Organize Your Home

Taking care of your home can feel like a full-time job and when you already have a 9 to 5 to go to every day, it can become overwhelming. As a woman you are expected to do more than your husband or boyfriend ever will when it comes to the care and organization of your home. If you are like me, you have had the unfortunate job of cleaning up after someone repeatedly or reminding people to do their part.  So how do you maintain a clean, organized home without losing your mind, getting angry at your loved ones all the time, or feeling exhausted at the end of the day? It is time to change your mindset and learn some new organization methods to alleviate your stress and get back some time for yourself.

The first thing needed is a mindset change. You are the CEO of your home. You are not a maid or a servant at your home, although you may feel that way at times. You set the tone and create the standard that everyone needs to adhere to in your home.  Start thinking and acting like a CEO in your home. As the CEO, you will set up the guidelines and structure that you want in your home.

Now that you realize you are the CEO of your home; you must decide what is your style. Your style will determine how you organize your home. Will you rely on lists, calendars, charts, apps, etc.? Will you be a minimalist or a saver? There is no right way. You must find the combination of what works best for you. I personally am a saver, but I like a lot of structure. I find creative ways to store items in my home to eliminate clutter. I also have created “Before you Leave This Room Lists” for cleaning areas of my home, as well as age appropriate chore charts for my children.

Organize your spaces. No matter what style you have, decluttering is an important part of organizing your home. Start small and go room to room. Organize based on functionality and style. Schedule time or days on the weekends to declutter and organize each room. I like to start with my bedroom and work out to other common spaces.

Now that the space is organized, you will need to create a master schedule for your home. Your master schedule should include cleaning, meals, and any important activities that are important for your home. I keep a master schedule in a Google calendar. You can then post a weekly calendar for your family so everyone is aware of what is to happen each day. I also suggest having a command center in your home. This is a physical space where you will house all your lists, chore charts, mail, HW papers to sign, or any other community items for your home.

Delegate responsibilities to others. This is one of the hardest things for me to do as a woman and a mom. I want people to do things my way. However, you must learn to let go and let others pitch in at your home. You can set guidelines for them to follow, but don’t expect or require people to be a mini-you. There is more than one way to do things and it is important to give others an opportunity to learn how to do things well. This will alleviate so much stress from your life. You cannot do it all. Delegate responsibilities when you can.

Put your plans into action and then tweak them as you go. I have rewritten lists that did not work. I have made chore charts with magnets and ones that were more like a checklist. I have tweaked my cleaning schedule when cleaning didn’t get done on busy weekdays. Don’t be afraid to start and make changes until you get to the organization style and plan that works best for your home.

Organizing my home has worked wonders in my life. I am less stressed after work because my meals are planned and prepped; and I have time to sit on my patio and unwind most nights. I also have delegated responsibilities to others in my home so that I am not exhausted every night from trying to do it all. You can also create an organized home if you change your mindset to be the CEO of your home. You set the tone. Then define your organization style, declutter and organize your spaces, create a master schedule with a weekly schedule posted, and delegate responsibilities.