A Fresh Start

We live in a very quick society. We want everything to be fast. Fast food. Instant mixes. Quick connections with our technologies…..  Almost everything comes with a quick start guide because we do not want to take the time to read the longer manuals.

If you are here, you are looking to get a quick start for getting yourself and your home more organized.  So here you go. This is a 10 step jump start that will touch on several areas that will quickly make a difference overall.

This is more of a Fresh Start than a quick start. Why? There is a catch. Most of these steps are systems. It will take some time and dedication to implement them and to develop them into regular habits. To increase your probability for success, I suggest that you get each one down before moving on to the next. (The links that are in each line will take you somewhere else on the site that will give you more information, some examples, and other things to consider. If there is not a link yet, it is something that I already have written, at least in rough draft, and will be linked soon.)

Once you have accomplished the 10 step list, I hope you will keep checking in to see what other Series accumulate over time and look around the site to find a lot more.  This is just the beginning!

1. Before you do another single thing, I want you to Wake Up! then I want you to remember to keep learning to Find Your Own Way. For all of the tips, tricks, hints and how to’s that will keep coming up on this site, there is nothing as important to me as hoping that you will get these two basic principles down.
2. Set some reasonable goals for yourself for this year.
3. Find a simple way of keeping a to-do list that works for you. (Do check out Autofocus and consider Todoodlist.)
4. Have some of the basic organizing tools on hand at the ready for whenever you get an urge to tackle any space.
5. Set up a launch pad that will work for you.
6. Find yourself a routine to take care of ordinary cleaning chores. (If my routine does not work for you, there are more examples in the comments or you can do a search for ‘cleaning routine’.)
7. Begin planning dinner well ahead of time.
8. Schedule project days regularly to accomplish other infrequent tasks.
9. Set up small easy systems to handle the ins and outs of the household paperwork like daily mail, short term filing, kids paperwork, correspondence, and reminders.
10. Then and only then, begin putting together a Household Planner that will keep you moving forward. (If you try to do one sooner, more than likely you will have not figured out what things you will need, your work style, nor what will work for you. You will spend more time redoing your planner than making real progress.)