There is no magic pill for making more time. However, we can develop habits that allow us to maximize our time, giving us the ability to do more of what is most important to each of us.
Naturally, these habits revolved around organization.
And, if you’ve been part of the Smartly Organized community for a while, that shouldn’t surprise you.
Here are my top 3 tips for turning up the fun:
Tip # 1: The Evening ReSet
This tried and true strategy will make every morning better. Practice the “Evening Reset”.
This is a daily process when you take time (generally at the end of the day) to put things back where they belong so you start the next day fresh. During the day items are used, played with, dropped throughout the home. Left unattended these items build up leading to disorganized spaces. With the Evening ReSet everyone in the family can participate. This means tidying up the family room (i.e. putting away toys, clearing the coffee table, plumping pillows and folding blankets), organizing kitchen counters so you are ready for mealtime in the morning, putting away loose items in the mudroom, etc. This daily 15-20 minute effort saves you time in the long run as clutter doesn’t build it. And it sets you up for success each new day. No more hunting for matching sneakers for the kiddos or the key fob for your car. It also instills good organizational habits in children. Clutter left to accumulate around the house creates a bigger clean-up project taking you away from more fun activities.
Following closely with the Evening ReSet is our next tip:
Tip #2 Regular Decluttering
Accumulated clutter will sneak up on you if you are not careful. This is the stuff of daily life that clutters our counters, coffee tables, and other surfaces and storage spaces. This visual clutter is not calm or relaxing. It actually creates stress for the family. We suggest setting up “donation baskets” in key locations in your home to empower everyone to help keep the house clutter-free. These baskets can be used to set aside items that are no longer needed. Children can put toys they no longer play with or that are broken. Mom and dad can put clothes that no longer fit. Having a dedicated place makes it easy to establish the habit and teach skills around letting go of things. And, when the basket is full it tells you when it’s time to make a donation drop-off.
Alternatively, scheduling donation pick-ups in advance is another way to stay on top of clutter. These scheduled pick-ups will encourage you to collect items from around the house and prepare for the pick-up. When closets and drawers are stuffed it’s harder to put things away (think laundry) or find what you need when looking in that junk drawer. The less friction you face with daily tasks the smoother the day will go creating more time you have for fun. Not letting clutter build up is one easy way to stay organized in the home and saves you time, energy, and money.
Our last tip is about planning ahead so you can take advantage of the time you have:
Tip #3 Planning Fun using the Family Fun List
Especially great for families with young kids but equally important for families with older children, empty nesters, and seniors. This exercise will create a great list of activities to make sure you make time for fun, and don’t get caught in the trap of all work and no play.
Sit down with your family and brainstorm a list of fun activities you’d like to do in the next month, season, or year. This group effort will remind everyone that doing fun activities takes planning and organization. Life is so busy with all our regular obligations (work, school, sports, etc.) that sometimes we don’t make it enough of a priority to do simple, fun things. This list brings you back to what everyone wants to do. Depending on the age of the kids this list will vary but at the very least everyone has a say.
For example, in my family we created a “summer fun list” and everyone was able to add what they wanted to do – go to amusement park, mini-golf, make s’mores, family bike ride, water park, etc. Over the course of the summer we consulted the list and made sure we incorporated these activities into our daily summer schedule. Your list might include concerts, museums, or activities you see others posting about on social media.
Maximizing the time we have with loved ones is always the goal and being organized will allow for more quality time. Let me know what you think of these tips? How do you manage to make more time for fun and games?