Difficulty: Explorer (Level 1)
Organising can sound like a tiring chore. But all you need to do is add small, simple routines to your daily habits. You can turn a messy bedroom into a tidy one and feel much happier.
You don’t need to let a mess pile up. Instead, you can do small things every day to keep your space organised.
For example, you can make your bed every day and clean your desk before going to sleep. Spend just 10 minutes tidying your room every night.
Doing these quick, daily tasks stops the mess from becoming too much to handle.
When you add small, easy habits to your daily routine, you can also spend less energy making decisions. It also helps you save time.
Popsicle stick routine jar
Materials
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two clean jars or cups
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a pack of popsicle sticks
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permanent markers and coloured pens
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labels or stickers
Instructions
1. Label the first jar “To Do” and the second jar “Done”.
2. Write down a list of the small, quick tasks you want to complete every night to keep your room neat. For example, fold clothes and clear the desk.
3. Write each task on its own popsicle stick using a permanent marker. Place all the sticks into the “To Do” jar.
4. Every night, 10 minutes before bedtime, pull one popsicle stick out of the “To Do” jar. Complete only that specific task. Once the task is complete, drop the stick into the “Done” jar.
5. Grab the next stick until the “To Do” jar is completely empty.
6. The next morning, put all the sticks from the “Done” jar back into the “To Do” jar so you’re ready for the evening.
Three-folder system
Materials
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file folders that can hold A4 paper
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labels (sticky notes can also be used as labels)
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sticky notes
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a marker
Instructions
1. This storage system can be used to organise your past assignments, notes and exams for each subject. Add a label to each folder. Below it, add a sticky note.
2. On one label, write: “I’ll need it this month”. The next label should say: “I might need it later”. The third label should say: “I no longer need it (discard)”. You should recycle the work in this folder whenever you have the chance.
3. On the sticky notes, write: “This folder contains”. As you add things into the “this month” and “need it later” folders, write the title and date of your work on the sticky note.
4. Every month, look at the items in each folder and see if they need to be moved to a different one. This will also help you review previous assignments, notes and exams, keeping the information fresh in your mind.
5. If you remove assignments from the folders, update the sticky notes with what has been moved. Add more sticky notes as needed.
