These 7 tips from Simply Organized can get you started with your personal organization!

1. Start Recycling

Looking for a place to recycle lots of different items? Try freecycle.org

2. Save Time

Save time by making fewer decisions during the week.  For example, make a list of kids’ lunches.  Each evening or morning, simply pack the next one on the list.

3. Tackling your ToDo List

If you are overwhelmed by too many items on your to do list, try to prioritize your top 5. After you are finished with the top 5, move on to the next 5 most important tasks.

4. Tackle Paper Mail

Have a basket, box or mail sorter hanging on the wall to catch mail as it comes into the house. Put the basket, etc. next to the door where the mail comes in.

5. Being On Time

If you and your family seem to be late to everything, set all the clocks in the house ten minutes fast and don’t tell the kids. Also, be realistic about how long it takes to do your daily tasks. If you assume it takes you 10 minutes to get ready and leave the house, but in reality it takes 30, you’ll be 20 minutes late for whatever is next in your schedule, and so on for the rest of the day.

6. Store it where you use it

The closer you store items to where you use them, the quicker and easier it is to clean up. For instance, if you pay your bills or do your paperwork at the dining room table, don’t keep your filing cabinet or check book in the basement or upstairs. Make room for it where you use it. Whenever you put away your bills, they go in a basket or bin and gets stored immediately–instead of sitting on the dining room table waiting to be returned.

7. Deal with Photos

One way to sort backlogs of photos is to collect shoe boxes or plastic containers and write a year on each one. Sort photos into their correct year. This can be done in brief sessions–even 15 minutes a night will make a difference by the end of the week. Along the way you can eliminate any duplicates, ugly photos, blurry images and so forth.

Heather Rogers founded Simply Organized to help people simplify their lives. Heather and the Simply Organized team can help you organize and declutter your home or office. Heather is also available for personal organization and time management coaching as well as speaking engagements. She serves as Director of Professional Development on the board of the Georgia NAPO chapter. Follow us on Twitter @SimplyOrgYou and on Facebook @SimplyOrganizedYou.