Start Shaping Up with These Eight Tips to Reorganize Your Life

Assess your current lifestyle  

We all lead busy lives, but sometimes having too many things going on at once can make it difficult to concentrate.  So the first step towards reorganizing your life is to get your priorities right.   Spend some time thinking about what the most important things in your life are, make a list if necessary, and then spend more time doing these things.

Edit your possessions

Take control of what you have and get rid of what you don’t need.  Start clearing out the clutter by sorting items   into one of three piles:  trash, save and put away, sell or donate.  Having a clear living or working space will help you accomplish your goals in a more timely manner, and you will also feel less stressed.  You may even have a little extra cash from the items you sell.  If you can’t face clearing out your whole house, start with just one room or even just a drawer, it’s amazing how much better it will make you feel.  The more order you can put into your life, the more time you will have to do what is important to you.  

Keep things in perspective. 

Try looking at the bigger picture.  You have an entire lifetime to fulfill your goals, and even then, you may not get them all done.   The most important thing is to enjoy your experiences and to do your best.

Plan your time and set a time limit so that you can give each task your all. 

Whether you are talking on the telephone or engaged in something complicated at work, give it your full attention.  Set aside a specific amount of uninterrupted time to do each task, and before you begin, take the time to assess what you want to achieve.   Use your time wisely.   For example, never waste a trip. Pick up the dry cleaning on the way back from work or drop in to the bank on your way to the shops.

If you are unhappy….do something about it. 

Even if it’s as important as your job or your marriage, ask yourself the question “If I do nothing about this, how will I feel about it in 5 or 10 years?”  Do you really want to get to 70 years old, look back at your life and wonder “what if”?     If you truly feel you can´t do anything about the situation, then change your attitude towards whatever you are unhappy about, and move on!     Life is too short to keep putting things off or living with regrets.

Don´t bite off more than you can chew! 

It´s very common to agree to do things because we don’t want to let someone down, even if it means taking on more responsibility than you can handle.  Often the effort of trying to get everything done results in unnecessary stress.  Be realistic and delegate if you can.   Work out who can help you. The more people who you encourage into supporting you, the more time you will have.

 Good planning pays off

Among the many advantages of planning things in advance are the financial and emotional benefits you gain in the process.  Booking holidays months beforehand can help you not only to secure good rates but can give you something to look forward to.  In the same way, planning for big purchases can help you stick to your financial goals.  Motivation will  help you stay focused.

It´s easy to let things mount up…so try to keep on top of things.  If you leave tasks unattended they build up and then become much more difficult to tackle.  Common culprits such as laundry, paperwork, and dirty dishes should be attempted each day.

Go on….you know you want to!