otherwise, labeling makes life simpler and easier. 3)I’ve never called your mindfulness loop a mindfulness loop. My charting out the aspects of life that need “minding,” which are all of them, I’ve used linear formats for keeping track. Everything is included in side by side columns except a weight loss graph, which goes on the fridge, and a finance graph which goes in a budget binder. If a column isn’t enough to hold the needed info for a topic, it’ll get it its own folder/binder. Everything’s available in one spot, except that weight loss chart. So, I do what you described, just by other names. I do the same for the future by establishing S.M.A.R.T. goals: S=specific, M=measurable, A=accessible or achievable, R=realistic T=timely. 4) Definitely, from preparedness training: 2=1, 1=0. Work in layers of redundancy. 5) I organize by “flow.” Example: in the kitchen, I want the sink and dishwasher to be next to each other, with the place to store dishes, pots and pans and silverware close by. I want utensils close to the food prep area, which needs to be within easy reach of the stove nn oven and fridge. Etc. I set up each room according to what I do as I enter and go through the room. I plan which room will be used for what by what I do and need as I walk in the door to the house.
I use Bullet journaling to keep track of what I have to do, or did. I like it because you can adjust it to what works best with you. I’m using a different notebook to make collections.. lists. Things to do but that I don’t think I’d do for a while, etc. The always having 2 things. I do try to have some reserves but it depends on what. Also clearly this rule and the minimalist thinking don’t match. I don’t think you need to have just an x amount of things to be a minimalist and that you need to get rid of stuff that you use only 1 or 2x a year. Not that I see myself as a minimalist but every now and then I try to declutter. It’s been a while though and my spare rooms feel like storage rooms right now.
Some years ago when I was more interested in organization etc I thought about planning. I read and watched a lot about this topics but I made my own systems. Everything is simple and effective for me, I use just word and excel. I’ve been keeping with this for 2~+ years consistently and it’s been improving. I think it’s releated to this 5th thing from article. Btw if someone needs motivation to be more organized I recommend perusal anime baby steps. It changed my life and gave me courage to pursue my dreams.
2 is 1, 1 is none is my only exception to an otherwise minimalist lifestyle. I always have backups for my various “systems” that keep my life quietly functioning because disruptions happen. Tech gear, power sources, pantry items, water, medications, functional household supplies, critical document storage, dry socks, clean underwear, an extra clothing layer, healthy snacks in the backpack and glovebox, a spare leash and extra poop bags for the demon pup.
Your father and I would get along well! Especially the second tenant – put it back where it belongs (which is the cousin of “everything should have a specific place”). I probably get in an extra 1,000 steps / day putting things back where they belong the moment I’m finished using them – I’ve never regretted it.
I used to procrastinate on the important tasks of the day and do the smaller tasks first and realised that didn’t have enough time to do the important stuff. For me personally, when I started using the Pareto Principle it literally changed my life. Once you realise that 20% of your actions will provide 80% of the results you start to look at things from a different perspective.
My business paper notebook NEVER spams me with subscription requests and I’ve NEVER lost one. I have gone back and referenced EVERY one of them for refreshers on meetings and key contacts. It’s the best personal business data download system and perfectly compliments my digital iPhone contact list and digital CRM. I wouldn’t be successful in my sales role if I spent this much time pruning data but maybe I don’t have the organization for your industry. This was a nice topic thanks for sharing a diff perspective.
I think of myself as quite organised. But there is a big downfall. Whenever I have a holiday and I visit my parents, I become the most unorganized person. My sleep pattern, the food I eat, the amount of things I do, it all changes drastically. Do you have any tips/videos on how to keep organised if you’re in a totally different location than usual.
I find your articles more useful when I have a relaxed mind than when I’m stressed or depressed. I always over insult myself when things don’t go as planned, so articles like this are more salt on the wound when something gets out of hand. But with a fresher mind, I absorb this info more easily, and I have a better chance of following advice. Thank you very much for these articles.
This is an old article I’ve seen a while ago, but it reminded me how many changes happened to my personality and mindset, and I’m kinda an organized person now! Yet still working on it. Anyways I have to thank you cause your articles were a big part of those changes. A really big part. Thank you so much and hopefully I’ll always get to enjoy and learn from your articles and tips. Thank you again, Thomas.
To be Frank, Some people tend to be messy & non-organized outside, where as in their mind, they are a lot organized and have more clarity. Take Einstein for an example. He thought heavily investing time in organizing, was less efficient. So I think, It’s okay to messy, if being organized isn’t worth the time it takes.
this is so useful! I’ve been doing all of these things without realizing it already but I would like to point out #4, having backups is often times not feasible if you’re on a budget… I suggest planning ahead, for example, meal planning each week and sticking to it to make sure you buy exactly enough!
Thomas, There is too much goodness in this article for me not to comment. First off thank you so much for not making me feel like a weirdo, I don’t implement all 7 but I do implement six out of the seven. I have to apply number five and see how that goes for me, not sure if you have found yourself in my shoes, but when we have been raised in that manner with a great deal of organization, planning and preparation. It becomes quite hard to relate with others that are not that way, I have to admit that as a girl I always want to save the day and teach my friends all the valuable lessons and how great it is to be more organized. But it doesn’t always work out in my favor. So definitely seeing a article that I could relate with someone in such a topic that I’ve had such a hard time with others it definitely feels amazing, and I thank you for that Thomas. And to make this article even more special you posted it on my birthday!!! 😍 what can I say you’re the best 🙌🏼🙂
My husband was the Keeper Of the Calendar. All his work commitments, volunteer commitments, and personal commitments were written on his calendar from the dollar store. Managing your time is essential to be sure you finish the important things whether its a service club meeting or your daughter’s birthday.
I would really like to see a more in depth breakdown of the process of building mindfulness loops. Maybe a recommended dependency list to help people building a system for themselves consider dependencies they might not have thought of but are likely to have. I’m really loving your work right now. It’s just what I need.
Just before this article, I was perusal Ali Abdaal’s article and taking notes in Notability(iPad) I started perusal this, I Love Thomas’ articles but was in a dilemma of whether to take notes or not. And as soon as I heard the first advice, I laughed as it was a sign, that I should take notes, that I should not rely on my brain as I may forget to apply those advices and should take notes. Dilemma cleared. I’m taking notes now Thanks @thomasfrank
Love your article. It might seem funny but I label my food when I come back from groceries. Whatever is not labelled is open for anyone. For ex., meat, cans, cheese. If they’re used for more than 1 recipe, they get multiple labels on it. Back-ups: Konmari doesn’t believe in back-ups and I can’t disagree more. I need a back-up of TP, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, etc. I also have electronic back-ups, such as my planner and to-do lists. Kitchen: I place my spices 1. by use (frequently to less) and 2. by used in recipes (for ex., same 2-3 always used together). For fun, my DH put all my spices in alpha order. I was confused for a day or two, then he told me. It took me about 2 hrs to put them back in place (I have over 60 spices). Nicole
My husband and I moved onto a 37 foot boat last year and everyone keeps asking how I deal with so little storage and it’s actually one of the best parts about living on a boat! I have more than enough room for all that we need. No, we can’t collect antiques anymore, but we can still visit antique shops and enjoy them! Living in such a small space, it forces us to evaluate items based on how much we actually NEED them and how much use we will actually get out of them and it has been truly WONDERFUL and LIBERATING!
I enjoyed all parts of this article. Not only will I use this and watch again over with a pen and notebook but I will have my 8 yr old daughter watch. Love it! I would like to hear more about your parents input in your life as a child. I’m having difficulty with my kids being mindful and skillful. Thank you!
This is a brilliant article, I especially like the links to systems thinking and organization which you discuss in this article. I believe I have been doing all of these behaviours throughout my adult life (although I think I have a little bit of excess computer component parts which should be tidied up). The way I organized CDs while I was younger was “Alpha by band, then release date”, it made adding new CDs really easy. I’ve translated this system to MP3 organization a while ago, so now it looks like this BandName\\(19XX) – Title of Album\\01 – TrackName.mp3 . This way it’s always easy for me to find the latest releases (usually most bands I listen to release things once per year). I had a quick through the companion article and really think it is great as well. Thank you again for this, I appreciate how you summed up this information.
I enjoyed your article very much. I so wish I had ingrained the putting things away mantra into my children . I am paying the price now as one of my grown children is living with me and doesn’t seem to know how to put anything away. I guess it’s never too late to learn so I will share this article with her and see if anything sticks. Thank you
Hey Thomas Frank! I’m a big fan, and I find your articles to be educational and inspiring. Though, there is one thing that I’ve come across recently that I would love to have your opinion on. What do you think (or have you heard of) the Jerry Seinfeld “don’t break the chain” method for achieving big goals? Basically, it’s where a person keeps a full size calendar on their wall, and marks off accomplishments day by day in order to achieve a big goal by the end of the month or year. Does this method sound efficient? Why or why not? Would love to see your take – maybe a article – on this idea.
I am pretty organized i put thing in binders like rent payment, bills and bill payment, roommate shared rent when they paid and how they paid the binders are all labelled and depending on the room has it set of stuff has it place and section where thing goes in to and it take very little care to maintain. i also keep stock on stuff so i know i am good for months i believe in everything as a place and i will reorganize as needed when lifestyle changes . i also have thing so it easy access
I’ve never heard that two for one rule that you discussed but that’s a personality trait that I actually have I am not paranoid but I tend of have backups of everything like batteries. When I realize something is a common thing people forget I tend to have a Mental Check list of those items. I tend to be organized when it comes to packing and planning but my time management is less than functional. I dont just loose track of my coffee constantly I loose time even days so things sneak up on me.
I actually already do these 7 things lol. We never run out of basic things in my house (toilet paper, food, laundry soap, because I always have an extra one for every basic item we have at home. I’m usually in shock when I go to family or friends house and they run out of basic stuff because they didn’t keep track of their inventory.
After perusal just one of your articles I have realized that I absolutely am not a natural organizer! I’ve taken away that I can grow in that skill and plan to begin from now on 2024 🎉bc absolutely ALL areas of my life are still in chaos currently bc overnight I became my moms caregiver from her fall (TBI Traumatic Brain Injury, now 7 years later her Dementia from all the falls) so when I have solved problems and issues with information, systems, routines, and all of that is not ORGANIZED bc I’m not naturally even thinking ORGANIZED with this kind of depth… I have hard earned pockets of organization! Thank you for making this article, it definitely will help smooth out life in the controllable areas.
My mom always told me to put away my things and i took it the same way and when i didnt my step dad desapeared my notebooks that i left in the living room for months so i swore never to do it. I do all 7 things and i am shedding a lot of things and cant wait to become more of a minimalist in the future
I don’t rely on my brain too much, but luckily I don’t yet have a workload so large that I need to rely on online apps to store my tasks. I find ever since I switched back to pen and paper my memory has quite drastically improved. I use physical diaries for my micros (daily up to weekly tasks), and online calendars for my macros (mostly monthly and upwards)
Well now I know everyone seems to think I’m so organized. I tend to disagree though… 🤷♀️ Apparently, I do all of those things. In my kitchen, I organize my spices by use. It’s the most logical way for efficiency. Alphabetical would put Anise closer than garlic powder and I use garlic powder way more than Anise…
Buy 13 gallon Rubber Maids, and number them. Use an index card to note the RM#, contents, and location, and keep cards in an index box. Use different sizes of Ziplock bags to control contents, and like with like. Use pretty covers for the Rubber Maids, and I use Mexican serapes cloths, and I stack 2 high, and place boos on top. Get the 20 gallons Rubber Maids for bedding, towels, and clothing.
I like to keep a magnetic notepad on the fridge and I write down anything that I’m running low on or have used up. I will usually put grocery items on one side and items that I will get at Dollar General or elsewhere on the other side. Then when I get groceries, I already have a list of the things I commonly use and need to replace. (And, let’s face it, we all pretty much make the same, limited number of meals over and over again.) Since Covid, I have started getting curbside pickup (which is MUCH faster and less hassle than actually shopping yourself). Because it has a $5 shopping fee (worth it, in my opinion), it doesn’t lend itself well to a lot of small trips. Instead, I have been buying my groceries once a month. My shopping list keeps me from forgetting things I need, which necessitates extra trips.
Hello Thomas, if you ever get around to reading this message, I would love for you to come in and talk to my classes for a day. Your articles have been so helpful and inspirational for me and my students over the last four years. I organize your articles with my lesson plans based on the topic. Please let me know if you are ever in Los Angeles or Orange County to stop by and talk to my students. Thank you!
The last one explains why knickknacks on people’s shelves makes me anxious. I see a useless figurine and instantly think how I’m gonna have to pack that into a box, move it, and unpack it. Then I have to dust around it and so on. Do that for everything you own and it quickly multiplies your physical and mental workload every time you acquire stuff.
I actually do the seven points, not to perfection but yep, I do ! Well… I’m an organisation project manager by trade, meaning it’s literally my job to organise projects 😉 I’m also a minimalist who is conscious about what she owns, which most definitely helps ! And finally I’m a label freak 😂😂 My dad always says… (roughly translated from French), « when you have no brain, you have paper », he writes down everything he needs to do and ask… I just digitalized it but to this day it’s one of the best advice I’ve had !
Then by your definition, I’m already an organised person! Except one thing: I don’t label stuff, because, if I have to label an item to remind me what it is, what it’s used for and where to put it, then I probably don’t use or need it. 😉 Oh, and caution is needed when buying back ups. Very few things actually need to be backed up, so it’s good to think carefully about stocking up. In ordinary circumstances that is. I don’t blame anyone for getting well stocked up during the pandemic!
I get at least partial credit for all 7. I’m not a huge labeler, but I always label computer cords and accessories by putting them in a plastic bag with an index card inside, with its purpose or name on it. I don’t have much junk (because I am careful about what I bring into my apartment), so most things are pretty obvious and don’t need labels. The other 6, I am pretty consistent with. I am a natural born organizer, and my father set a good example. Not everyone is a natural born organizer, and not all of us were blessed with good role models. Which is why articles like this are so helpful. I think anyone can be organized, but some people need help establishing the thinking patterns needed. And it is more the thinking patterns that need to be learned, rather than learning someone else’s system.
I noticed that my sisters and I all ended up using various type of planners to keep on top of it all. I use two – one is a small appt book that I carry with me and the other is a wall calendar in my bedroom, which has the same info placed on it so I can see what’s up for the day when I get up, and also see what’s up for the next day before I go to bed.
About not having pointless stuff: I really agree with this, I hate clutter because I am naturally very messy and the time I take to organize stuff just grows exponentially. But I also have a lot of dear friends and they regularly buy me gifts that I don’t end up using, and that I feel really bad throwing away. What is a good solution to this problem?
I never EVER thought of myself as organized until I watched this article. And trust me – if you saw my life, you would agree. But although my methods are very unorthodox, I follow all of these. The last one maybe could use work. But the other 6- yep.even the last one, I still manage that in a bizarre way. Hmm
A tangential advisory, regarding Windows peculiar behaviors using the main Users\\Documents\\ system folders: moving files around, especially between your own User account and Public folders, or moving to and from backup areas, other Hard Drives, Windows makes decisions for you that may complicate access later. EX: (Win)+E opens File Explorer, the Address bar shows “Quick access.” Click on “Desktop,” and it changes to “This PC > Desktop.” Open any folder there, and it shows This PC > Desktop >, BUT click in the address area right of this, and it shows the ACTUAL location, “C:\\Users\\Admin Eric\\Desktop\\ “. Moving or copying things inside such System folders to other areas seems to confuse Windows, and what it does with those contents can block access from another computer sharing the external drive, or even worse.
I am an IT professional so please let me add one important note: online syncing is NOT a backup! A backup is a point in time snapshot of your data that you know you can restore, you know is safe of different natural or man made disasters and that is offline until you need it online (i.e. an attacker can’t reach that data even if they are controlling your whole machine or network). All this cloud systems are very good in keeping your data pretty safe but you should be backing up your data always. Data corruption, databases no longer being consistent and apps refusing to start or crashing when the database is corrupted are all possible scenarios and you should plan accordingly! I wouldn’t like to say “I told you so” in the future so be safe and backup!
OK, maybe it’s because I have severe ADHD and am obsessed with organization to keep my life functioning, but I do all of these already. The one thing I need to work on perhaps is backing things up – for example, running out of medication or the milk jug or batteries is an occasional hassle that I can work on. And I don’t replicate what is in my paper notebooks because I don’t think that would be helpful. But this article was a nice helpful reminder.
My pet peeve is people who use something and not put it back where they got it from…2nd on my list is when something is used up not writing it on the to buy list or throwing out the empty container…3rd is not picking up after themselves..4th is not moving the oldest item to the front so its used next..5th is not taking out the garbage when they notice the container is full..6th ignoring a job thats been pending and you’ve been reminded to get it done asap..7th locking up if your last to leave or arrive at home…this describes my husband…these are traits I didn’t know about before I married him..I hate surprises..but I’ll keep him anyway..we’ve been married 24 years and I love him😆😁😄🥰
I find it rather fascinating that I actually was doing all those 7 things, some a bit less than the others but still. I guess it’s not that surprising after all as if I wasn’t organized throughout my life thus far, I would have nothing achieved, since I had a lot of my time wasted on being horribly sick and being in hospitals, so to manage my education for an example, I sure did needed to put things in it’s place.
When you say: “You probably don’t do all of them” I said: “Challenge accepted” Then I started checking off each item throughout the article…Here we go: 1. I rely on different resources to remember stuff. 2. I bought I label maker…Let’s just live it at that hahaha 3. I am always mindful of my dependencies 🙂 4. OMG, I have a backup for everything. I am the one who people ask for stuff like pencils on tests, because I always bring like 10 (in case one breaks, the one burns, the other one disappear, etc, you know, hahaha) 5. Had to learn this throughout nursing school 6. Also had to learnt throughout nursing school; try forgetting something in a patient’s room who’s in isolation lol. 7. I donate yearly, and I don’t buy things that won’t be useful for me… Then after writing this I thought to myself….Yeah, I guess I am a pretty organized person. Maybe too much?! Hahahaha love your website and your articles, they are all so resourceful and helpful. Thank you 🙂
I am a 62 year old neat freak. I divorced a woman who was the polar opposite. ( opposites DON’T attract ) I went from 3,000 square foot house to a 400 square foot Condo and I love it. I have customized closet and when I buy a new piece of clothing I donate or toss an older garment. I make my bed like a Marine every morning even though I live alone. I am never late and I call back or text anyone who contacts me. It is not hard to do. I also Marie Condo once or twice a year. I love my order.
I grew up in a military family and things had to be organized. We had daily and weekly jobs to do to keep our family going. Now my dad is 83 and lives on his own since my mom passed away in 2010. He has a lot more clutter now. He still has his system for organizing as he goes through his daily routines, but he hasso much stuff out now. I often wonder if he does this for the memories of being with my mom.
Thank you Thomas. I really like your article and it’s very informative. Same time my opinion about having 2 of the same item as one for back up only necessary for some items like back up battery…..etc. Having extra for smoothies kind of stuff I think is not good idea. Because if we are always making sure we have those kind of stuff with us and we are used to having them whenever we want them, how will we learn to live without it? Again your article is very informative and I have already subscribed. Thank you very much.
Really great summary, pleased to find that I am doing at least one of these (*head in hands*) think mindfulness loop could also be removed from your head a bit too. A day for each area, a planned time for review. The daily stuff once you have got routines in place of course your brain will remind you, but I like to use a ‘brain dump’ to write down everything I have on my mind at the beginning of the day and then I can focus on what I need to do, or I never get anything done. I would be interested on your thoughts and expansion, this one sounded a bit distracting/intense, but maybe that is just viewing it from my place of disorganisation (ex-hoarder -waste not want not).
Are my only choices to be organized be ridiculously uptight? Because I can’t deal. Type a personality type is way over celebrated, it’s well known to not be healthy. Some of it sounds like anxiety and ocd, like constantly having “did my kid brush his teeth” running on a loop in my head. Some of these are good and helpful, and I do appreciate it.
I probably do them all without even looking at the last one, I name things but not everything Bc I know I can remember at least what that is and where it is and I have portable chargers and I don’t have back ups for everything rn Bc I don’t live by myself but I see myself starting to make more than what I’m gonna eat at the moment so I can always have that thing and buy more than what I need
The mindfulness loop certainly is a powerful tool but if used wrong, it can be dangerous to your mental health. Of course, it is good to plan ahead and have your appointments, dependencies and responsibilities organized. Just go easy on establishing the loop and keep it as organized as you can because it creates mental load. Too much mental load can transform into mental clutter and if your live gets more stressful because you undergo certain changes (job, kids, etc.), you might get stuck in it. Be sure to allow yourself to stop looping once in a while and to cross the things you are looping off your list, at least until tomorrow. This will ensure your comfort and functionality over long periods of time.
All of them are so me however…. I moved recently and skipped that last step. Things have a quick way of becoming clutter and I need to start to decide what brings value to my life. Usually I open my closet once a year and let my besties take as they please, I skipped this yr and my life is so unmanageable.
omg, this is by far the best article I have ever watched! One you were extremely well organized (lol). Two you held my attention. Three I learned new information about organization (btw, I am not as well organized as I would like to be). Four I liked it because, with my short attention it is always a challenge to stay focused and make it until the end and I was able to do that. Please, next time produced a article on how to stay focused, how not to go down rabbit holes, (which I almost did in this article, but I didn’t do it), and how to have precise focused clarity is important to me. Thank you for producing this article; I may even watch it again. I went to subscribe and like but I was not signed in so your article was important enough to go back, sign-in, comment, and subscribe…..kudos to you!!! BarbaraWilliamsToday
The mindfulness loop can be a real curse if you’re not carefyl. Get some schedule writen out or have more labels and keep your projects on paper. Or else you won’t have enough sleep as of your mind will refuse to shut off when you go to sleep. I’ve had this curse for a couple years now and I am always hoping to have a good nights sleep when I go to bed. 🙁
Sorry to burst your bubble Tom but I learned all these and many more values from my parents a very long time ago but I’m glad you’re giving your parents credit, that’s a plus in my book. Most people learn these values once they leave the comfort of their parent’s nest. Good article and presentation, it’s sure to help those with no guidance from their parents.
My wife once called me beautiful chaos when we started dating 😂 because I struggle with organizing but I do my best. My mind is a mess I’m always all over the place but in ways my think is far more I guess you can say accelerated then the average person. I analyze everything from conversation to body language to fundamentals of a song some thing below the surface I think under around and everything surrounding that surface. But I’m a mess, I’m so unorganized and it makes it hard to be consitent with my hobbies and not get distracted. That’s another thing my mind shifts from thing to thing so fast whatever was 2 shifts ago is gone with the wind only to return if I am reminded in some way. I have 4 junk drawers and sores on my junk in my drawers, that was a joke but yeah…Thanks for coming to my ted talk
4:48 A Stoic would disagree, your dependencies would be only food, water and shelter. And you will not even need much to pure basic survival. Everything else is extra, they are things we chose to do because it gives us pleasure, and if we agonize when we don’t have it It’s It’s due to these desires in the first place. Remove the desire and the pain dissappers. “Attachment is the root of all suffering”. I’m not saying you should give up on wanting stuff, just make the distinction of essencial and extra, and know if you’re not wanting stuff just because of social pressure. Nobody respects a person who doesn’t think for themselves and yet we try so hard to manipulate the feelings of others, be conscious that everyone is different and our desires might make sense only for us. Whenever you think “my parents or whoever around me will not approve this” is time to pause and reflect. Acesso carefully who they are and who you are and why your feelings are incompatible, if is because your different then follow your heart, if It’s because of logistics then search an answer.
With age, a lifelong ADD\\ADHD struggle just gets worse. Distraction while doing some minor task leads to misplacing whatever was in your hand at that moment – the classic absent-minded hours long search for the keys that were here a minute ago. Leaving tools where they were last used inevitably leads to having to buy another, eventually finding multiples because none could be found when needed again. My sorting methods fail in the ordinary ways, like structured alphabetized bins, but grouping like items, into clear containers by primary purpose helps locate and keep together. It also reinforces the mental image of the container itself when looking for it later. Learn your own sorting style, and stop trying to fit a different one to your way of processing things.
Wow, what a great article! As a motivational coach, I love learning new habits that can help boost my problem solving skills. While I do incorporate some of the habits mentioned in the article, there were definitely a few that I haven’t tried yet. It’s always refreshing to get new perspectives and ideas on how to improve my organization skills. Friends, have you tried implementing any of these tips into your daily routine? I’d love to hear your thoughts and see how it’s working for others!
Tip 1 – Take a mental inventory. Write down all the tasks to avoid decision fatigue you’ll gain distance from the pile of choices. Stepping back makes it easier to evaluate what’s important and what to prioritize. Tip 2 – Time blocking. Give tasks a start and end time. This adds structure and urgency. Tip 3 – Morning reflection. Spend a few minutes to go over the task list for the day to kickstart your day. Imagine what it looks like to finish each of the tasks. Tip 4 – Evening reflection. Go over your task list, consider how it went. Set your focus right and clarify what is important to you. Plan accordingly. Helps you feel like the day is “complete”. Tip 5 – Celebrate the completion of each task. Trains you to identify positive moments. Last tip – Make sure your system works. It should not be over-complicated or hindering you in doing your tasks.
Sent this to my children and grandchildren. They are all working either in their careers or going to school. This is so helpful. I hope they use it to improve their productivity. I’m retired but the need to be productive is really important so I too, may utilize this technique to increase the things I need to do and journal my daily thoughts and activities.
Notes: 1. Build mental inventory: Write down everything you want to accomplish in the coming week on Friday. 2. Mark them by importance (vital) to sort out the top priority tasks 3. Block the time for each task. This adds structure and urgency to the task. 4. Reflect on the tasks scheduled for the day every morning for 10-15 mins. (Why am I doing this task?) 5. Use evening reflection to unwind by marking the completed tasks and regrouping the incomplete jobs for the next day. APPRECIATE YOUR PROGRESS! 6. Celebrate by rewarding yourself for each successful task (e.g., dance, high-five)
I’m reading the book now for the first time though I did Bullet Journaling on and off several years. I just read his suggestion on allowing extra time for task and celebrating if those take less time than planned as well. I’m also imply the ease of the “5 4 3 2 1” goal setting suggestion as I struggle with setting goals sometimes on a time line. Jot down a list of want to do then place them in categories: 5 years, 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days, and 1 hour. You may also just write those categories then place goals under each. 😊 thanks for making this!!
How to plan your week more effectively (art of improvement) 1. take a mental inventory Write down everything you wanna do to avoid decision fatigue( dk how to spend your time) then consider the priority of those tasks 2. time blocking set the time limit for your tasks, eg. 1 hour for essay set deadline for urself 3. morning reflection 5-15 mins, review what u wanna do, read your to do list think about why u wanna do those tasks imagine u have finished those tasks, giv some motivaiton 4. evening reflection help unwind your mind consider tasks u have completed, consider why u have finished those tasks, whats the priority mark the end of the day and appreciate yourself 5. celebrate
As I was perusal this, I realized I actually implement most of the tips that were shared, especially tip number 2. It wasn’t easy to get to where I am, it took a lot of self development and time/energy management trainings, but it was well worth it. Thanks for sharing, these are simple tips and super effective.
I’m already using notion to build my weekly task list, mostly because I like to have those things on digital to better organize and edit later, But it does not work properly if I don’t write on paper before starting them. Feels so good to strikeout the task after competition. So I think I already have done 1.Mental Inventory, 3.Morning Reflection and 5.Celebrate. I’m trying to implement time blocking, but didn’t knew about Evening Reflection. Thanks for sharing that, is good to know I’m going to the right direction. Life feels so good when things are organized.
Nobody is going to rush in and change your life for you. You might get help if you find someone supportive, but if you don’t hold yourself accountable they might not stick around. You have to be a source of progression too!! We’re in the mindset of healing now. So lets end the doom scrolling, take some notes, and get back on track. If it doesn’t give you a sense of accomplishment at night and brings peace to your life. You go to bed and try again tomorrow. We need to get to that point where you are happy living your life or youll run out of time with the illusion of happiness. Aka what your screen provides. Don’t let that be you!
Though I kept a bullet journal for awhile, I found no need to review the past, keeping a year of data on paper, more stuff. I am a senior so I have different needs than a career minded person but have learned to just keep it simple. A daily to do list and a master list aka spill list. Once a week I review my spill list and choose items to complete. The bullet journal with all the coloring and rewriting of calendars, and days of the week over and over isn’t my idea of productivity. Yes, it can be a creative outlet too but the point is to get organized and get things done, not create more work and clutter, wasting time on coloring and drawing. Just my opinion and what works for me. I find my iPhone useful for adding to the calendar & best for documenting events, easy to reference no matter where I am, not having to carry around a journal.. Most apps like medical are now available from the business and keeps track of appointments, vaccines and meds. I have seen so many people get lost in the creativity of it all versus productivity. Good article but to each his own.
This is really interesting, and I tried to do this at work because I’m autistic and ADHD. However there’s always something that throws a spanner in the works. Have you got any advice for this? Frozen for an email came from. I management higher up asking me to complete a task before noon. The next day I got told about the task about 2 pm. I did have a meltdown with this but it was the straw that broke the camels back because they did not explain what was actually needed for some of the task, and as a result, I have a complicated task, although it will have to be completed as a part two eventually
The comments are overwhelmingly positive and praiseworthy, but am I the only one who views this method as mid, & loathes the idea as it’s akin to many other organizational methods out there. I’ve tried so many, but they don’t last forever in my life because of my distaste for routines and too much structure. I crave constant change rather than monotonous routines. I find my entire being is enlightened by spontaneity, and intrigued by random, odd and newideas or activities (aside from the 20 minute full-body pilates routine I never tire of, nor get bored of, and enjoy consistently integrating it into my lifestyle- it’s been over 15 years since I started it and it still thrils me! 🤷).
I’m reading the book now for the first time though I did Bullet Journaling on and off several years. I just read his suggestion on allowing extra time for task and celebrating if those take less time than planned as well. I’m also imply the ease of the “5 4 3 2 1” goal setting suggestion as I struggle with setting goals sometimes on a time line. Jot down a list of want to do then place them in categories: 5 years, 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days, and 1 hour. You may also just write those categories then place goals under each. thanks for making this!!