Name: Cluttered Mess to Organized Success Workbook
Rating: 3.9 (236 reviews)
Author: Cassandra Aarssen

What’s in it for me? Learn how to manage your home, your family, and your time.

Life is messy and can be difficult to keep track of. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Cluttered Mess to Organized Success is primarily a guide full of worksheets and checklists, created to help you become more organized in your everyday life. While this Blink doesn’t contain any worksheets, it does break down the most important organizational concepts into steps that you can easily follow.

These simple but powerful tactics will make it easier to get your home, your time, and your family in order – and, in the process, transform your life for the better.

The importance of setting goals

Recognizing your goals is the first step in acknowledging that your life is in desperate need of organization. We all have goals, but we don’t always know how to approach them. It may seem overwhelming and time-consuming to set these goals – but it doesn’t have to be. You might not even realize it, but you probably set little goals every day. These could include deciding to get out of bed as soon as your morning alarm goes off, or eating a healthy breakfast.

To start setting goals, first identify the big ones – your dreams. Once you’ve done that, you can start breaking them down into easier, more manageable goals. It’s important to write them down. Simply making note of it in your head is likely why your current organizational efforts aren’t too successful. Writing down your goals instantly gives you the motivation to complete them. You will feel more accomplished and will be motivated to keep moving forward.

After you’ve written down your goals, create a timeline that details when you would like to complete them. Don’t be too ambitious (or too hard on yourself) at this stage. Make these goals attainable and realistic. What are the steps you need to take in order to meet this goal? Be sure to write those down too!

Once you’ve done that, you have a plan of action. Now, let’s walk through an example.

What’s your dream? Is it to become an organized stay-at-home parent? Is your dream to spend more quality time with your family? Maybe your dream is to be an executive chef. No matter what your dream is, the concept of goal-setting stays the same. It starts with this main, overarching goal.

Next, you determine the steps that are necessary to get there. Say you want a more organized kitchen. How can you do that? For one, maybe you need more storage. This might require you to buy some containers for your pantry, so you can organize your collection of cereals or spices.

Another step to an organized kitchen would be to organize your cupboards. Maybe you already have cupboards dedicated to specific items: one for cups and glasses, one for plates and bowls, and one for Tupperware. If so, great! The next step would be to get rid of anything you don’t need. Decluttering is an essential part of becoming an organized individual.

In making a detailed list of steps, you’re creating a full plan to complete your goals. Remember: not everything has to be perfect right away. Pat yourself on the back for each little step you complete along the way.

Prioritizing your time

Do you ever feel like you don’t have time for yourself or your family? Each day is filled with work, school, and appointments, which can quickly get overwhelming. While you can’t really control the time you spend at work or in school, scheduling and organizing your time outside of these commitments can open up a lot of room for fun activities.

So how do you go from a cluttered mess to an organized success? Well, we’ve already discussed the importance of writing down your goals and breaking them down into steps. Now, it’s time to map out the specifics.

The holy binder

We’ve discussed goal-setting and time management. Now it’s time to focus on the holy binder.

The holy binder isn’t just the place where you’ll keep your schedules, planners, and to-do lists – it’s also where you’ll collect important documents. Meal planning sheets, budget tracking sheets, medical information, contact lists … they’re all fair game for your holy binder. It’s one sure way to keep your meals, finances, and emergency information organized.

The psychology of labeling

In this last section, we’ll focus on how to physically organize your home – specifically, on the psychological power of labeling.

Really and truly, labeling your home can transcend your life. Think about it: Have you ever struggled with getting your family to pick up after themselves? You're not alone. Labeling is magic because it’s like creating small homes for all of your stuff. It’s your own little organizational system.

About the Author

Cassandra Aarssen is a professional organizer and self-declared former “super slob.” She started a successful business called Clutterbug, where she shares her best tips and tricks for organizing homes. She’s also the author of Real Life Organizing, a book that inspires families to regain control of their homes and lives.