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I have found that the less clutter I have in my house, the more able I am to cope with the complexity of life.  It just makes things a little more clearer.  I used to label everything, but found that as the number of kids increased, the less time I had.  With the demands of jobs, school, and kids schedule, it is a constant challenge to remain steadfast to the doctrine of organization (but very possible).  What do I do to make things easier on myself as a mother of two and a person with a very demanding schedule?

1.  Make Lists!
Making lists are extremely important. Not only is it very satisfying to cross things off your list, it keeps you on track.  Many times I make these lists the day before and that enables me to not waste time making list that day.  Also, if you make a list when your not stressed about what you have to do, you tend to remember the things that need to be on the list.  Then, all you have to do is simply add to the list.
2.  Set Reminders on your Phone
Most of us have Smartphones in this day in age.  Heck, even if we don't have Smartphones, we have phones with the ability to set reminders.  Whenever I'm adding something to my ever growing list of scheduled things, not only do I write them down, I set a reminder.  I set the reminder in my phone so that an alarm will go off to remind me.
3.  Plan things the Day before
Waiting until the last minute (which is the day of) to do things will only create stress. Planning things the day before ensures that if there are any last minute things, you can catch what is going on before something bad happens.  Planning is everything. With that extra day, you have the time for planning.
4.  Keep it Clean
As hard as it is to keep things clean with two kids, I understand that it's not always possible to have every single thing in your house clean.  But it is possible. It requires a constant effort and takes work.  But constant movement keeps you from being depressed and believe it or not a clean space promotes happiness and less stress. People living in cluttered environments tend to be depressed and more stressed.  ( I wonder why? They should have hired Us!)
5.  Ask a Friend for Help
If you're feeling very overwhelmed, ask a friend or someone from your family to help you out.  Don't do it alone! Get help. Ask us! But if you don't have the money, do a little bit each day. It'll add up and before you know it, you'll be organized, clean, and stress free (well, mostly :))

Labels: clutter, organize, relief, stress