Organization Hacks: 3 Key Ways to Keep Your Life Together

I am an organized person. Type A, possibly a little OCD. This has been a blessing and a curse in my life. It has led to great lessons and systems in my life. It has also led at times to over-planning and becoming overwhelmed. Today, I thought I would share a couple of the lessons and systems that have kept our family moving ahead. 

1. Get a good planner. For the last couple of years, I have grabbed the same planner from Walmart. It has so many blank pages, from a main calendar, to weekly planning space, both for meals, to do's and school planning. It is flexible and can be used for so many different situations and lifestyles. Yes, I use a paper calendar. I also have Google Calendar and use it as well. I keep both. I tried a few years ago to go paperless. I just couldn't do it. There is something about a paper and pen, something about physically checking off the boxes that helps my forward progress. I know it is 2019 and most people have ditched their planner, but I just find it helpful to have all my things in one place. 
2. Don't wait until the last minute. I tend to plan in seasons. At the beginning of a new season, I buy all of the birthday gifts for the upcoming months. I keep record of this in the front of my calendar so that I know what I have already purchased. I also look forward to any large purchases that may need to be made. I use this as an opportunity to update goals and dreams and plan next steps for those. I discuss any plans or adjustments with my husband to make sure we stay on the same page. Summer and Fall planning also includes holiday planning including the purchasing of Christmas gifts, ordering of cards and party planning. Winter and Spring plans include school planning for the following year. 
3. Staying prepared. People tease me about both my car kit and the kit I keep in my purse. They also end up coming to me first because they know I may have the item that they need. These items allow me to feel confident moving through life and my day to day knowing that I have done all that I can to allow things to run smoothly. These kits have rescued me SO many times. Staying prepared also extends to finances. We follow the Dave Ramsey plan and try to maintain an emergency plan as well as strategic goals in order to be financially prepared for the unexpected.