BETTER LIVING: 7 Tricks to Simplify Your Day
Thursday, January 12, 2012
It can be daunting to consider changing up your routine to better organize your life, but actually, a few small changes can make a world of difference. Here are my top 7 ways to make your life feel easier every day.
1. Master your keys
Always losing your keys? Hang a hook near the door, or put a catch-all basket on the kitchen table. If you consciously place your keys in a designated place every day for two weeks, the motion will become habit.
2. Pre-bed tidy-up
Can’t keep up with the housekeeping? Tidy up before bedtime: even if you don’t get everything done, it’s better than nothing.
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Do at least one load of laundry per day if you have kids (or more than two people in your household), one load every other day if you don’t.
4. Late-night dishes
Run the dishwasher at night and empty in the morning.
5. Make chore days
Designate certain days for certain chores, so you’re not overwhelmed at the end of the week.
6. File mail ASAP
Always losing important mail? Create a filing system around the place where you normally open your mail. A shallow basket works great as a kitchen table ‘inbox’; all payables and other important correspondences go in the basket immediately until you have time to address them. Or, create file folders for payables, notices, and other correspondence, and file all mail as soon as you open it.
7. Get a shredder
Shred all credit card offers and other junk mail with sensitive identity info on it as soon as you open it. On a green note, make sure to put empty envelopes and all other trash paper in your recycling bin, not in the garbage. Most kinds of paper, cardboard, and even receipts can be recycled.
What do all of the above tips have in common? They all utilize a system! Creating organizing systems for your home isn’t hard, and it’s actually fun. The more systems you make into habits, the more streamlined your daily routines become. This is the foundation of home organizing, and I’m sure you’ll find a hundred ways to apply it in your own home.
Candita Clayton is the founder of Your Life Organized and author of Clean Your Home Healthy. Visit her online, here.
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