5 Steps to Help Reorganize Your Week

Lately I’ve been feeling a bit unorganized (okay, a lot) and coming from somebody who thrives on neatness and order, well let’s just say it’s starting to drive me insane. It’s anything from leaving my coupons in the car and realizing it when I’m in the checkout line, to forgetting an errand that needed to get done, to something simple like neglecting to clean the bathroom.

It’s the little things such as these that tend to make me feel like I’m losing control. I absolutely hate when dinner times rolls around then realizing I forgot to buy the potatoes needed for the recipe or holding my puppy and noticing he stinks because he hasn’t had a bath in a month. I finally have had enough. I’m  ready to force my brain to slow down, think about what I have to do, and regain my sense of organization.

Okay so first thing’s first, know that you are going to have to write things down. (Or type things up if you’re more of a computer geek like me.) Second, go download the app called Out of Milk. Seriously, stop reading and get that sucker on your phone. It’s this free and fantastic little organizer that allows you to customize your very own grocery list with ease. My mom introduced it to me and it has taken the frustration out of forgetting things I needed while shopping in the store. And lastly, be patient because it’s going to take some time until you get the hang of it and get yourself into a routine. (I’m still learning what works best for me.)

5 Steps to Help Reorganize Your Week:

1. Always, always, always write things down as you need them. For instance, today while I was doing laundry I noticed the detergent was low so I pulled out my Out of Milk app and wrote it down. Doing this prevents me from standing in aisle 6 wracking my brain trying to figure out what I needed three days ago.
2.  I have found that the easiest way to remember things you need to do on certain days  is to set reminders on your phone. When you make an appointment pull out your phone or planner and immediately write it down. I love the calendar app on my smart phone! I can set up when and how often I want to be reminded on my upcoming activities or appointments. 
3. Try and make a sleep schedule for yourself. One thing I’ve noticed that really hinders in the way I think is how much sleep I got the night before. If I’m running on 4-5 hours you can bet that I will be, not only tired and dragging, but I’m going to forget a ridiculous amount of things. If I get anywhere from 7-9 hours I feel more rested, I think more clearly, and my brain seems to remember things otherwise would have been forgotten.
4. Meal planning. This is a definite! Every Sunday while my husband works on homework, I’ll sit next to him and plan out what we’re going to eat for the upcoming week. (This can take me hours, but you can simplify it and make it easy I’ll show you how next week!)
5. Why is it so hard to keep the house clean yet the dust bunnies return so easily? (It’s the story of my life.) The one thing my husband and I can’t stand is a dirty house and now that I’m home, cleaning the house has become my number one priority and I have come up with a way to make sure the cleaning stays at the top of my list. I have made what’s called a “Chore Chart” list and it looks something like this: 

Monday: Clean the bathrooms and grocery shopTuesday: Mop floors and wash dog beddingWednesday: Dust and vacuum Thursday: Pick a drawer or area of the house that’s been a dump site and make it spotlessFriday: Do all laundrySaturday: Clean the porch and sweep our sidewalkSunday: Meal planning and coupon clipping! I’ll add to this list as need be. A little each day can make a huge difference in the long run. I’m currently working on a month long chore list that will include things like washing the cars, bathing the dogs, washing the bedroom sheets…and so on. (More to come on this topic.)