Organization for Real People #Organization #cbias

Organization for Real People

You know, there is no secret to being organized, you just have to work it.

There are always articles, televisions stories and radio programs all about organization and secret tips for getting organized. I am not ashamed to admit that I have checked out my fair share of them and I have walked away discouraged. When I look at the before pictures in the magazine or on the television shows, I wish my after shots would look that good! I want some organizing tips for a woman like me, a work at home wife and mom with four active kids. I have never found any tips that would work for my household, so in the spirit of necessity being the mother of invention, I have created my own organizing plan for work at home mothers.

photo credit: ooh_food via photopin cc organization, real people #organization, #cbias

The first thing you must do is get realistic about the situation. If you have a small house and lots of people, things are going to look crowded because they are. Suck it up and keep moving. If you have the obligation and responsibility of a spouse and children, you may have to work around their schedules rather than picking your own if you want to be organized. If this is the case, suck it up and move on. Reality may mean you work your business after putting one set of kids on the school bus and before another set gets off the school bus. My big secret for getting organized is: get real and start working with the life you have, not the life you want to have.

Let me sum it all up by sharing a few of the things I learned that work:

admit that perfect is not necessary, good is good enough
stop caring what the neighbors’ houses look like, take care of your own
make realistic work hours that fit your actual home
get the whole family involved in keeping things organized
put things away as you go along, not later
make cleaning up a daily routine and get the whole family involved by making it fun – a 30 second tidy up period

These are ideas that work for me, a real work at home wife and mom with four kids. What are your real world organizing tips?

Janeane Davis

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View Comments

Rivka says:

07/25/2013 at

Excellent advice especially about getting realistic about your situation. Involving kids and making cleaning fun is an excellent approach. Since my husband and I live in an apartment and space is limited, I try to reduce clutter by donating clothes I have not worn in 6 months and trinkets I do not care that much about.
Brandi says:

01/06/2013 at

This is great advice. I've been trying to discover the secret to being organized, and the biggest lesson I learned is if you have a lot of stuff, if you don't want a cluttered house, you have to get rid of some stuff! It's a tough pill to swallow, but it's the truth. You just can't keep everything!

Janeane Davis says:

01/06/2013 at

It is a hard pill to swallow!

Barb @ A Life in Balance says:

01/05/2013 at

So glad I saw this posted on Twitter. Thank you for the reminder to work with what I have, not what I'd like to have.

Signing up to read more!

BTW - your post is perfect for my Motivation Monday links where we focus on helping each other get better in whatever we're working on.

Janeane Davis says:

01/05/2013 at

Thanks for stopping by! I stopped by your blog also and will be back for your Motivation Monday. I think our readers would enjoy each other.