Arrivals and Departures: Your Gateway to More Order

ⓒ kikkerdirk from Getty Images via canva.com

If you've resolved to get more organized in 2021, I've got great news...it's easier than you think! Orderly living is achieved by simply adopting a few good habits and sticking with them over time. Today we’re kicking off the Good Habits Challenge here at EasyPeasy Living. I’ll be introducing the first four key habits of organized people in this blog during the month of January, but it’s not too late to join the official challenge and discover all ten. Plus, those who join get some free helpful tools to promote success in establishing and sticking with any new habit. 

New Habit #1: Unpack Upon Arrival. In other words, put away your keys, phone, purse/backpack/wallet, and coat in the same spot the very minute you come in the door. 

Why? It saves you time and frustration the next time you depart your home, and it establishes a sense of confidence and control because you'll know just where to find what you need. No more searching for your essentials when you're rushing to get out the door, and no more worrying about misplacing your primary means of communication, funding and escape!

How? Establish a "landing pad" somewhere near the front door, aka your arrival/departure gate. If your home is in chaos, this is the ideal starting place for creating homes for each of your belongings. 

Keep a spring-loaded clothespin attached to the neck of your coat hanger to quickly clip your jacket closed and prevent it from falling off without having to mess around with that pesky zipper. No coat closet? No problem. Hooks are actually the simplest and easiest ways to hang things up quickly with minimal effort while allowing you to capitalize on your vertical space. Don't overlook the prime real estate on the backs of doors and cabinets, or put a coat stand in the corner for lots of hanging space with a small footprint. Designate a spot for your phone and wallet too. A shoe basket or boot tray near the door is also helpful. And don’t forget a home for your masks. (We keep a basket of clean, reusable masks on the entry table that I refer to as the “masket”.) The main point is to always put things away in the same spot and as soon as you enter the house...before you do anything else. You’ll be glad you did the next time you need a quick and clean getaway!

Alternative Option
If you’ve already mastered Habit #1, well done! Can you always find these commonly-misplaced items? If not, focus this week on establishing a home for each one and making it a habit to put them away there immediately after using them...every time!

• earbuds
• chargers (label what they are for)
• remotes
• tape/scissors/glue
• gift-wrapping supplies
• flashlights
• batteries
• extension cords
• stamps
• checkbook

General tips for adopting new habits
The hardest part about establishing any new habit is remembering to do it and staying consistent long enough for it to become second-nature. Here are a few tips to help you with that:

• Create reminders for yourself until the new habit becomes automatic. This can take the form of posted signs in strategic locations, reminders on your calendar or To-Do list, electronic alerts using your favorite device (Siri and Alexa are my new faves), or tying the new task to a trigger...an already-established habit such as taking your medication or feeding the cat. Better still, use a combination of them all!
• Plan your strategy. When will you complete the task each day? What will your trigger/s be? How much time should you allow? Do you need to do any preparation in order to implement this, such as hanging hooks for your keys or buying a new calendar?
• Get other members of the household on board. The results will be far more effective if everyone in your home is adopting this new habit together and holding each other accountable. It is never too early (or too late) to teach your kids the skills they need to become organized adults. Bribe them, if necessary, to get started. Hopefully everyone will realize the benefits and want to keep going. 
• Speaking of benefits, sometimes it helps to keep in front of you a reminder of what’s in it for you to go to the effort of establishing this new habit. Write it down and post it in a central spot or with your reminder so you’ll be less likely to just blow it off.
• Stay committed but don't beat yourself up if you miss a day. Just get back on track as soon as you can. Imperfect progress is still progress.
• Use the Good Habits Success Planner that was sent to you when you joined the Good Habits Challenge (or join now to receive one)

​Share your success stories, tips and struggles at valerie@easypeasyliving, and stay tuned next Monday to learn the details on Habit #2.

You’ve got this!

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