Getting Organized and Creating Routine

Back to Basics

Are you an organized person or does mess and clutter make more sense to you? I am one of those people whose state of mind reflects their surroundings. So if my house is a chaotic mess, my mind is a chaotic mess. I am a very organized person (might even be a teeny, tiny bit of a control freak……) and when my mind is in a state of chaos I cannot function properly. I always feel a bit out of sorts until I can get everything straightened out and have a really hard time just leaving the mess. I can deal with a bit of organized chaos for a time, but not long. Now that I’m not working, until recently, I was struggling big time to get anything productive done after we moved because of the chaotic state of everything around me and my total lack of time management.  

The first 6 months after this move were extremely challenging for me as I adjusted. I had just left a career in retail banking and was used to a very structured and organized day, at work and at home. I organized my day in a way that maximized productivity and efficiency; not a minute wasted! I function better on a routine and so do my kids and even though I’d managed to get my kids in a good routine, I had not done so myself. I wasn’t getting myself ready in the mornings or mentally preparing myself for the day and this made me feel rushed and unable to accomplish my goals for that day. I would then stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning, while everyone else slept, getting done whatever I could and sleeping minimally. Being tired every day left me irritable and short tempered and I started to realize I was taking it out on the kids and my husband and this was not fair to them. I was making myself and everyone else miserable. I went back and forth between feeling like I was on vacation with a lack of motivation to do anything productive and feeling overwhelmed because I was overdoing it physically, mentally and emotionally with unpacking, painting, decorating, organizing, reorganizing, exploring our new city and, of course, entertaining the kids. I could not find the right balance. 

I finally took a step back and began thinking of ways to work the problem instead of focusing on the guilt of not being able to measure up to my own standards as a mother/wife/responsible adult. I thought, “If I were still working and one of my employees was struggling with this problem, what would I suggest they do to change this behavior?” Approaching my challenges at home with the same approach I took in the past at work was a game changer! Why had it taken me so long to do this? With this mindset the answer would be easy. First I would ask them what it is they are doing differently that’s causing this behavior. My answer to this would also be easy, everything. But more specifically, I have no routine. Next I would ask them how they established their routine before and can any of that be transferred over to staying at home. My answer again would be easy, of course it could! My position when I left my job was a management role and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought to apply my work mentality to my new “job” until now. Managing this household has many parallels to managing my branch and I decided this was how I needed to start approaching every day at home in order to find the balance I needed. 

I have always been a planner. I actually love the act of planning because it makes me feel less stressed, more organized and way less overwhelmed to have everything laid out. It’s therapeutic for me. While I was working, I not only planned out meetings, calls, appointments etc. for my job, but also everything at home. Once a week I would sit down and plan my week. I liked to keep up with doctors appointment for the kids, myself and my mom, since she watched them during the day, activities and events, etc. I wrote out which days I could workout and what kind of workout I should do and kept track of the bills/finances. I also meal planned for a week and ordered groceries online to pick up. 

For the life of me, I could not figure out why I wasn’t doing all these things anymore. I changed that very quickly and immediately got out my planner. It might sound time consuming to take the time to plan all this out every week, but it really isn’t, especially when you get in the habit of doing it. I sit down one night a week and plan it all, including ordering groceries. Then the entire rest of the week I just have to open my planner and there it all is. I don’t even have to think about it. I spent more time trying to remember everything I needed to do and still got nothing done than I ever spent during my planning time. It’s been a few months now since I started back with this process and I feel SO much better. I have been so much more productive, way less overwhelmed or stressed and can finally be present and enjoy this time with my kids instead of worrying about all the things I needed to get done. 

Being a stay at home mom takes a lot of self accountability. No one is paying you to get things done and you may not have a deadline coming up for all that laundry, but you still have to get it done. When you put these tasks off it just builds and builds and that’s when it starts to get overwhelming, like you just can’t keep up. And then what about that quality time with your family or time for yourself? How can we fit it all in if we’re stressing over things undone? Now that I’m able to be with my kids all day every day, I want to make the most of it. Taking the time to get organized and making it a habit allows me to maximize my time with my family and to truly enjoy the time we get together. That’s what it’s all about. If you struggle to get organized and be productive, then follow along for more tips along the way on getting organized and hopefully it will help you get there too. We deserve to keep our sanity AND enjoy the life we’re building!