5 Tips to Organize Your Life at Home
The key to productivity is organization. But let’s be real – that’s easier said than done. It takes thought, planning, and discipline to make the most of each day.
Here are 5 tips to help you organize your life at home for full, productive days.
1. Establish your priorities.
Nothing will kill your energy quicker than working all day and feeling like you didn’t accomplish anything. The best way to combat this feeling is to set your priorities and then organize your life to reflect those priorities.
If your top four priorities are personal devotions, school work, family time, and exercise, designate time for those things in your schedule first. Then you can fill in the gaps with other tasks you want to get done.
2. Write down a daily scheduled in a planner or digital calendar.
One of the simplest ways to organize your life is to write it down. Humans thrive on routine, and writing down and sticking to a new schedule can help you maintain a productive lifestyle. This will also help you establish and meet your study goals.
Treat your day like an appointment book with 30-minute or 60-minute time blocks. Schedule a time for everything you want to accomplish including work, rest, exercise, and meals.
Also, consider writing your schedule the night before. This practice saves you time in the morning and prepares your mind for the next day before you go to bed. When you have a plan for your day from the moment you get out of bed, you can get up and get going with purpose.
3. Set three big goals to accomplish.
Setting too many goals for a day is almost as bad as not setting them at all.
Instead of setting too many goals, choose your top three goals with a list of smaller goals beneath. Focus on accomplishing those three, and everything else you get done is just icing on the cake. Don’t forget to follow the S.M.A.R.T format to ensure you’re setting the right kind of goals.
Again, consider setting these goals the night before.
4. Get ready in the morning.
I know, I know, why would you put effort into your appearance when you don’t have to? Because there is value in the process of taking care of yourself in the morning.
First, if you walk around all day looking like you just rolled out of bed, you’re going to feel like you just rolled out of bed.
Second, you never know what a day may bring. Even though we are currently confined to our houses, you might have to go out unexpectedly and you want to be prepared.
Third, maintaining a routine of getting ready in the morning gives your brain and body time to make the transition from sleep time to wake time.
Now, taking time to get ready doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice comfort. You don’t have to put on a full face of makeup or class clothes like you normally would. Please, take advantage of the comfort of your home!
That being said, here’s a rule that helps me strike the balance between comfort and taking care of myself. I have to look socially acceptable if I need to leave my house in a pinch. This means taking a shower, brushing my teeth, combing my hair, and putting on clothes that I can leave the house in (sorry, no pajamas).
It doesn’t take much, but even a small amount of time can make a big difference.
5. Find a 10-minute hobby or task.
In our last post, we talked about the 50/10 rule. However, it’s incredibly easy to waste those 10-minute breaks by mindlessly scrolling through social media.
To combat this problem, find a hobby or task you can accomplish in 10 minutes.
Choose a fitness goal like a core workout or stretching routine, or help your mom by chipping away at a house project. Enjoy the fresh air with a walk around the block or a cup of coffee on your front porch. Find spiritual refreshment throughout the day by reading a Psalm or creating 10-minute prayer lists.
Play the piano, read a poem or blog, watch a Youtube video, call your grandma (that might take more than 10 minutes). Small increments of time can be used just as effectively as the rest of the hours in your day.
These tips can get you started as you organize your life for your time in quarantine and beyond.