Organizing Your Week

Filed in archive Life/Work Balance , Organization on June 6, 2010

© hainteractive

Whether working for an employer or managing your own home-based business, we all get caught up in time management woes. It really pays to get organized. In just one week, doing one small thing a day, you can surprise yourself with how much order you can get yourself into. You'll be relaxed and have a more positive outlook as well. If you can't do this in a week, try getting it done in 7 weeks, devoting the same day of each week.

Day One: Clean up the office inbox. Go to work an hour earlier and switch off the auto chime for about a couple of hours. Make new folders for contacts, different projects, and events and meetings. Alphabetize these folders and put email in the appropriate one. Emails that do not belong to any particular folder most probably are unimportant and must be deleted. From this day forward, make it a habit to immediately sort incoming email into the correct folder or get rid of them.

Day Two: Let's go to the kitchen and clean up those cabinets. You need two cardboard boxes for this task. If you have punch bowls and platters you haven't used for months put them all in one box and store the box in the basement or sell them at a yard sale. Next, put on new cabinet lining and go through different cans, teas, and cracker boxes. Make sure you get rid of the expired products. Move older cans to the front. Pour flour, cereal, and sugar into labeled transparent plastic containers and put them back in the cabinet.

Day Three: The closet is next. Look at footwear. Throw out worn out sneakers. Put miscellaneous shoes in the hanger over the door. Gather sporting equipment in a wicker basket and place them in the garage. During the summer, place coats and heavy jackets in plastic storage boxes.

Day Four: The linen gets your attention today. Towels belong together. Subgroup into wash cloths, hand towels, bath towels, and others. Old towels may need to be used as rags instead. Separate top sheets from bottom sheets. And appliances must be in their own cabinet.

Day Five: Deal with your meds. Expired drugs need to be thrown out at once. If you have lotions and cosmetics you haven't used for three months, throw them out as well. Supplies like cotton balls and swabs must be placed in easy-to-reach containers. Make sure you have enough soaps, toothpastes, and toothbrushes for house guests.

Day Six: This one is tough. Create a cleaning schedule that all members of your family can follow. Give incentives for them to participate. Make sure each family member has a specific doable job - vacuuming, dusting, doing the laundry, etc. Make it a task that can be done by noon so everyone can relax later.

Day Seven: Relax! Order takeout, listen to your favorite music, and resist the TV. Create a wish list: books and mags to read, movies to see, restaurants to try, old friends to call. Think about the people and places you want to see and begin scheduling them.