How About Some Extra Time?

How’d you like an extra 3 weeks a year?

Recently I heard an expert quoted promising that one could add 3 extra weeks of time to each year just by being organized. Evidently, that’s how much time is wasted looking for stuff that we ‘just know is around here somewhere…’

So, in the interest of reclaiming lost time, here’s my Top Nine List of Organizational Strategies that have helped me to regain oh, around at least a half week of that time, anyway.

1. Start each day by writing a list of tasks that you realistically desire to accomplish for that day. Write it. Cross off as accomplished. Don’t expect to complete the list all the time. But doing this identifies tasks, prioritizes them & holds you accountable.

2. Make sure all things in your house have a ‘home’. Most clutter can be managed if it has its own resting place. Identify an appropriate spot for it, then put things in their spots right away. Train others in your home to do this too (It takes years; be patient.)

3. Determine a typical schedule for when regular, repeated chores are done, then try to stick to it. For me, Mondays & Thursdays are laundry days; Mondays I also organize & evaluate my menu plan for the week & catch up on paperwork; Tuesdays & Wednesdays I dedicate to ministry prep & church work. Fridays or Saturdays include cleaning. This is a flexible plan, but it gives me a place to start.

4. Make and follow a Menu Plan. Identify 7-10 family meals, list groceries for all & purchase all(including side items), then follow your plan loosely. (It doesn’t have to specify which night you’ll have Lasagna, that can be decided the night before or the morning of as you pull out the ground beef to thaw). Also, plan some ‘quick-fix’ meals and some ‘throw in the crock pot in the morning’ options in each cycle of your menu plan so you can best meet the needs of busy, changing schedules.

5. Train your children to help with house responsibilities. If they’re old enough to manage a video controller (or push organic peas in their mouth), they can be taught to help with household chores. Start small and build on these as they grow. The earlier you start a “Saturday morning chore” routine, the better. (Try springing on an 11 year old for the first time the idea of “time for chores”----it probably won’t go over quite as well as if it’s always been that way!)

6. Make family areas and family-used supply storage family friendly. Utilize close to the floor storage for smaller children; Label accessible storage areas clearly (that way it’s not just you who knows where things are supposed to go). When creating a ‘home’ for stuff (toys, supplies, clothing, band aids, etc.), think through how often & when used, how easy is it to get to & then put back, is it the right size, shape, big enough, etc. Remember: there are lots of cool-looking storage stuff; don’t get side tracked in how it looks, consider functionality first. (I’ve used shoe boxes in my medicine closet, kids’ underwear/sock drawers, craft areas, etc. )

7. Capitalize on small gains. Address one organizing task a week. Perhaps 10 minutes is all you have. Then clean out one drawer. Maybe there is a priority disorganizational catastrophe crying to be attended to. Start with that issue and slowly (even if it is over weeks) attack it until it is finished. Don’t wait until you have ‘time to get to that’ because it’ll never happen.

8. Snatch extra time in the quiet hours. If you’re a night person, take one night a week & stay up an extra half hour to tackle your current organizational task. If you’re a morning person, set the alarm ½ hour early just one morning a week & attack a project. It is amazing what the gain of even small amounts of extra time & attention can accomplish over a period of time!

9. Get someone else involved. Ask a friend to set some goals with you and be accountable to her (or to each other, if she’s like minded.) Ask another for ideas or help if you’d like more specific guidance. If you’re serious about an intention, sharing it with someone will automatically increase your likelihood of being successful in improving in it.

A few people can ‘arrive’ in organization. (I think they are the ones who write the books.).
Many people give up in organization> (Because they’ll never be in the first group. )
Why not be part of the group in between?
This woman acknowledges the need & addresses the task, improves in it, and makes her family, her home and herself more efficient, comfortable and effective. Sounds like a Proverbs 31 type of principle, to me.

(And for ways to use that extra 3 weeks you’ll gain, I'd be glad to share some ideas…)