How I Organize My Life

Shopping. I shop once a week. Occasionally, if I’m too tired to socialize, I do Friday night grocery trips. It may seem lame, but there’s no one at the store, so the shopping goes faster. An “All Out Of” preprinted grocery list sticks to the refrigerator. Each item is checked off as we run out.

Meal Planning. A three-ring notebook in the kitchen lists all our meal ideas. That way we don’t have to come up with creative ideas after a long day of work. And, it prevents me from eating too much take-out. (Of course, I do have a folder that resides in a kitchen drawer labeled “Take Out” when I get swamped.)

DO SMALL THINGS.

Picking up. I try to do it daily. Every little bit helps. This may seem obvious for naturally organized types, but for me, it was not. Saturday cleaning goes more quickly if I’ve been doing small things as I go on a daily basis.

Chores. I’d like to get a small dry board or cork board near the front door. It’s a simple, non-high tech way to write each other messages or reminders, sweet nothings—or my bad puns. It would also list long-term household projects, so we’ll actually do them, instead of thinking about doing them.

FIND ROOM.

Clothing. Less is more. In order to relax, I need a neat space—and that means fewer things. Healthy purging also means reevaluating what I truly need. If I haven’t worn an item of clothing in a year, I’m never going to wear it again. I give it to Goodwill.

Furniture and Art. In my experience, it’s not worth my time to sell furniture items or art online because I am not selling high-end items or collectibles. I give it away or let the Salvation Army come and pick it up for free.

Books. I try to rely on the library more and only buy books that I truly love. I sell hard covers to used bookstores, while paperbacks are given away or recycled.

AVOID OVERLOAD.