Does anyone agree that this is the best time of the year in Australia? Many of us are spending the time not working, spending quality time with family, disconnecting from technology, and just enjoying the simple Australian lifestyle… days at the beach or pool and relaxing! Work, chores, school lunches and organisation are far from our minds!
Our whole family lives in their swimming suits all day everyday, and its so hot that clothing is minimal. It means less laundry (although this seems to be replaced with more sand all through the house!!). It’s definitely a different feel to the mid school term rush in my house where ironing is piling up, uniforms and work clothes never seem to be easily found, odd socks haunt our mornings and all the undies have holes in them (who needs undies when you can live in your bikini or boardshorts?).
And every year around this time we make our resolutions for the year ahead – being more organised is one of the most popular. As we wipe the slate clean from the previous year and reset ourselves for what’s to come, it feels like the perfect time to reassess how we can get more organised so that when the craziness of routine / work / school / repeat sets in, we are ready to stay on top of it!
So here are my tips for getting yourself more organised in 2018:
- Minimalise – If you haven’t watched the Minimalism Documentary yet (on Netflix), make sure you put it on your 2018 to do list. This will make you question all the stuff we surround ourselves in and what it really means. Less stuff means less to do (less cleaning, less organising, less clutter, less spending) which will give you back more time! I feel like this is a massive shift in thinking for me, and something I try to incorporate into my every day family living, one step at a time. I recommend following @becomingminimalist for loads of inspiration to keep you on the minimalist path. A great tip to get you started – minimalise your wardrobe, less clothes means less choices, less washing, less hanging. To do this change all of your hangers in your wardrobe the opposite way and when you wear that piece of clothing turn the hanger back the right way. At the end of each season anything left hanging the wrong way should be passed on! And while you are at it check out some tips on how to create a capsule wardrobe.
- Get Help – Mia Freedman in her book Work Strife Balance says get all the help you can afford. It’s great advice for those of us who feel the overwhelm of daily life. We live in incredibly busy times where many of us juggle multiple jobs, huge workloads and busy family schedules. Getting help isn’t being lazy, its smart common sense that can keep us focused on the things we need to be focused on. Work out what your time is worth! And there is all different types of help available. Cleaners, Laundry Ladies, Food Delivery, Fruit Box Delivery, Babysitters, UberEats! Work out your strengths and outsource your weaknesses!
- Plan – balancing our work schedules, family time, activity time and down time can be like walking a tightrope. But it gets easier with planning. Use this time of the year to map out your week, month, year. Write a meal plan. Organise a weekly schedule – cleaning on Monday, washing on Tuesday, takeaway on Wednesday… and get the kids involved. If everyone knows what’s coming up it makes it easier!
- Budget – I’m definitely not the person to give any financial advice, but I can strongly recommend reading the Barefoot Investor. Despite being about finances, its actually an enjoyable read and his advice on how to structure your finances, save money and set yourself up is simple and easy for every person to follow. Read. It. Now. Please!
- Bucket List – what fun is being busy or spending time organising ourselves if we have forgotten our life dreams! Whether its for yourself, you and your partner or your family, write a bucket list – things you want to achieve, holidays you want to go on, things you want to experience. For the year, for 5 years, for life. Write it down. Print it out. Stick it on the fridge. It will keep you going when the summer fun turns back into busy routines!
Happy new year!
