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While we can all benefit from some form of spring cleaning in our lives, we've got to remember that it's about making sure that being organized is the solid foundation. The fact is that when we are all feeling like we've got to get a better structure because life is getting on top of us, the reality is that we just need a simple set of rules to make life simpler. With this in mind, what are some of the best rules to ensure that you can organize your life that will make life simpler? 

Declutter and Simplify

It is so difficult to feel organized when everything is flying around in a shambles. This is why we need to find the opportunities to make space. We're not just talking about physically, but mentally, and even digitally. When you have a lot of emails or you need to actually organize your computer there are plenty of apps out there that can give you that much-needed support. For example, HoudahSpot can help you find hard-to-reach files on your desktop. But the trick is not just about decluttering on occasions where we need to but actually bringing this into our lives as a regular habit. Cleaning out your closet every few months means you can find the clothes that you actually wear in everyday life, and auditing your emails and calendars to archive old messages are all great things to keep everything simple. 

Building a Routine Around the Right Habits

We all have habits that have stayed in our lives over the years. The trick is to weed out the good habits and get rid of the bad ones. We've all got into the habit of watching television but is it something that's beneficial or lives if we do it more, especially if we do it to the extent that our sleep suffers? On the topic of sleep, of course, sleeping 8 hours every night is key to you feeling better in yourself. There are other habits that are so important, for example, making time for your loved ones and setting the boundaries between your work and your life. These good habits will set us up for long-term success. But it's also looking at the bad habits that take up our time and our happiness. Once you have the right habits, remember that it can take time for them all to embed. When you have really good habits, you can piece them together into strong routines that will stick. 

The Benefits of Planning Ahead

Life is always going to have a variety of twists that can derail us, but this means that rather than leaving everything to chance, ensuring that we plan ahead for most eventualities is going to make us feel less stressed. When you plan your days and weeks you've got the structure to add to your life. You can then start to put things into your calendar of choice. The fact is that when you start to plan ahead, you're not leaving anything to chance because you know where everything is. 

No doubt you have woken up in the middle of the night because you completely forgot about something that was so important. So, rather than having these middle-of-the-night anxieties, plan and schedule everything, even the small things. Because we have to remember the little things always add up. These include cleaning and laundry. And yes, we may feel that our life is too precious to be on a schedule all the time, but if you can schedule your life between Monday to Friday and get everything that needs completing done by Friday evening, the weekend is yours! You have to remember that you actually have more time than you think you do, just as long as you start time blocking your day appropriately.

Prioritize

We can structure our lives, but if we don't prioritize the things that make us happier in the long run then we could be running backward. Prioritization is the most vital tool to keeping your life organized. Because, very simply, we cannot do it all. Therefore, prioritizing what is important is the best approach. Because when you start to remove the things that don't serve your most vital goals, you can give your focus to the things that really matter. But what are the things that you need to prioritize and deprioritize? The answers can be relatively simple. 

You should prioritize the things that help you achieve your goal, help you to learn and grow, and also are the things that make you happy. The things that take away from your goals or the things that make you unhappy as well as the opportunities you have encountered previously are all things that are not important. You need to know what your most important task is every single day and prioritize that. If you have a strong sense of what is important and what is not, you are going to make better decisions about where to focus your energy. Therefore, you would feel like you've accomplished something at the end of your day. 

Measure Your Progress 

Whatever the size of your goals are, it is so important to measure progress. Because when you know what is working and what isn't, you can start to get rid of the things that matter and focus on the things that are benefiting you. And you need to do this in a very businesslike fashion. Having regular reviews where you reflect on the last week and look at what has and has not worked, as well as implementing a better structure to reach your objectives, can help infinitely. 

Sometimes we've got to take the reins more. And if you feel like everything is getting away from you or you're always chasing your tail, organizing your life is going to be the biggest eye-opener of all. Once you organize your life, you've got a framework that will take you very far during your daily life, but very far in your life.