5 Ways To Stay on Top of all the Little Things

I love organization; I won’t even try to hide it, I’m a freak who thrives on things like that.

I really try to hold myself accountable for remembering every one of my family members’ and friends’ birthdays, as well as to ask about that person’s work situation that was sticky the last time we chatted, or how that one friend’s trip to Asheville went, how a friend’s sister’s wedding planning is going, and so on.

It’s a lot to keep track of, let alone while staying on top of all the things in my own life at the same time.

And let’s be honest, there are things that definitely slip through the cracks. Sometimes it feels like the whole thing is about to go up in flames.

BUT there are ways to make life a little bit easier and I use them all the time to keep me on the right track.

Best part is: they’re so simple.

Here’s my quick guide to staying on top of all those little things in your life as well as those you care about, so that people will find you super thoughtful (shh, you don’t need to tell them our secrets; just accept the compliment and thank me later).

1. Best advice I have: Put that iphone calendar to use (or a real-life paper-and-pen dinosaur calendar; yes they still exist and what’s more, you may be able to be reminded of the events even more than with that trusty phone calendar if you strategically place it somewhere that you spend a lot of time)!
   
   
   
   
   The best part about a smartphone calendar over an old-fashioned one is that you can set the events to repeat however often you want them to (ahem, such as every year for birthdays, anniversaries, important family events, etc).
   
   You can even have the calendar set to remind you at some point in advance of the event.
   
   
   
   
   I have birthdays set to repeat yearly (duh, easy), but I also have them set to remind me about 2 weeks before the actual day so that I can start contemplating a gift to get them, or to remember to look for and send a card in the mail.
   
   And for those people in your life who may not be as well-equipped to set up a calendar for themselves and utilize it to the best of its capabilities, there’s the life-saver option of sharing a calendar from one iphone to another.
   
   
   
   
   My husband (bless his heart) tried his best for years to keep track of all of his events and meetings without the help of any device or calendar.
   
   He did pretty well, but inevitably there would be something that he double-booked, or something he forgot about and I would give him that “please be reasonable and admit that I'm right” look.
   
   Since sharing a calendar with him, he’s been on top of his game.
   
   
   
   
   And the best part is, he’s able to add, delete, or change any event in the calendar as well and it changes for both of us.
   
   We’re not there yet, but I feel like this will be a total lifesaver when you have kids to keep tabs on.
   
   Added bonus: the other person gets a notification when something is added, edited, or deleted from the calendar. Brilliant!
   
   
   
   
   
2. To-do lists: the savior of millions of minutes a day (okay, not millions, but let’s be real, we waste a LOT of time during a normal day).
   
   One of the first things I do on a normal day is make a to-do list for all I would like to get done that day.
   
   Some things may be lower priority than others (we’ll talk about this in the next item), but it’s always good to have them written down just in case you are able to get through the more pertinent things faster than expected.
   
   
   
   
   I also like to include things such as work out and make dinner, even though they are obvious, just so that I keep them in mind when I get to the planning portion.
   
   I know of some people who start their list with “make list” so that they can always cross off at least one thing and start their day with success. I find this kind of silly, but there is something pretty special about crossing things off after you’ve completed them, so I’ll at least agree with that!
   
   
3. Make a plan and prioritize. What’s important and what’s not at the moment? Take the to-do list you’ve made and prioritize what HAS to happen today for you to be happy. I actually number my list in terms of priority.
   
   
   
   
   Next get a general idea (either in your head or actually written down on the paper) of when it would work the best with your schedule to accomplish each of the items.
   
   The only caveat after this is that your day can still fall apart with unexpected incidents or if something takes way longer than expected, and that’s where you have to make sure you’re honest in your assessment about how long it will take to accomplish each task.
   
   Once you get the ideal layout of your day, making it happen will be that much more tangible.
   
   
   
   
   Make sure to leave room for error and don’t be too hard on yourself.
   
   It takes a long time to be good at this jigsaw puzzle of tasks, and even when you’re really good at it, some things are still out of your control. Be gracious with yourself.
   
   
4. The choice between “open-ended” task and "concrete" task; choose concrete. This may not apply for everyone, but I know that for schoolwork, this is a major key to my success (and lack of stress when push-comes-to-shove towards the end of a semester when all the deadlines are staring me in the face).
   
   
   
   
   For example: when choosing between, studying for the exam you have in 2 weeks, enjoying your freedom for the time being, and working on a project that is due in 1.5 months. I always choose to do the project now, then study, then relax and enjoy time off.
   
   It may seem counter intuitive to focus your time and efforts on something that is not vital to your success TODAY, but let me tell you, I have always been one to do assignments with a hard endpoint (a project/paper) rather than those that are inconclusive (studying).
   
   As long as you are still far enough in advance of an exam, the paper or project is a way better use of your time.
   
   You’ll feel so elated and stress-free later on when other students are bogged down with everything that inevitably seems to hit you all-at-once in the late part of a semester.
   
   
   
   
   Plus you’ll still have adequate time to study for that exam after you finish (or at least get a good head-start on) that paper/project.
   
   
5. Meal planning for grocery shopping. This one may seem obvious, but planning meals will save you time, money, and also health when you do it intentionally!
   
   
   
   
   Spending half an hour going through your recipe book, picking out healthy and delicious meals for the week will keep you from wandering aimlessly around your kitchen trying to magically whip a list of random ingredients into a dish (wasting time), and will inevitably allow you to make something more nutritious than you would have without planning (we know all the quick and easy things in your kitchen are not most nutrient-dense).
   
   
   
   
   Also, having the ingredients for specific meals set aside ahead of time will keep you from making inefficient trips to the store for that one ingredient you forgot, as well as keeping your wallet happy by not buying superfluous items at the store when you do go.
   
   Health, happiness, and extra cash; sounds like a good deal to me!

Well, there you have it; my 5 quick tips to help you stay on top of most of the little things that come up and hinder our daily lives.

I know a lot of that was neurotic, so you’re the real MVP if you lasted through this post.

What did you think of my suggestions? How do you stay organized and on top of all the small things in life?

Let me know in the comments section.