We all have moments when we feel overwhelmed with our daily lives – food shopping lists, trips to book, dry cleaner pick-ups and not forgetting keeping on top of clutter in the home and the day-to-day running of it.
Introducing new daily habits that involve getting your life and home in order can make all the difference. And the best bit is that they don't need to take up hours of your day, they can be a quick five minutes here and there that you can start implementing today, according to our pros.
We've asked industry experts including professional organizers for 10 daily habits that help them to be more organized and how to declutter successfully.
Introduce these 10 daily habits to be more organized at home
Start today with these tips from the pros to be more organized – from keeping checklists and calendars, to timed clutter-busting and leaving your clothes out for the next day, we've got you covered.
1. Have a tray on your entryway console
Place a tray or a small shallow basket on your entryway console table for those essential items like keys and sunglasses to help keep this vital space organized.
Brandi Simon, founder of TX Home Buying Pros agrees having a console table with a tray definitely helps. 'A clean console table or tray in the entryway designated for mail is ideal – don’t let mail pile up,' Brandi explains. 'As soon as it comes through the door, quickly sort it into categories: bills to pay, invitations to respond to, and junk to toss.'
If you don't have a console table to use then consider a shelf, Wayfair's Rudloff 3 piece accent shelf has handy hooks and three compartments for mail, gloves and sunglasses.
Whatever item you settle on, Cynthia Murray, co-owner of Sorted Sparrow, adds, 'Clear the entryway daily. I spend a minute tidying up my console table – it keeps things neat and prevents clutter from piling up.'
Learn more about organizing an entryway.
If you have a larger entryway table or console, this 17 by 13 inch acacia wood tray with handles will add a nice rustic touch to your decor. The handles mean it's easy to grab the tray and sit somewhere comfortable to sort it out weekly.
2. Pick up and re-place
Introduce this clever decluttering tip and mess will become a thing of the past. 'Every time you move from one room to another, bring one thing with you that belongs in the room you are going to,' advises lifestyle and cleaning guru Sabrina Fierman, director of New York's Little Elves.
'For example, a water glass from the night before, take it with you in the morning when you walk to the kitchen to make coffee, or the handbag left near the front door upon arriving home, bring it to the closet or bedroom when you’re headed that way,' explains Sabrina.
It's about changing your thinking a little to maximize productivity throughout the day. Look out for pieces that help collate clutter practically.
Stair baskets are really useful for those pieces that need to go upstairs, pop items in them as you're tidying, then take them upstairs and decant on your next pass. This design has sturdy handles and is made from woven wicker.
3. Plan and plan again
Although some of us love apps that help to organize our days, others still prefer the 'analogue' way of life and having something we can write on.
There's some fabulous planners around these days that help you to plan your day the night before, a simple five-minute sit down with a cup of coffee at the end of your day to jot down those key tasks will help you to feel more on top of the next day. The Two Tumbleweeds Daily Planner notepad from Amazon is perfect for this.
'Balancing home, friends, life and hobbies can be a lot so I need to write things down to remember – when we asked our Instagram audience, 91% of people agreed that they needed to put plans in a paper diary to remember them too,' says Holly Chapman, head of brand at Papier.
Alternatively, a wall calendar, such as the Worksail whiteboard monthly wall planner from Walmart, can help in the same way. Andre Kazimierski, CEO of Improovy likes to use a mixture of a digital calendar for work with a physical one at home.
'Something I do every day to be more organized is having a physical calendar hanging up in my kitchen. While I also use a digital calendar, especially for work, having a physical calendar helps me stay a lot more organized in my personal life,' he explains.
Similar to a planner (check out Papier's Joy 16-week daily planner from Nordstrom), you just need to remember to keep it updated on a daily basis. Andre adds, 'I have it hanging in a spot that I am constantly walking past or seeing while sitting at my table, and that helps ensure that I never forget what I have coming up. I always know what appointments or events I have on my schedule weeks in advance, compared to getting a notification from my phone calendar the day of and panicking because I’ve forgotten.'
Head of Solved, Punteha van Terheyden, uses a magnetic one on her fridge to plan meals and keep track of school-tasks related to her daughter. 'It helps keep our household organized both from a meals perspective, but also because my husband and I share the mental load of keeping things running smoothly and this a quick way for us both to note anything we both need to know. I like this magnetic weekly whiteboard from Amazon for ease, as it allows a space to add a grocery list, too.'
This reusable wall calendar is ideal for keeping track of daily appointments and tasks. Simply fill in your info and then when the month is finished, wipe off and start again. Comes with magnets and a cork board section on the right
4. Lay out your clothes the night before
Give yourself 10 minutes at the end of the day to consider which clothes you wish to wear the following day – believe us – when you wake up the next morning you'll be glad you don't have to think about it. It also helps if your closet space is organized.
Lay your outfit out on a chair in your bedroom the night before, so everything is easily to hand.
'Planning clothes the night before saves time in the morning and keeps my wardrobe in order,' says Cynthia Murray, co-owner of Sorted Sparrow. 'This is also a life-saver for getting my nine-year old daughter to school on time. Whenever we don't plan ahead, this almost always adds 10-15 extra minutes.'
To make this work well, it pays to keep your wardrobe organized too. We love Walmart's 6 shelf non woven hanging closet organizer, it's perfect for getting your wardrobe in shape.
5. Set a timer
It's easy to put off tidying, especially during the week as we often think we need to spend more time than we have doing it. But in fact, the key to making this work for your household is tidying in short bursts.
Rick Berres, owner of Honey-Doers explains, 'Give yourself 10 minutes, and in that time, you do as much as you can. Fold that blanket that’s just thrown on your sofa, tidy up small items, etc. That’s something small you can do every single day without it being a huge time-suck or imposition and that’s going to keep things organized and looking good and tidy.'
Jenny He, an expert in home improvement and co-founder of Ergeon, has a great timed rule too. 'The 30-second Rule is also a game-changer. If a task takes less than 30 seconds to complete, I do it immediately. Whether it’s putting away a dish or responding to a quick email, these little tasks add up if left unattended. It’s like dealing with a small fence repair right away rather than letting it turn into a bigger issue down the line.'
If these timings don't quite work for you and your day, then create a time deadline that does – it could be a five-minute sweep through of the house to re-adjust things for example. Implement these daily and you'll definitely see a difference.
6. Give yourself visual cues
Trying to remember everything can be challenging, right? Jenny He has a great idea that will help you beat forgetfulness, or clutter blindness, when it comes to daily organization.
'Another trick I’m fond of is Visual Cues. I place reminders in strategic locations to prompt actions throughout the day,' says Jenny.
'For instance, keeping a water bottle by the door reminds me to stay hydrated, or a sticky note on my laptop to encourage regular breaks. Just like how I use visual plans in project management, these cues keep me on track without overwhelming my brain with to-do lists.'
We really love this idea, and it's ideal for those of us who are more visual people. Check out these rather lovely sticky notes.
Ditch the typical yellow square sticky notes and treat yourself to these uber stylish round pads in muted vintage colors. Stick them on your computer or around your home for daily reminders, for instance, inside a kitchen cabinet you use multiple times a day.
7. Use checklist apps
Love an app? Then have a look at Pocket Lists. It's essentially a 'to-do' list app that's inspired by making digital lists and checklists to help us get through daily and less frequent (but still important) things,
You can set reminders as well as creating your own checklists. There's also repeating to-dos so you can keep on top of regular tasks. Easy to set up, you simply open a relevant list, assign due date and set the priority level, you can also add a location.
Jeremy Yamaguchi, CEO of Lawn Love uses checklists on his phone, 'I actually have a checklist in my phone of the daily and weekly tasks I need to accomplish. For example, I have a ton of plants, and many of those plants have different watering needs. So, in order to stay on top of that, I have a checklist that outlines what needs to be watered each day, and that’s something I look at every morning before work. Checklists are invaluable for making sure nothing slips under the radar, forgotten.'
8. Plan your meals
As with planning out your clothing, taking time to prep food for the following evening will save you time and much needed energy when you come home from work.
Brandi Simon, founder, TX Home Buying Pros says, 'Before preparing dinner, take a moment to plan the next day’s meals. Chop veggies, wash fruits, or pre-portion snacks. This small daily habit saves you time later and keeps your kitchen organized.'
A food-storage idea to reduce food waste is keeping your prepped food in glass containers. You can also double up your prep and freeze for later use, or cook for leftovers the next day.
Keep your food fresh in these tempered glass containers that are both microwave and dishwasher safe. With a locking airtight lid that keeps the contents super fresh, you can also use them in the freezer. These come in six handy sizes.
9. Have a place for everything
By ensuring each item in your home has a place, it will be easy to keep your home organized daily and a quick way to make your home look organized, fast.
Shelving is ideal for storing those extra pieces like a couch pillows and blankets that might not be needed all the time and can make your shelves look elevated. And perhaps one of the most useful buys for each room of the house is a selection of matching baskets – they are ideal for hiding away unsightly things like chargers and TV remotes, but also for slippers and magazines.
Choose sturdy designs that will last. Nordstrom's oval jute basket is beautifully crafted and its easy grab handles mean you can carry it room to room.
This set of three lidded baskets is handy for keeping your most used items close to hand, neatly stored and easy to access, without adding to visual clutter, which open baskets can sometimes do. You can also stack these, making use of vertical space in your home.
10. Have an evening 'reset'
Little but often seems to the key to daily organization according to our experts, and the end of the day is the perfect time to set your intentions for the next 24 hours.
Jenny Hu explains, 'I swear by the Five-Minute Reset. At the end of each day, I take five minutes to walk around my living space and reset anything that’s out of place. It’s amazing how a quick tidy-up can clear your mind. Think of it like rebooting your computer – it works better when everything's in order. Even in my work spaces, a quick declutter at the end of the day sets the tone for a more productive tomorrow.'
This is also a good time to update your apps, or planner for the days ahead.
Meet our experts
These are a great start to getting on top of mess in your home without feeling you have to commit to a large decluttering session.
Next, delve into the easy Didn't Know method, beloved by our editors for its ease, simplicity, and guilt-free clearing out.
