Episode #150 - Celebrating Milestones & Mastering Hectic Schedules

Welcome to Organizing with Ease, where we simplify and organize our lives for the better. I'm Diana Moll, your host, ready to lead you on a journey towards a more organized and enriching life. Together, let's explore practical strategies, inspiring stories, and expert advice to simplify every aspect of our lives. Let's declutter our spaces, free our minds, and cultivate genuine happiness. Are you ready to embark on this journey with ease?

Let's get started. Getting organized is one thing. Staying organized is another. Let's talk about simple, sustainable ways to manage a busy schedule without stress. Before we dive in, though, I do wanna take a moment to celebrate this milestone and say, wow.

Episode one fifty. I couldn't have done this without all of you, our amazing listeners. Every episode, every download, every message you send fuels this podcast, and I'm so grateful for this community. Whether you've been here since the beginning or just found us recently, I appreciate you. Let's celebrate this milestone together and keep moving forward.

And now, we are ready to get into today's topic. Life is busy. Yes, indeed. And it can feel like we're juggling a million things at once Between work, family, errands, and the unexpected, staying organized can feel overwhelming. But, here's the thing.

Organization isn't about perfection. It's about progress, consistency, and making life easier. So today, I'm gonna be sharing with you five essential organizing hacks that can help you manage a hectic schedule, reduce stress, and stay on top of things without spending hours every day. Grab your pen and paper and get ready to jot this down. And if you're but the thing is, for those that are driving, doing some laundry, or even multitasking, no worries.

Just save this episode and come back when you can. You can always hit replay later, so don't stress about it. Let's dive right in. So hack number one, top three rule, avoiding overwhelm. Instead of tackling an overwhelming to do list of, like, 20 items, focus on just three key priorities each day.

People who prioritize three main tasks daily are 67% more likely to feel productive than those who rely on those long to do list, those overwhelming ones. Are you shaking your head and possibly actually even looking at your own to do list and you're saying, yeah, you're right. Mine is a little bit too long today. So how does it work? So here we go.

Each morning, write down the three most important tasks you need to accomplish. Once those are done, anything else is a bonus. Did you think about it that way? And why does this help, and why does it work? Well, it works, and it helps you focus on what truly matters.

A long to do list can feel so overwhelming, make you freeze up instead of taking action. It's great to have your list and then check it off. I know because I too like having my list and checking that off, Whether it's on writing it from my planner, whether it's writing the check mark off on my notes on my phone, wherever it is, I do like to take that off. However, it does make a difference if I do get those three accomplished for the day. Anything else is a bonus.

Remember that. It increases your success rates. When you complete your top three, you feel accomplished. I don't know about you, but I do. Checking off that box, it's like, yes.

Instead of being discouraged by the list that is still unfinished. Are you listening on how you're trying to look at your list a little bit differently? And why does this work? It works because if you have a if you start your day with a to do list of, like, 15 items plus, how do you feel? Do you feel frustrated?

I would think so because can you honestly think that you can honestly finish them all? But if you think about switching it to the top three rule, you can feel more like you're in control, you're being more productive, and you're less guilty about what you didn't get done. You can do anything, but not everything by David Allen. Don't choose vague goals, like be productive. Instead, be specific, like, I'm gonna finish the budget report.

I'm going to call the insurance company. I'm going to call to make my dentist appointment. I'm going to organize the kids' school's paper. I hope you got a clear picture of the number one hack of the top three rule. Let's go into ta hack number two, and that is the Sunday checklist, which we talked about in last week's episode in January, preparing for the week ahead.

Yes. I'm bringing that back in as hack number two. And what is it? It's a simple weekly planning routine to set yourself up for success. If you spend this is how it's gonna work.

You spend at least fifteen to thirty minutes on Sunday reviewing your schedule, meal planning, and preparing outfits. You set reminders for deadlines, appointments, and key tasks for the week. And you're probably wondering, well, why does this work? Like, tell me more, Deanna. Tell me more.

Okay. I know. You're just so excited to hear why. Why? Why does it work?

So it does reduce your Monday morning stress. I don't know about you, but Mondays, I like to have it just Monday easy instead of Monday madness. Instead of waking up frazzled, you start your week off with clarity. It eliminates those last minute scrambles. Knowing what's ahead lets you tackle problems before they become urgent.

Client of mine, a single dad, told me he used to feel like Mondays hit him like a truck, like a semi truck just ran him over. But after implementing a Sunday checklist, he now prepares weekly meal preps. He does. He lays out his kids' school clothes because they're still small. Wait till they get older.

They'll be able to do it themselves and schedules his most important tasks ahead of time. And this actually helped his stress levels drop significantly. Here's a fun fact. You ready? People who plan their weeks ahead of time sleep an average of twenty five minutes longer per night due to low stress before bed.

Now, I don't know about you, but I like to take on any extra sleep time I can possibly take on. And that's from the Sleep Foundation. So what not to do for hack number two? What not to do is don't over plan. If you pack your Sunday checklist with too many tasks, you will feel exhausted before Monday even starts.

Hack number three, the two minute tidy. Yes. You heard me right. Two minute tidy. Small steps, big impact.

And what is this? This is a quick decluttering habit that prevents small messes from turning into big ones. You heard me right. People who do quick resets throughout the day reduce overall household clutter by 40%. And that's from according to Cornell University.

So how does it work? You're like, really? Like, seriously, Deanna? I'm gonna have to go throughout the day doing all of this? No.

But listen. It's if a task takes less than two minutes to complete, you do it immediately. Whether it's putting away the dishes, hanging up your coat, putting your shoes away, or just going through that junk mail that you received, that is what is the two minute tidy up. Why does it work? It prevents clutter from piling up, which we wanna avoid because you just cleaned up your whole house.

Right? So these small messes add up. This stops them before they start, and it does eliminate being overwhelmed on those any of those cleaning days. So no more catching up on everything all at once. Now why does this work?

Now, as you all know, I don't like dishes in the sink. So that is why I have my night, and I have my morning routine. However, there are some that like to just leave dishes and they pile up all day long, which can lead to a very stressful late night of cleanups. But if you use the too many knit tidy rule, you can now clean as you go. That's a thought.

Right? And so that your kitchen can stay organized without extra effort. Clutter is just delayed decisions by Barbara Hemphill. What not to do with this Hack Number 3. You don't mistake this for deep cleaning.

This is about quick tidying, not perfection. Hack Number 4, the drop zone, a designated spot for daily essentials. What is it? It's a single location for daily essentials, like keys, wallets, sunglasses, bags, backpacks, briefcases, so you never miss misplace them again. The average person spends two point five days per year looking for misplaced items.

I don't know about you, but I can actually attest that I'm sometimes part of that because of the things that there are. I have to admit, and I will, I'm the first one to always admit my own my own mistakes and my own faults, is that I do sometimes misplace because that just is. Just because. Right? I think we're all shaking.

You're probably laughing like, yeah. I I yeah. Just because, Deanna. That's exactly how misplaced items get. It's because.

How does it work? You want to create a designated tray, a hook or a drawer, near your entryway for important items. Train everyone in your household to use it consistently. And why does this work? Well, it works so that, one, you don't lose your keys every day, and you're not stressed going through your whole house trying to look for the keys because you need to leave.

What happens then? You get stressed. You're overwhelmed. You're running late, and that's not a good scenario. So try if you do walk through your house through the front door, have, like, a small dish in your entryway.

That's a really good start. If a good place for it, it, if you have a baby, a place in the kitchen, just for that, is again, there has to be some place designated for those keys. Also, if you have a mudroom and you go from the garage into the mudroom, and then you continue into your home, you might consider installing a key hook, a key rack, a key organizer, whatever you would like to call it. Just something where you can hang your keys. Here's a fun fact.

I thought you would like to hear this one because I thought this is so apropos for what we're talking about. Most commonly lost household items are TV remotes, keys, and phone chargers. Now what not to do during this hack? Don't let the drop zone become a junk pile. Keep it strictly for essentials.

Hack number five. Of course, we're gonna be talking about the fresh start method, a system that works. Find and sort. You wanna identify your clutter hot spots that keep reappearing. You want to reduce and evaluate.

You want to adjust systems that aren't working. Systemize and harmonize. You want to set up those habits to maintain organization. And finally, we want to sustain and tidy. Small daily resets prevent big messes.

Now are we ready for the challenge of the week? I want you to think about the five hacks that I talked about. Pick one organizing hack from today's episode and try to implement it. See what happens. I'd love to hear your progress on that one.

A book recommendation because it seems as though we have some book lovers as our as some of our listeners. So I'm going to suggest Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. This book teaches how to manage time realistically, avoiding burnout, and learning how to focus on what truly matters. What's coming next? It's going to be episode one fifty one, March Madness, the next step.

How to turn organizing hacks into lifelong habits and why routines are the secret weapon to a stress free living. Until next time, step by step, little by little, let's keep making progress. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe to Organizer with Ease podcast on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a review. Your feedback helps us grow and reach more listeners like you who are passionate about living their best lives. And remember, a new episode comes out every Thursday at 8AM.

So mark your calendar and join us. Until next week, take care and keep shining bright.