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| Get Organized Now! |
There are some basic techniques that everyone can use to become, and stay, organized. This is a
sample schedule for daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly organizing tasks, to help you keep on top of
your household chores.
I can’t say it enough: Planning is organizing. So spend a little time planning a schedule similar to the
one below for your own household, stick to it for two or three weeks (long enough, according to
science, to establish or break a habit), and watch how much easier your everyday routines become!
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Quarterly
It’s easy to get organized – and stay organized – when you have a system in place. Stick to your
schedule and you'll find yourself with less stress, and maybe even a little more free time!
sample schedule for daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly organizing tasks, to help you keep on top of
your household chores.
I can’t say it enough: Planning is organizing. So spend a little time planning a schedule similar to the
one below for your own household, stick to it for two or three weeks (long enough, according to
science, to establish or break a habit), and watch how much easier your everyday routines become!
Daily
- Housekeeping: Tidy up before bed. Do a load of laundry. Run the dishwasher (if it’s full) at night,
and empty in the morning – don’t leave dishes sitting unwashed overnight. - Finances: Sort through your mail, placing bills and other important correspondence in the
appropriate area (see my last The Basics post for tips on dealing with mail). - Family: Sort through children’s backpacks each day after school, so important papers,
assignments, and artwork don’t get lost (place these in a basket, file, or plastic bin to keep them
together). Before bed, repack backpacks with tomorrow’s necessities. Help your children choose
tomorrow’s clothing and shoes.
Weekly
- Housekeeping: Some people prefer to set one day aside every week for housecleaning, while
others prefer to assign certain chores to certain days; choose a system that works for you. - Finances: Pay bills on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, to avoid late fees. Setting up automated
payments through your bank for monthly bills like mortgages, car payments and insurance, is
also a good idea. - Groceries: There’s no need to hit the supermarket every day. If you plan meals in advance, you
can shop once a week. Keep a list taped to the refrigerator, and when you’re low on necessities
like sugar, flour, or milk, jot it down. - Laundry: Work clothes should be clean and ironed before the week begins, to save time on
workdays. Otherwise, choose a day to catch up on washing and folding. Many dry cleaners send
garments out on a weekly schedule: ask about your cleaner’s schedule and drop off clothing
accordingly, to minimize time out of your closet. Also, look for cleaners that don’t use PERC, which
can be dangerous to your health and can seriously pollute the air in your home (see National
Geographic’s The Green Guide for more info). - Car: Clean out accumulated trash and replace any must-haves. Car organizers can be very
helpful for organizing cell phones, spare change, CDs, etc. I have some great car organizers for
sale on my Your Life Organized website. - Family: Go over family appointment and activity schedules at the beginning of the week, to make
sure there are no conflicts. A dry erase calendar where kids can write in their own appointments
is a great tool for easing schedule conflicts.
Monthly
- Housekeeping: Big chores like cleaning windows and blinds, washing curtains, and cleaning
under/around furniture should be done once a month, or every other month. Set aside a day to
take care of these necessities. If you can get the whole family involved, even better. - Groceries: Bulk shopping should be done once a month; it’s a great way to buy items like toilet
paper, paper towels, and other household necessities. Make a list before you go. - Finances: File billing statements according to your personal system. Shred anything you don’t
need to keep. Recycle old catalogues when their replacements come in. - Recycling: Any items that can’t be picked up by your weekly recycling service should be brought to
your local recycling center once a month. You can recycle batteries, CDs, shredded paper, even
old electronics; call or go online to find out the specifics for your area. - Family: Review the family calendar at the start of the month, taking note of any birthdays,
holidays, parties, or other special events that will require purchasing gifts or tickets, or that will
require special planning.
Quarterly
- Housekeeping: Sort through closets at the start of each season, eliminating items that no longer
fit, or that you or your children no longer wear. Donate these items to charity, or store them for
next year’s consignment. Toys and books should be purged in a similar manner. - Finances: If you pay taxes quarterly, gather all necessary material to give to your accountant. If
you use a computer accounting system like QuickBooks, make sure all your entries are up to date. - Garage: Organize tools, gardening items and seasonal items. Discard broken, rusted, or
otherwise unusable items, to free valuable space.
It’s easy to get organized – and stay organized – when you have a system in place. Stick to your
schedule and you'll find yourself with less stress, and maybe even a little more free time!
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