Easing into a Home Organizer

You may like the idea of managing your home and life with a home organizer. A binder which holds within it the pages and tools to keep you on top of your to-do’s. A home organizer which not only organizes your home but also serves as a planner for you.

But maybe you’ve shied away from the whole idea because you don’t know where to start. One look at those endless printables begging you to fill them in and you may just throw up your hands in despair and turn your back on the greatest thing since...the calendar.

Well don’t.

A Home Organizer is a wonderful tool that can help you to manage all the aspects of your daily life, and your home.

But using a home organizer involves a bit of preparation.

1. First you need to get comfortable with the idea of list making.
Using lists is one of the most important tools for those working to manage their time. They keep you on task and remind you of items you might otherwise forget.

2. Second you should choose an organizer that will work for you.
A weekly planner with room to add your home notes, templates that you can print off and put in the binder of your choice, or an electronic organizer.

Whatever your choice choose the style you are most likely to use. Not everyone wants electronic. As much as I like gadgets I find that a little zippered binder with fill-in templates works the best for me.

3. The details of your Home Organizer.
At the very least, if you just want a planner to manage your life details your organizer should contain...
calendar
to do list
phone numbers

If you plan on also using your organizer as a home organizer to help you manage your home then you will also want templates such as...
menu planner
cleaning lists
maintenance lists
bill payment list
home inventory
grocery list

4. Make it accessible. Keep your organizer in a place where you can easily see it and get to it throughout your day. If you’re going somewhere take it with you. I keep mine open on the edge of my desk where I work. It’s zippered so I can easily take it with me.

5. Go slowly. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Whether you’ve opted for a pre-made weekly planner, a binder you’re filling in with templates or an electronic time management piece, work on filling it in a little at a time. Set aside some time each day to prepare a section or a page. Spend no more than 30 minutes a day on putting together your home organizer or you may get overwhelmed and discouraged.

6. Review your organizer. Check the planner section of your organizer at night for the next day’s schedule. I use daily and weekly sheets in addition to a monthly calendar. The calendar lists appointments. The weekly schedule let’s me know what I take care of on what day of the week, and the daily section keeps my daily to-do’s in order.

5. Journal. Have a blank notes section in your planner to jot down ideas, goals, notes, and anything else you can think of.

Your organizer will help you to manage your life and organize your home. Amaze your friends, impress your family, but most of all be good to yourself and increase the amount of time you have to enjoy your family and friends because you won’t be scratching your head trying to figure out what you were supposed to do next.

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For more information on weekly planners and home organizers visit O Quinn’s article on great home organizer’s. And get your own copy of Household Notes Home Organizer on CD. Checklists with fill-in forms to help you organize.

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