Organization Tips for Ladies

Use Your Gadgets

• Purchasing useful gadgets can help you to keep your life organized and uncluttered. A label maker is useful for keeping everything in order. A doorknob organizer hangs onto your doorknob and allows you to put important items in it, such as your cell phone and keys, so you do not forget them when you walk out the door. Buying yourself a coupon organizer is helpful for keeping all your coupons together when you go shopping.

Use a Timer

• Instead of attempting to organize everything in one go, give yourself a short amount of time every day. Set a timer for five, 10 or 15 minutes every day and dedicate that time to cleaning and organizing areas that need your attention, such as one shelf of the bathroom cabinet or one nightstand drawer. Or, you could use that time to collect clutter around the home in a large basket and then put each item back in its right place.

Have a Planning System

• Planning reduces the stress of organizing and keeps you in control. Writing down what you need to do and at what time helps you to keep track of important things in your life so you do not forget them. You can choose to have a paper planner or an electronic planner, depending on which best suits your lifestyle. Spend five minutes every night planning what you need to do the next day or, alternatively, take 20 minutes out at the beginning of the week to plan your whole week.

Be Logical

• When you are choosing how to organize things in your home, be logical. Put items in logical places where you will easily remember to look when you are searching for a particular thing. For example, put your keys on a peg or in a bowl near the front door and store dishes and utensils in your kitchen close to the sink or dishwasher.

Sort Out Paper Clutter

• It is best to sort out paper clutter, such as bills, mail and other important paperwork, right away before everything builds up. Organize your paper clutter into four categories -- file, pay, recycle and shred -- and deal with them out accordingly. For the papers you decide to keep, organize them into file folders that are color-coded for different categories, such as financial, home, household, leisure and home business. Go through your folders each week, paying the bills and then moving everything into the appropriate files. Save other important information on your computer or in a spiral notebook instead of writing it down on pieces of paper. Throw away bulky manuals, old newspapers and magazines, phone books and paid bills; keep legal documents, such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, medical records and deeds to your house and car in a fireproof safe in your home or in a bank safe-deposit box.