I wasn’t always organised (ask my mum) I had to teach myself. When I became a parent I realised that I was in charge of keeping a small human alive and I needed to have more structure in my life.I was totally freaked out! If you feel the same then take a deep breath, grab a cuppa and let me stroke your hair, whilst I run you through my top tips to becoming an organised mum.
When I first had kids my brain looked like this!
I am going to share my tips with you! Think of it like a fast pass to organisation!
But first a word to the wise… As mums we are terrible for being self critical. Don’t fall into the mum guilt trap.
There is always a mum at the school gates who seems to have it all sorted! She looks good (no sick or snot down her jumper), she doesn’t look flustered and she isn’t snapping at the kids … she must have had a green smoothie for breakfast or something!
Well before you start beating yourself up and hating on yourself for not being perfect, remember the golden rule….
…repeat after me ….. I will stop comparing myself to others. Because that way madness lies.
No one can do everything! We all have our strengths and whilst she might be able to rock the school run like a boss, she might wish she could whip up chocolate brownies as good as you!
However if a lack of organisation in your life is stressing you out, then here are some tips to help you address the balance.
- Fake it to make it! They say it takes about a month to build up a habit. So if you are trying to turn over a new leaf then for the first few days you are going to have to behave like the person you want to be. I don’t mean an unrealistic version of you … I want to look like Jennifer Aniston … but that is never going to happen (more’s the pity!) I mean if you want to be more organised you have to think like an organised person. Get into the habit of changing your mindset and realise that it will take daily practise and patience!
- Write things down! In order to think clearly you have to clear your head of junk. Stop relying on your brain to remember endless lists. It will just end up a frazzled mess and you will start to forget stuff. Either use a good old paper and pen or use the note app in your phone. Another good tip is to keep a notepad by your bed – that way if you remember things in the middle of the night you can write them down straight away.
- Get yourself ready before you deal with the kids. I set my alarm half an hour before the kids wake up … this gives me time to have a shower and make myself look presentable before I move on to getting them ready. I also find that if I look ready for the day then it has a positive effect on my mindset. I still don’t have hair like Jennifer Aniston though!
- Keep things simple. I try to live by the mantra … simple things done well.. by this I mean there is no point trying to do everything to pro standards. Good enough is good enough! This applies to everything… cleaning, cooking … your hair….
- Do laundry every day. If you are following TOMM (The Organised Mum Method) then this of course is part of your every day tasks, if you are not following along (WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!). Do laundry daily … it really helps to keep the chaos at bay!
- Don’t procrastinate … it steals time! If you have a list of boring chores just suck it up and get them done asap… the longer you wait the quicker the list builds up and the more overwhelming it becomes!
- Know your limits. You have to be realistic with yourself and learn to say no. Prioritise your needs and your family’s needs before you start to take on other jobs … if all the PTA meetings are proving too much then give them up! (and DON’T feel guilty about it!)
- ROUTINE ROUTINE ROUTINE! If you want to be organised then you need to follow some sort of routine. You can either follow TOMM or you can devise a housekeeping schedule of your own – do whatever works for you – but stick to it and make it a non negotiable part of your day.
❤️