5 Easy Ways To Manage Your To-Do List

As seen in Huffington Post

To-do lists.  Some people swear by them, some hate them and some obsess over them.    

They have become synonymous with being organized.  I personally have been a to-do list flip-flopper for most of my life.  I go through periods where the physical process of writing things down really helps me to be focused, yet there are other times when I find them a giant waste of time. I know what I have to get done, and in the five minutes I’ve taken to sit down and write this list I could have spent it actually getting one of my tasks done.

Fortunately or unfortunately (I’m still not sure which side I’m landing on) I’ve been going through a to-do list phase.  I blame this phase entirely on my pregnancy.  While not a complete disaster, my brain is indisputably functioning at a slightly lower level than what I’m used to.   On more than one occasion I have gotten into the car with my home phone and wondered why my bluetooth wasn’t connecting.  This is just where I’m at right now.

I always have a list in my head of what needs to get done in a given day or week, but lately I’ve noticed that’s where it stays.  In my head.  Stuck in some foggy part that knows something needs to happen and yet I’m just not quite sure what it is.  Hence the reason for my to-do list phase.

Like most of you out there, the list of things that need to be done is very, very long.  If I were to combine all the tasks I would like to accomplish for work, for home, for my family and for me, I would end up sitting around for days writing and completely aggravate my carpal tunnel (thank you pregnancy for that one too!).  I would also lose my mind by the end of it because the list would be so daunting that I would never able to move forward. With this in mind let’s look at a few ways to make your list manageable.

Be realistic with your time

Unless you are writing down every single thing you need to do in a day (like brush your teeth and put on socks) you have a limited time to get these “extra” tasks done.  If it helps try jotting down how long each task will take, try to be realistic.  “Clean out closet” isn’t a 5 minute project.  Scheduling time into your day to actually accomplish these tasks can also help.  Set aside 30 minutes (or whatever works for you) in the morning or the evening to tackle your list.  Defining a realistic amount of time can help you to stay on track.

Differentiate between long term and short term

Again, you need to reign yourself back into the real world.  Paint room, clean out garage, organize photos and replace old sofa have no business being anywhere near your to-do list.  If it helps, have a separate paper or place to keep track of long term projects.

Prioritize

This is where the difference between wants and needs comes in.  Be critical of what you have written down.  Do I really NEED to get this done today or would it just be nice to cross it off my list.  If there is a deadline to mail something in or you are out of milk then it needs to move to the top of the list.

Stop making them so damn long

I mean, really, if you’ve read the three above this then you won’t really have this problem but I still feel like it needs to be said.  Having an 8 x 11 sheet full of all the things you plan on doing in a day is just too much.  You’re setting yourself up for failure and you deserve better.  You want to end the day with a sense of accomplishment not inadequacy.   

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Kids get sick.  Cars break down.  Friends call to chat and it turns into an hour long conversation.  Life happens.  There is always tomorrow.  I have had many days go completely off the rails because of the unexpected.    I had such realistic goals for my day and what needed to get done, yet for one reason or another, it just didn’t happen.  While it can be hard in the moment (and I do still occasionally beat myself up) I try to take a deep breath and focus on what did get done that day.  It’s not the end of the world that the sheets didn’t get changed and the blog post didn’t get written.  I’ve managed to keep my kids alive another day, there is still a roof over our heads, they’ve eaten (relatively) healthily and no bones were broken.  Some days that’s just what you have to call a win.

Happy Organizing (and List Making)!

Get Organized For Baby

Looking for some Baby Organization tips? Check out my interview on Breakfast Television Montreal:   

The Most Important Organizing Step (That Almost Everyone Forgets)

As seen on Huffington Post

I’m sure you've seen  lists all over your feeds claiming to get you organized in just a few simple steps.  Hey, I’ve written the process I go through to organize a space as well (shameless link to my past blog here!).  Let’s face it, lists read well.  People like them and if you throw in some pretty images they’re super-pinnable.  But lately I’ve begun noticing the missing link in all of those posts (mine included), the last step that is so important but doesn’t always make the cut. “Put it back!”

I can often be heard saying that there is no magic wand to wave when it comes to organizing.  It’s not a well kept secret that some of us have neglected to share.  Like anything else, it requires work.  No matter how fabulous an organization system you have set up, it isn’t going to maintain itself.  That super cute new closet system you just installed isn’t going to look quite so pretty a week in if you keep leaving your clothes all over the floor.  

This “put it back” step is something that everyone struggles with.  I’ve had tell myself to take a deep breath in front of clients after I’ve seen all the hard work they’ve done crumble.  I’m guilty of it too, sometimes I’m just too tired, too busy or, let’s face it, too lazy to put something back.  We all have our moments but they need to be just that.  Moments.  Our default reaction after we have taken something out and used it can’t be to just leave it.  All of those little things we leave throughout the day or week can add up to overwhelm fast.

Obviously this is all easier said than done but here are a few tips to help you crush this step.

Make it Pretty

I’m going to use the same concept as “if you look good, you feel good” for this one.  If you have built a beautiful system to keep you organized, both in looks and function you’ll be more likely to maintain it.  So go ahead and line those drawers that no one but you sees with beautiful paper. Splurge on getting new hangers so they are all the same. Make pretty little labels for all of your things even if you don’t need them.  The better it looks the more likely you will be to keep it that way.

Follow the One Minute Rule

I’ve quoted her before, but it works.  Gretchen Rubin urges us that if we have a task that takes less than one minute to just push ourselves to do it. In our fast paced life of list-making and prioritizing this rule takes away the self doubt.  If you stop to think about it you’ll be dead in the water, you’ll spend your time thinking about the other things you could or should do with that minute.  So put the dish away, replace the toilet paper, hang the dress back up, file that paper.  It’s a great way to keep up without feeling like you put too much effort or time in.

Make it a Habit

There are tons of ways to make something a habit or routine.  Just Google it (when you’re done reading this of course) and find the way that works for you.  Sometimes we need to just do something everyday to make it happen.  If you get into the habit of dealing with your mail as you get it instead leaving it in a pile near the door pretty soon you won’t have to think about it, it will become second nature.

Just Do It

Sometimes you just need to force yourself to do something.  It isn't fun.  There are no neat little tricks.  You just have to do it.  There are tasks that aren’t enjoyable and just plain suck but they still need to get done.  So take a breath and pull up your big-girl panties (or boy panties, I guess I’m kind of gender stereotyping who is most likely to read this) and just get it done..

Good Luck & Happy Organizing!

How A Professional Organizer Tidies Up Under The Sink

As seen in Huffington Post

My last post tackled starting small with your organizing as a way to motivate you onto the bigger projects.  I focused on steps you can use to tackle the often forgotten about space under the sink, but really you can apply those steps to other spaces that need a bit of love.  Since one of the biggest questions I get is “How do you keep your home organized” I thought you might appreciate a look into my home. Particularly under my sink and how I deal with it when it is no longer working.

The space wasn’t a disaster but definitely needed an update.  It’s always a good plan to identify what your problem is before going in to fix it.  My two biggest issues were that: 1. We use a lot of washcloths to wipe kid’s face and hands and the dirty ones kept congregating on the counter until I got fed up enough to bring them to the laundry room.  2. The stackable bins I was using wouldn’t stay stacked and what I had in them wasn’t accessible enough for me.

The third issue was that no one other than me was really maintaining my system.  What was intuitive to me wasn’t as straightforward to my husband and my kids couldn’t grab a washcloth or hand towel with turning everything upside down.

I had a few minutes one day and decided to deal with this space.  So out everything came and the inside got a thorough wipe down.  Once all the products came out and they were sorted I took inventory of what I really needed to keep there.  I have to admit, since I had already pared down what was stored there some time ago the list wasn’t very long.  My biggest challenges was really getting everything back under the sink in a way that A. made sense for how I used it and B. was going to be maintained by others.

With a husband, a 5 year old and 3 year old this was no small feat.  Clearly what I was doing before wasn’t working so I decided to keep it simple.  Very simple.  The most used items needed to be right in front and it needed to be SUPER clear where things went.

The recycling bin was a non-movable.  It’s the most convenient and out of sight spot for us to have it.  Unfortunately that means I lose about half my space.  Saving the earth takes sacrifice!  I picked up a small plastic shelf from the dollar store and grabbed some bins that both fit what I needed to store and could go in the space the shelf allowed for.

My under the sink essentials are washcloths, kitchen towels, dish sponges, clothes to clean the counter and dishwasher detergent (because we seriously run that thing once a day!) I also needed a convenient spot to put all the dirty cloths and towels so they wouldn’t end up on the counter.  Since my kids can’t read yet, I realized that not only did I have to label them but they needed to be in different containers so I could identify them to my children.  Oh, you need a washcloth? That’s in the clear bin.  You took my hand towel to clean the water you spilled all over the floor because your toys need a bath? No problem, just throw it in the green bucket.

So back everything went into it’s clearly designated space.  I also store a few items that only I really use behind the shelf.  Special cleaner for the stovetop, white vinegar and the cleaning concentrate I use to make up the spray I use on the counters.  You’ll notice I don’t really store cleaning products under the sink.  Over the years I have really pared down what I use in the kitchen.  I only use dish soap and a spray for the counters and they both stay up top in a tray next to the sink.   The amount of times my children literally lick food off the table has made me very careful about what I use to clean.

The last part of this space is the inside of the doors.  I didn’t change anything around this time but I do use them to hang rubber gloves (which I wear only if my nails are done which unfortunately is very infrequently, they usually get nabbed by my three year old when she plays dress-up) and a place for the plastic bags that we accumulate.

I did this under the sink update a little over two months ago and haven’t had an issue since.  Yes the occasional washcloth or dirty towel still finds it’s way to the counter but that’s just life.  It really is the small changes that make a big difference. When you see how much positive can come out of a few small changes it can be very motivating to tackle some slightly bigger projects.

Happy Organizing!  If you want to send me a peek under your kitchen sink get in touch here.