ORGANIZATION

A friend asked for some tips for staying organized. Here you go Anna this one's for you.

I find that when my environment is neat and organized not only is my apartment clean but my thoughts are clear as well. When my space is organized I'm able to be more productive because I'm not distracted or anxious about any mess around me. Also cleaning can be a great destresser because instead of procrastinating at least you're getting your chores out of the way while you hold off on doing or thinking about other stressful things in your life. In the end your space is clean and you're left feeling accomplished and ready to tackle other things on your to do list!

So here are my organization tips:

1. Keep a planner - I've used a planner for as long as I can remember. I love having it to keep track of my shifts at work, plans with friends, and my on going to do list. I also used it a ton when I was in university to stay on top off assignments and exams. I found that if I didn't write things down I would forget about things and then I'd be rushing to get them done last minute. By having a planner you can easily see everything you have to do in one place and then prioritize your tasks from there. It's also a fun way to keep track of your goals and accomplishments. I secretly love looking back at old planners and reminiscing on fun plans or goals I accomplished. 
2. A monthly calendar - In addition to having a planner, I like to have a large monthly calendar posted. This way I can see an overall plan of my month ahead. 
3. Organized closet - I like to keep my closet and drawers organized by clothing type. This one might be obvious but I figured I'd include my elaborate explanation here anyways. I keep my shirts, shorts, jeans etc. all organized separately but together (if that makes sense, shirts together, shorts together etc. etc.). I'll even go as far as organize them by color or style as well (shirts organized by colour and from short to long sleeves). This comes in handy when you have a lot of clothes like me. It makes putting together outfits or finding your favourite sweater really easy. I also store seasonal clothes, such as heavy sweaters, away during the summer.
4. Minimalism - When it comes to decorating my spaces I like to keep clutter to a minimum. For me it's kind of a minimalism approach but with a personal touch. Meaning I like to try to keep my surfaces clear of clutter but I like to keep plants or some pretty souvenirs out for a personal touch. This makes your space feel like home but easy to clean.
5. Everything has a place and everything in it's place - I didn't make this one up, I totally stole this tip somewhere down the line but it's a motto I try to live by. It directly relates to tip #4 as well, and while this is a great tip for decor I mean it more for stuff in general. I try my best to put things away as soon as they're done being used. I know it's so easy to leave dirty clothes on the floor or a book lying around but the more you do this the more unorganized your space will get. This simple "rule" takes 10 seconds more of your time but saves you from having to do a major clean up sesh of your space later down the line. 
6. Simple spot cleaning - I like to dust, sweep, or wipe down surfaces either right away when I make a mess (obviously) or at least once a week to keep from dirt building up
7. Make your bed - I find that when I at least make my bed my room instantly looks cleaner even if it really isn't. 
8. Front door rugs - Not only are these a fun way to decorate your home, but they also have keep dirt from tracking into the rest of your home.
9. Monthly deep clean - if all else fails and life overwhelms you and you don't have time to stay on top of cleaning my fail safe is to do a deep clean at least once a month

There you have it, not sure if these will help but that's what I do to stay organized with life overall. Some things on this list are probably obvious but maybe to some they're not so you're welcome.

Happy organizing friends!