Adulting is hard. Having responsibilities and making sure that everything in your life is done properly, on time and to a good standard can be difficult to master. One of the ways you can go about doing this is by taking steps to stay organized. If you’re forever losing things, running around like a headless chicken where you can’t find what you need, missing appointments or turning up late then something needs to change. Here are a few of the areas in your life that you could work on organizing.
Your Desk
Most of us spend a significant portion of our day, and our lives, in general, sat at our desk. For this reason, space needs to work for you which will help you to stay motivated and be as productive as possible. Everything you need for your working day should be at arms reach, and everything should be as tidy as possible. First, start off with choosing a desk that has good storage. Something with a drawer underneath, along one side of the chair or on both sides will give you plenty of places to put the things you need. Next, organize the drawer using drawer dividers. You can buy these in tray form, or buy dividers that can be customized to the exact size of your drawer with the compartments being able to be made as big or small as you’d like. This allows you to keep smaller items separate and stops the drawer from getting jumbled up. Places like Ikea sell wall mounted rails that you can buy pots to clip onto. These are handy as they can be mounted above the desk and give you additional storage space without taking up desk space. Finally, acrylic drawers, pots, and desk tidy all help to keep everything you have on the desk nice and organized.
Your Car
Your car is like a little home from home when you’re out and about, and it makes sense to have a number of items with you just in case. Of course, emergency supplies if you get stranded are useful but also other items based on your lifestyle. For example, a gym bag with some workout clothes and trainers means that if you fancy a spontaneous workout you don’t have to go home and get your things. A bag with some makeup and hairbrush could allow you to transform your look from day to night if you’re at a friends or at work and want to go on a night out at the last minute. If you have kids, a change of clothes for them could be handy as we all know how messy they can be. Some wet wipes and antibacterial hand gel are useful if you often eat lunch in your car. Put together a bag with some essentials in and keep it in your boot. It can make life easier if you need to go somewhere at the last minute and could save you a trip home,
Your Loft
Most of us don’t live in huge mansions, and so it’s important to make the most of the storage space we have at home. One way to do this is by utilising the loft, that way you always have a place for out of season items or things that you need to keep but don’t need all the time. You could have an electrician fit a light up there to see better, along with a folding loft ladder to make access easier. You don’t need to pay for a full loft conversion, but having someone come in and board the floor means you can get up there and really make the most of the storage space. Put up a chest of drawers which would give you a safe place to store lots of smaller items. If you set up a wardrobe up there you have a place to hang things like your wedding or prom dress as well as bulky items like winter coats during the summer. Just use zippable clothing protector bags to keep dust and pests out. Speaking of pests, the attic can become home to birds, bats, bugs and beyond. Before using the space as storage, call a company like ABC Pest Control if you spot anything suspicious. Storage space in the loft means less items to store in the rest of the home, freeing up precious space.
Your Pantry
There are so many benefits to having a tidy, well-stocked store cupboard at home. You can save money as if you run out of fresh ingredients you don’t have to rely on an expensive takeaway, you can whip up something from your dried ingredients. Having lots of herbs and spices on hand also allows you to make food taste great in a healthy way as you don’t need to add lots of salt, sugar or oil. Stock up on pasta, rice and any grains or pulses that you like to eat. Tins of vegetables, soup, jars of cooking sauces and of course herbs and spices. Transfer your ingredients into plastic or glass jars, this will protect them from pests and keep them at their best for longer. You can use a label maker to tell you what each thing is, don’t forget to put a use by date on there too. While these kinds of things do have long shelf lives, they won’t necessarily last forever. Having all of your ingredients like this stored in a pantry frees up cupboard space in the kitchen so less need to mess around rummaging for what you’re looking for.
Your Paperwork
These days so many things are now done online, however, we’ve not totally eliminated paper documents and chances are you do have a lot of them floating around. First things first, if you are receiving regular paper bills, go onto the company’s website and see if there’s a digital option. Change your email settings so that all of your bills and other important documents get sent to a bills folder. Next, go through the documents you have. Throw away anything you don’t need. Finally, find a system for organizing the paperwork that works for you. A small filing cabinet could be an option especially if you run your own business. For normal household bills, a paper file with different sections will usually do the trick. That way, next time you need a letter or document there’s no messing around looking for it. You know exactly where it is.
Your Budget
Speaking of bills, your budget, in general, is another important area of your life to keep organized. There’s no denying that money can be difficult to master, but you need to be able to manage your cash so that everything that needs to be paid is being done so- and in a timely manner. Use a budgeting app or software to help you. Another tip is to open a separate bills account especially for bills, that way you can transfer whatever you need into it and won’t accidentally spend it. If you set your bills to come out via direct debit you don’t have to do anything else, each time you get paid simply transfer the total amount that your direct debits come to and the rest is all done for you.
Being organized helps you to stay in control of your life. At times, it can already be difficult enough so don’t make things harder for yourself. Keep organized and you’ll know where everything is and what you’re doing.
