Need Advice

sarasmiles124

Right now, my life is hectic and chaotic and trying to find time to work out and eat healthy has been ridiculous, but I am slowly working on both. Another aspect of life that I feel like I need to work on is just my organization skills - both work related and personally. Work wise, its easier because I can write down my shifts and try and make sure I don't double book, because when I double book, chaos ensues.

What I need tips on, is organizing my life at home - my place is a mess. It's disorganized, with things everywhere, and I hate cooking in the kitchen because its a mess too. I know that if I was to tidy it up more regularly it would help. I live with my sister who works as well, but not as much as I do, and I get frustrated that she doesn't try and do more cleaning wise since I am hardly ever home.

What I want to do is reorganize my cluttered life - tidy up my room, get the kitchen tidied and reorganize so that each thing has a place. For those busy people on here, how do you do it? How can I start this massive overhaul of my life (including the eating and fitness) and still have time for myself?

sarasmiles124

Just to add some extra information -
I currently work three jobs, and am barely home, but can't seem to keep organized when I am home. I don't like feeling like I'm a slob, but its hard to keep on top of things when I'm only ever there long enough to sleep and quickly eat.

candylilacs

Can you afford a cleaner? Having someone come by once or twice a week would help a lot.

There are also professional organizers and they pretty much are reasonably priced for what they do. I've been thinking of getting one to sort out my incredibly cluttered house (we have two storage sheds full of stuff in the house!)

ithina

I work three jobs as well. Keeping my place clean can be a challenge at times, but I manage to usually keep things tidy.

There's a few tips I have.

First tip: clean as you go.
ALWAYS put things back when you're done using them. If you use a dish, rinse it off and put it in the dish washer. If you take your clothes off, toss them in the hamper. Bathroom stuff goes back in it's spot just the same. If you make a mess, clean it up IMMEDIATELY. Also, when you use the shower, get a squeegee and an extra towel. After your shower squeegee the water off the walls and run a towel over. It will keep it clean so you only have to clean clean it once a month.. or like when you notice the tub's getting black >.> *whistles* It'll stay looking showroom clean aside from that if you just take the few extra moments after your shower. Same with the rest of the house. If you notice some crumbs or a spill on the counter, grab a paper towel and some cleaner and get it. I really only clean when I notice stuff needs it. I really only get my place top to bottom when I have the time and I feel it needs it.

Second tip: The less stuff you have, the less you have to clean. Less to organize as well. Take some trash bags and go over all your items. If you haven't used it within a year or two, you probably never will. Toss/donate it.

Third tip: find an organizational system that works for you. We all like to organize differently. Most of my stuff is in plastic totes. I found it a convenient way to keep my stuff organized and easy to move. It's like living out of boxes without the negative connotation, lol. Book shelves are another one I use for extra storage space. Putting one for extra shelves in your kitchen can be great for appliances or pantry needs. Heck, you could even store your plates and things on one if needed.

Good luck with it all

Mitzki5

Simplify......My wife and I try to go thru the house atleast once a year and get rid of anything we don't need. You will feel better and more motivated the each day when you walk into a decluttered home.

Get a day planner. We have kids sports, work and lots of family/friend functions and the day planner is the place we keep track of it all. You could also use a smart phone app to keep track of everything.

Clean/organize as you go. Don't let it build up to where a lot of little problems become a large overwhelming problem.

Try only cooking a few times a week. When you do cook though, make a couple meals. One for that day and a couple for the fridge that you can reheat. This cuts down on the mess and saves you time.

These are a few things that help us. Hope it helps.

MirrenAdam

Sara, I was in a similar place to you a few years ago and it was driving me crazy! I managed to get clutter free and got my place organized by not looking at the whole daunting task ahead of me. Instead I concentrated on a little job at a time and kept at it until I was satisfied then moved on to something else. If you try to do too much at once it'll overwhelm you and you're more likely to give up. It takes work maintaining it but it's so worth it. Good luck to you. Believe you can and you will

Suzyqall72

Definitely get rid of anything you don't use, or at least put it out of the way somewhere. Maybe you should set a timer for 30 min or 20 minutes a day and tackle a small area. If you start slowly, and try to keep the areas clean that you've already done, it should start to take shape in a week or two. I know it's hard, don't give up. You can do it. Like someone else said, simplify, just get started, a little at a time.

michynek

I am breastfeeding and want to now if i have same amount of calories allowance per day???thank you

uttercaro

How can I start this massive overhaul of my life (including the eating and fitness) and still have time for myself?

The same way we all have to learn a new skill: baby steps. Don't let yourself be overwhelmed by the "massive overhaul." Break it down into manageable nuggets. Set alarms on a phone or timer if you need the audible reminder. Example: "Today from 7:00 until 7:15 I will put on some zippy music and boogie while I sweep and mop the bathroom floor." (That not only gets the floor clean, it gets you some exercise at the same time.) Then tomorrow, you set a new attainable goal. Just keep setting and accomplishing small tasks every day. Before you know it, they make a huge difference. Good luck!

tmos512

Try FlyLady.net. I never jumped on this, but it has some really great ideas, some of them already mentioned here, but scheduled throughout the week in small spurts to get you going and help your life stay organized.

sarasmiles124

Thank you everyone for your suggestions!! I am really wanting to declutter my life. A cluttered life/enivronment leads a cluttered mind I feel like sometimes. So far I haven't gotten called in today so I have been working on tidying up and reorganizing.