An organized life. It’s something we dream of, and sometimes dreams can’t even encompass how incredible that would be. It’s not surprising really, to most of us, because an organization is truly just a dream—a fantasy. There’s no possible way to have a realistic life without chaos, right? Well, not necessarily. Life will always have ups and downs, but it is possible to keep it somewhat stable. Organizing your life isn’t going to be simple, but that’s why I’m here. To show you how to organize your life in the most sustainable ways possible, especially as a busy student. So, let’s get into all the tips you need to know to keep an organized life.
Manage Your Time
The first, and probably the most crucial, thing you need to do is manage your time. You can’t know how to organize your life without it. To be organized in anything, time management is key, because time is the one thing in your life you have completely no control over. You’ve got to make it work for you somehow. But of course, it’s really hard to do all that on your own, which is completely understandable. But that’s also why this article is here, to help you with all of the above.
Time blocking and Scheduling
Time blocking and scheduling are some of the best ways to manage your time. They are both properly structured ways and equally flexible ways to keep yourself on top of your game. You can fix and modify them in ways that adapt to your personal life and experience. Life isn’t ever the same, and it’s changing everyday, so your mode of stability should be flexible enough to adapt to that while being structured enough to keep yourself truly organized.
Time blocking is essentially keeping “blocks” of time for each of your activities throughout your day. Proper time blocking requires a certain level of discipline. You need to understand your goals with managing your time, you need to get a planner for time blocking, and so much more before you can start the actual and active “time blocking” part of it. Unfortunately, you might not know where to start with it, since it’s so specific. Well, look no further, because on the Diary of the Mind, we have an article on time blocking that not only instructs you on proper time blocking, but also lends you a free and printable PDF time blocking planner that you can use today!
Scheduling is a bit broader of an idea, similar and different from time blocking. Similar to time blocking, there are sections of time that you dedicate to each activity in your day. However, they won’t be “blocks” of time because the time intervals may only be 15-30 minutes. This way, you can plan out your schedule in a more specific way. For example, with time blocking, you would block an hour for “getting ready”. With scheduling, you can schedule 15 minute intervals for “brushing your hair” and “taking a shower”. However, they are both very similar and you can use them simultaneously based on how you like it!
Keep it Routine
Another thing that is important to consider with your scheduling and time management habits is to keep it routine. As research suggests, keeping a routine schedule that doesn’t fluctuate too much helps you with your productivity, especially with academic success. As students, that’s something really important that we need in our lives.
While you can have a few changes to your schedule every now and then, it’s important to keep it relatively daily. When what to do next isn’t occupying your mind, you can focus on executing your activities to the best of your ability for a more productive and organized day.
Time Management Apps
Time management apps are an incredible addition to your scheduling and time blocking. These apps are specifically designed for you to organize your day and manage your time, making them incredibly helpful for your productivity. However, there’s quite a bit of them all over the app stores, so you don’t really know which one is the best. Well, on Diary of the Mind, we have an article on the best time management apps. In this article, I researched all the time management apps I could find, and selected and rated the top 5 best ones. Additionally, I give you the pros and cons for each app as well as exact instructions on how to use them.
Organize Your Living Space
Knowing how to organize your life isn’t just about your life. The physical area you exist in matters just as much. We all know the idea that people with untidy rooms tend to be more creative. While this can most definitely be true, especially when proven by scientific research, no one living in a truly messy room is going to be happy or productive. As this study has found, people who live in clutter are more likely to procrastinate, having been overwhelmed by the messiness. When trying to cultivate a productive and organized environment, this is not what you want.
Organizing Your Bedroom
So, how do you make sure your living space is organized most of the time? Well, it’s easy for us as teenage students. For most of us, we’re individually responsible for only one room—the bedroom. So, aside from your home chores, you can put all your energy into keeping your own bedroom as tidy as possible. Here are some quick tips you can keep in mind.
- Schedule your laundry – Laundry is a pain. I for one, hate it, and the clothes often power up in one corner of my closet. It’s really not good, but the best way to fix it, as I did, is scheduling every part of your laundry. Put dirty clothes in the wash every Saturday and keep them away the following Sunday. This routine will help you keep that part nice and tidy.
- Use shelves and desk organizers – These are always a great way to keep your study space clean. I know that I really enjoy using them. In my woodworking class a few years back, I created a self-designed folder holder/desk organizer, and to this day, it is the most useful thing on my desk. Of course, you don’t need to handcraft your organizers, but going to Target or Ikea to get a nice desk organizer is definitely a great choice for tidying up your study space.
- Do your bed daily – As much as you hate it, you have to do it. Doing your bed is important, even if you are going to mess it up once you go to sleep again. As we already know, a clean room is important for your productivity. Looking at a messy bed is only going to make you want to go back to sleep more. Clean your bed up, and it might just make you feel more awake.
Prioritize Your Mental Health
Finally, to know how to organize your life, you need to prioritize your mental health. It might not seem like a very important thing when it comes to an organized life, but it is far more important than most people give credit for. I would go so far as to sya that you can’t expect yourself to have a productive and organized life if your mental health is not of utmost importance. Seems counterintuitive, right? How are you going to get work done if you’re too busy keeping yourself happy? Well here’s how I like to look at it.
Being mentally unhealthy often means you’re stressed, anxious, or depressed, and for most, not in a diagnosable way. When you’re stressed and anxious, you tend to not perform well because of all the worry. As this study has shown, being stressed often worsens productivity in the workplace, and the same can be said for students in school. However, when you are mentally well, you naturally perform better. So regardless of how productive you make your schedules and environment, your life will never be organized if you aren’t mentally happy.
Conclusion
Now you know how to organize your life, and in all honesty, it’s not that hard. Far from impossible, and even closer to sustainable. The truth is, we always like to think a successful and “perfect” life is unattainable, and oftentimes to fuel our own laziness. When the path with more effort but a better life seems impossible, it’s easier to forgive your unhealthy lifestyle. It keeps you from knowing how to organize your life. But, if we really want to do what’s good for ourselves, we need to come face to face with what’s needed, and for some of us, that’s an organized life. But don’t worry, and don’t beat yourself up over your lack of effort. Step by step, start building up a healthier and more productive life, and you will not regret it!
