15 Quick Tips for Conquering Disorganization

Moms have an almost Universal need to be and stay organized.  With all the hats we wear, it is increasingly more important to stay on top of everything and maximize our efficiency.  Without organization, we drop balls, forget about important activities, increase our tendency to feel stressed, and ultimately rob ourselves of mommy self-esteem. 

As moms, we are always looking for better ways to manage our time and create a more organized home or work environment for ourselves and our families.  More often than not, it’s the internal obstacles that sabotage our success with organization, but sometimes the issue can be addressed with quick external fixes.  Thankfully, every mom has the ability to learn the skill of organization.  Here are some quick tips to help you manage the internal and external war with disorganization and clutter.

1. Make sure items have a home.  Sometimes we don’t know what to do with things and so they sit around our home adding to the clutter.  Create a home or get rid of it.

1. Get rid of excess.  It’s possible you have more stuff than storage space.  Keep only what you need and what you have room for.

1. Make your storage convenient.  If your bathrooms are upstairs, don’t store your toilet paper downstairs.  Put like items together and in the most convenient place.

1. Nip the internal limiting beliefs.  Many moms don’t get organized because they believe they can’t.  Organization is a skill that everyone can learn but your beliefs about your abilities will hold you back.

1. Define your own personal definition of organization.  There is not one definition of organization.  If you can find things when you need them, feel happy in your space, and empowered to achieve your goals, then you are organized.

1. Assess your current workload.  Do you have more tasks to complete than you have time for?  Consider letting go of some of these tasks or delegating them to someone else.

1. Empower uncooperative family members.  Create a team atmosphere in your home and make organization a family priority.  Be the leader by empowering your family to take an active role.

1. Slow down your life.  It’s very difficult to get or stay organized if we are operating in a constant frenzied state.  Eliminate some activities and create time in your life to make organization a priority.

1. Ride the wave of transition.  When we are in transitional periods of life, it can be more difficult to stay organized.  Make sure your expectations are realistic for this season of your life.

1. Deal with your attachments to clutter.  Sometimes we hang on to clutter because it has sentimental memories or it protects us from facing the outside world.  Identify and work through any emotional attachments to clutter or disorganization.

1. Let go of a fear of failure.  Some moms don’t begin the organization process because they are afraid they won’t be successful.  Take baby steps and celebrate tiny successes.  This will give you the momentum to keep going.

1. Get clear about your goals and priorities.  If you are unclear what’s important to you, it is far too easy to fill your life with unimportant tasks and activities.  Create a vision for how you want to live your life and set goals to achieve it.

1. Seek comfort in God and people, and not material possessions.  Some of us hang on to an abundant amount of possessions because it brings us comfort to be surrounded by stuff.  Analyze your need for comfort and security and look for deeper ways to satisfy this need.

1. Address emotional issues in your life.  Disorganization and clutter can often be signs that emotional clutter is present in your life.  Make sure you are not using disorganization to distract you from dealing with an unhappy marriage, an unfulfilling job, or other personal struggles.

1. Create systems that work for you.  Everyone operates differently so make sure the systems and strategies you use to stay organized fit your individual personality, needs and goals.  Otherwise you will jump ship and abandon the process.

Pick the one item from this list you most resonate with.  Commit to using this tip to increase your organization, make more time for what’s important to you, and increase your joy in motherhood.