How to Get Off the Hot Mess Express: 9 Tips for being more organized

by Tiffany Walking Eagle | 7-minute read

Do you feel like you’re always flying through life by the seat of your pants, barely getting by? You’re always procrastinating, constantly forgetting things, and leaving things till the very last minute?

You’re not alone, friend. I’ve been the exact same way and it’s not till my mid-twenties that I’ve finally practiced not procrastinating so much.

It’s easy to feel like being organized is a natural-born tendency, and for some it is; however, just because it isn’t your normal tendency doesn’t mean it’s impossible for you.

That’s the beautiful thing about habits: habits can be learned and practiced.

And let me say, there’s no shaming here. I ride the Hot Mess Express all the time, and there’s something to be said for those of us who do! We’re often resourceful, innovative people because we’ve had to be to get by. Strangely enough, I think there’s a type of chaotic efficiency we’ve developed to get through life.

However...

If we’re honest with ourselves, our level of disorganization is often a major stressor in our lives, and we could vastly reduce our stress levels with just a little bit of effort and planning.

So let’s get off the Hot Mess Express (once in a while) and work on being just a little more organized for our sanity’s sake

1. Quit relying on your memory. Write it down!

How many times have you thought of something and told yourself “Oh, I’ll remember that,” and then hours later you’re kicking yourself because you completely spaced it?

Whether it’s a creative idea, an appointment, a bill you need to pay, a password, or a deadline, stop trusting your memory! You’re just adding stress to your life. Scribbling something down on a sticky note or putting it into your phone calendar only takes a few seconds. Practice doing that.

2. Take 10 minutes every day to pick things up.

Do it. It’s just ten minutes. Put on your favorite music if you have to. Just taking that little bit of time to pick up your workspace or home will do way more for your sanity than you think!

3. Testicles, spectacles, wallet, and watch.

Practice TSWW. I learned this one from my husband (I think it's an Austin Powers reference?), and while I don’t possess the first item on that list, I still find the catchy phrase helpful! Your actual list might look more like phone, keys, purse, and ID, etc., but your brain remembers silly things, so practice thinking of this phrase before you leave places to make sure you’ve got everything you need.

4. Work on being more aware and conscious.

Have you ever rushed to get ready, dashed out of your house, and then as you’re driving to wherever you need to be, you think to yourself Did I leave my curling iron on? or Wait, did I lock the door? 99 percent of the time you did turn off your curling iron and you did lock the door, but you can’t help worrying that your house will be burned down when you get home or maybe an intruder will be waiting for you since you may have left the door unlocked.

Sometimes the worry is so bad, you’ll turn around to double-check.

These are activities that become second nature, which isn’t necessarily bad, except for the stress we cause ourselves when it’s so second nature that you don’t remember doing it.

Soooo, take a second and next time you turn off your hair appliance (or whatever it is) and say the word “off” audibly to yourself. When you leave and lock the door, say “locked.” Practice doing that because then you’ll be able to think back to those cues and remember that you for sure actually did it.

5. Choose homes for things.

I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to set things down around my house or put things in random places when I’m cleaning up. Then, as soon as I need whatever item I hid from myself, I’m frantically rifling through it every drawer and shelf trying to find it. Can you relate?

Instead, try designating specific homes for things, even if it’s just a general area. Say, hooks for keys, or an entryway table with drawers that holds wallets, mail, paperwork, etc.

Organization doesn’t have to be complicated! If you just take a bit of time to designate certain things to specific places, and you’ll make your life much easier. Pro tip: let everyone else in your home in on your home system, so they can try to follow it too.

6. Quit taking on too much.

Are you a people pleaser or overachiever? You might have a tendency to take on way more than you can handle on a regular basis. Or, maybe you can handle it, but it is more difficult to do things well when you’re spread so thin.

Just because you can do all the things doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Are you sleeping well? Are you constantly stressed? Do you find yourself struggling to find the time to eat or care for yourself? If so, slowly but surely, work on taking things off your plate, and practice saying “no” more often when people ask you to do things.

7. Set timers for everything.

Do you always tend to forget things like changing over the laundry or taking frozen food items out to thaw? Timers and alarms are your best friend. Just like writing things down, timers and reminders are like insurance to help remove stress and save time.

Instead of putting it on yourself to remember that the laundry load is going to be done in 25 minutes, set an alarm right when you’re thinking about it so you don’t have to stress or kick yourself later for forgetting.

8. Work on awareness and foresight.

So often we tend to make the same mistakes over and over again because we tell ourselves we’ll be fine, but then in some way whether large or small, something gives and we’ve added unnecessary stress to our days.

Oh, it’ll be fine if I do this project the day before it’s due. I’ll just figure it out then.

I’ll pack in the morning before I leave for the airport because I don’t feel like doing it right now.

I’ll just pay that parking ticket later since it’s not due for a few weeks. I’m sure I’ll remember.

But then, your project ends up half-baked, you’re rushing around like a crazy person before your flight leaves, and you end up with late fees because, yet again, you didn’t remember to pay your parking ticket on time because your poor brain has a million other things to worry about!

The good news is, awareness and foresight aren’t just natural-born skills: they’re also habits you can build. So next time you start to get the urge to procrastinate, ask yourself honestly, “What happened last time I put this task off? Is this going to cause me more stress later?” And if the result was havoc and your answer is yes, get off your booty and do the thing.

It’s actually an important part of self care to learn how to do things that minimize stress in your life!

9. Get real and follow through.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but saying you’re going to do something and actually getting it done in reality are two very different things.

Want to know something frustrating, though?

Our brains often equate saying our plans and actually doing them, and our brains will also do their best to “preserve” us by convincing us we actually shouldn’t do what we said we would because it “might be dangerous!”

Whether it’s out of fear or laziness, our brains settle for our intentions while our hearts suffer for lack of action.

We tell ourselves we’ll be okay if we don’t chase after the things we want, but then we kick ourselves for settling.

Break the cycle. Get out of your head and stop settling for just intentions.

Did you enjoy this article and find it helpful? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading <3