I’ve written many times about how my organized life is a direct result of implemented daily habits. I have a bit of a squirrel mentality so I’m prone to getting easily distracted. Plus I tend to be on the lazy side. So I have learned over the years that what works for me is daily habitual routines to keep me on track. Basically once these habits are in place (with the help of habit trackers!) I don’t really have to think about them anymore or be worried that I’ll get distracted and thrown off my game. Habits and routines are what keep me disciplined which makes life so much easier.
I’m organized because I am disciplined. I’m disciplined because I have routines in place. I have routines in place because I developed habits. This might indeed be the secret to an organized life.
Four Steps to a Creating a New Habit
So I wanted to share with you today my secret for implementing new habits into my day. It really isn’t earth shattering at all but it’s a simple strategy I use to help me stay focused since that is not my natural tendency.
1. Make a plan for when this new habit can fit into your day. I find it helpful to attach a new habit to one that is already established. For example, taking vitamins after brushing your teeth.
2. Use a daily habit tracker as a visual reminder. There is something so satisfying about a checkmark. Am I right or am I right? Figure out a place to keep your habit tracker so it’s front and center prompting you each day. For instance, maybe out on your counter, on the fridge or in a bullet journal like I use.
Free printable half size habit tracker perfect for bullet journals
The half size prints two to a page so I just print it out full sheet sticker paper (affiliate link), cut it in half and stick it right into my Leuchtturm bullet journal (affiliate link). Beats having to draw the lines every month.
3. Track for a minimum of three weeks. They say 21 days is how long it takes for a habit to establish itself.
4. Only implement one or two habits at a time. This will help keep you from getting overwhelmed.
This strategy has worked really well for me and I hope you find the same. If paper tracking isn’t your thing, there are many different habit tracker apps that can also help you.
You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routines.
John C. Maxwell
To help you implement some organized home habits into your life, here are some of my favorite suggestions for you.
7 Daily Habits to Implement for an Organized Home
1. Daily purge
First and foremost is keeping the clutter under control. Piles of stuff scattered here, there and everywhere can be suffocating and chaotic. Set up a donation station in your home and make a plan to add a set number of items to it every day. Remember if it doesn’t spark joy for you or you don’t have the room to store it, it’s time to let it go!
2. Evening 10 minute tidy
Every evening take a 10 minute tidy walk around your house putting misplaced things back where they belong. Stray dishes, socks, paper (see below), toys, books, etc. Even if you can’t get to it all, the goal here is just to do a quick reset of your home to set you up for a successful tomorrow. Your future self will thank you.
3. Daily organizing task to tackle
You can do a lot in 15 minute increments. Rather than simply writing down “clean the whole house” on your to do list and be overwhelmed by that, drill down your tasks into manageable steps and complete one task a day. Need ideas? I’ve got a free printable 100 Organizing Tasks to Tackle sheet that I offer to my subscribers. These tasks are small and can typically be done in 15 minutes or less. I think you will be surprised what you can get done in a short amount of time.
You can get the subscriber only free printables and regular blog updates by clicking right here or by using the box right below this.
Remember every little bit helps so don’t let negative Nancy interfere by telling you it’s no use. Every little bit counts and over time all those little bits add up to make one big bite.
4. Get the kids involved
My kids have always had regular daily and weekly chores that included cleaning toilets, sweeping floors and tidying the kitchen. It’s amazing what a load is taken off when everyone shares in the housekeeping requirements. Everyone makes the mess, so everyone should clean it up. Please get your kids involved by giving them regular responsibilities. Here are some free printable responsibility chore charts that I created years ago.
5. Daily morning routine
I’m not a morning person by nature so having a set morning routine allows me to run on auto-pilot and still get everything done that I need to. This of course will look different for everyone so it’s important to take a moment to identify which key morning tasks make the most sense for YOU. Especially those tasks that will eliminate the most stress and chaos. For me, a big portion of my morning routine includes getting my kitchen tidied and reset for the day. I wrote about my daily morning routine in a little more detail last year if you’d like to read more about it.
6. Daily paper pickup
So much paper comes into our homes on a daily basis especially if you have kids. It’s hard to stay on top of it if you don’t have a command center set up in your home. Do that first and then make it a part of your day to deal with the daily papers coming in by putting them where they belong. Here are some helpful posts for you.
Organized Solutions for Easily Managing Daily Papers
Create an Organized Command Center for Your Home
7. Daily family calendar update
Additionally taking a few moments each night to update the family calendar will ensure that everyone is all on the same page. If you don’t have a family calendar, this one below is my favorite. And yes even though my youngest son is 13, I still use this calendar because he doesn’t use a digital calendar yet.
Have you developed any of these habits? What else would you add to this list for an organized home?
Don’t forget to print off your daily habit trackers to get started today!
Happy organizing!
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MelanieL says
I had to cut out my habit of watching the morning news so I could create the habit of reading. I realized I had to give something else up in order to be successful in fitting in reading time. Now, I make sure my coffee pot is ready to brew, settle in my chair with coffee, lamp, book and dog and read for 30 minutes. I have read 4 books since mid-December and I’m enjoying it so much!