I never thought I would struggle to keep organized. I have always been very OCD when it came to keeping things in order and having a certain place for everything. And I was golden, that is until I made the decision to begin my own business and help my husband with his as well. I found myself forgetting simple things, neglecting chores, and other mindless tasks. I was so focused on all of the hardcore issues that owning your own business presents and focusing way less on the simpler things. I may not have children, but I can totally relate to being busy. I know having a family with little kiddos running around is no easy task. But whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or the owner of a small business, I have some super fabulous ways of helping you take a breather. Today, I’m sharing how I’ve learned to keep myself organized and on-task!

#1 – Remove Distractions

This is a vital for me in being able to stay on task. I easily get distracted. And because I’m a photographer, waiting for images to upload is always one of those time for me to pick up my phone and browse social media. The next time I look up, I realize it’s been 20 minutes, and my images have already been uploaded after 10. Get rid of distractions. Whether it’s turning on music instead of the TV for background noise or turning your phone off or putting it in a different room, you have to get rid of whatever it is you find yourself getting distracted by.

#2 – Make a Checklist

I know this doesn’t work for everyone, but it does for me. Making checklists has drastically changed my productivity in a day. I put everything on it, big and small. Why? Because whether you’re tackling 5 loads of laundry or brushing your teeth, seeing each of those items checked off on a long list of things to do will keep you motivated. It’s just a simple way to create that energy and motivation you need to tackle the big stuff, too. It’s like a visual hug for a job well done; and I love hugs.

#3 – One at a Time

So many of us, especially women, try to take on too much at once. We think we should be the ultimate house wife or party planner or soccer mom sensation. We do it to ourselves a lot of times. Just stop. Take one thing at a time. Start with the small stuff – one at a time, then check it off the list. Again, seeing those checkmarks will begin to give you the motivation you need to take on the bigger things of the day.

#4 – Find a Fabulous Planner

It’s no secret that I love planners. It’s an obsession. I will literally buy multiple planners for the same year, just different sizes, and justify it because one is more portable, but then bring both of them with me whenever I travel anyways. It’s truly terrible. However, I have found one planner that I absolutely love, and will continue to get every year without feeling the need to buy others so much as I have in the past. It’s called the Day Designer and is created by the fabulous Whitney English. She created this planner with us busy women in mind, and it’s perfect in every way. I will be doing a review on it later, so stay tuned for that! She also now has a Target line out if you’re looking for a more affordable product. She’s seriously thought of everything!

Want some freebies?! Whitney offers a multitude of different, individual planning pages from monthly planning pages to bucket list trackers to keeping gift ideas for friends and family organized.

Grab your FREEBIES here!

#5 – A Day for Tasks

Now, I don’t mean choose one day to accomplish everything. That would be terrible, and you would fail every single time. What I mean is try to create certain tasks that are done on certain days of the week. For instance, I know that Mondays are always grocery days. Always. That way, I know ahead of time that I need to set aside X amount of hours to do that. Another example would be making Saturday nights date nights, or Wednesdays craft night with the kiddos, or Tuesdays and Thursdays are laundry days. I know this may not fit every household, but I bet you can find at least one task that you do on a regular basis that can be set aside for one day a week so that when you wake up that day, it’s already on your mind – consider it done. =)

I hope you found these five steps helpful. Life is crazy, and sometimes we just need to take a step back and spend some time on reorganizing ourselves. Believe me, you’ll be thankful you did in the long run. If you would like to stay up-to-date with our blog, go ahead and subscribe to receive email updates!

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