Real-Life Tips for Staying Organized in 2025

These are some of the tips for staying organized that I gathered when I started looking into organization and making the most of it. I think all of these are good starting points, but I plan to write much more about each of them as I think they are super important.

I may not be a pro and have a degree as a master organizer, but I know I love reading what other people have tested out, found interesting and decided to share. If you’re just starting or you want to refresh your routines to stay focused, I hope I’ll give you some ideas and mention something you haven’t already tried.

Why Organization Matters 

You don’t have to be a “planner” to see why organizing can make life easier. You don’t have to use color coded schedules or fancy tools, the point is finding simple ways to stay on top of things so you can spend more time doing what you enjoy. I want to share the best ways to stay organized that free up more time, without the stress or overwhelm.

How to Be More Organized

I’ve found that keeping a simple daily routine is the key to not getting overwhelmed. Let’s face it, our day is already so packed with coffee dates, errands, Netflix time, not to mention working for 8h (why do we have to do it?!). Jokes aside, having a simple routine is something that I find works for me.
Here are some easy ways you can also keep your days on track:

Create a Daily Checklist

I’m trying to keep my days as simple as possible, but my brain sometimes works like a Japanese train, and I cannot stop the ideas from flooding in, it’s so fast. I think it has something to do with our hormones, but I have not tested that theory yet. Anyway, that’s why I love having a daily checklist around. For me, daily checklists are one of the best lists to make to organize your life, because you stay focused on the ‘now’ and don’t get distracted by random things.

Time Blocking

I have a special relationship with time blocking – sometimes I like it, sometimes I don’t. For example, I’m not the kind of person that can time block their entire day, nope. But using it for organizing how I will spend the time after work, that’s a good option for me. Knowing there’s a set time for certain tasks has taught me how to become more productive because we all have very limited time when we come home from work. In my experience, if I time block a few tasks, I’ll 99% do them, because then I know I got all my goals checked and I can relax.

I say give it a try. Maybe start by blocking a few hours a day, in the morning or evening, depending on when you work or have errands to run. If it works for you, try doing it for the whole day, if not, you can always stick to just blocking a period of time.

“Brain Dump” Sessions

I like to do a brain dump whenever I feel like I have too much on my mind. It’s as simple as sitting down with a notebook and writing out everything from big to-dos to tiny worries. It makes organizing tasks so much easier because I can see everything in front of me and decide what’s important. It’s one of my favorite creative ways to organize my thoughts and tasks.

Building Routines That Stick

Here’s how I make routines that don’t feel like a chore:

• Start Small: Instead of creating a super detailed routine all at once, start with just one small habit, like a morning coffee and planning session.
• Add Something You Love: Pairing a task with something you look forward to (like listening to a favorite podcast) can make it feel less like work. This is a strategy James Clear talks about in “Atomic Habits”, where he encourages pairing a habit you want to build with something enjoyable to make it more rewarding and sustainable.

If you haven’t, pick up a copy of his book. Or find an audible version. I read it back in 2020, but I still pick it up from time to time, so I always recommend it when someone asks about a book for helping you become organized. 

Quick Tips for Staying Organized Digitally

This topic is something I especially love to tweak and change frequently. I can only assume that we all keep like 95% of your stuff online, and then there’s also social media, emails, online news etc. Not to mention our phones, they can get just as cluttered as our desks. Here are some tips that helped me keep things neat online:

Email Management Tips

How many email subscriptions do you have? And how many of those you read? Exactly, same here. Oh, my specialty is joining a bunch of new newsletters when I want to learn more about some topic. Or when I want to switch careers, learn how to start making a sourdough, and all other ideas we usually get at 2AM, right?

So my tip of the day, unsubscribe from all those newsletters you never read. Mark one day of the week as the day for clearing out junk and organizing important emails into folders. This is what I try to do, usually on weekends. Or on a particularly busy day, when that’s about the only thing I have time to do to improve my organization.

Organizing Digital Files

My digital files were a mess until I started using a simple folder system. Now I have documents, folders for all my social media, folders with organized photos for the blog or socials, all my content that I make ahead. No more losing time searching for an Insta photo that was sitting inside a Pinterest folder all along!

Keeping My Phone Organized

I also organized my apps into specific folders (like “Social,” “Work,” and “Personal Stuff”) and I deleted the ones I never used. Btw, I wanted to separate my blog apps from my regular apps, so I remembered that my old phone didn’t completely die, it just needed a declutter and a reset. It may be broken, but I’m so happy that I know where all my blog related apps are and I don’t have to switch my accounts all the time!

Using Planners and Templates to Stay on Track

I created a few templates and printables I hope you’ll find helpful. Here’s what you can find on my blog:

• Weekly Planners
• Habit Trackers
• Goal-Setting Worksheets
• Calendars
• And many more

Keeping Up With It All (Without Burning Out)

It’s important to remember that planning and organization are tools to make life easier, not another thing to stress over. Some of my best lessons have been from times when I fell off track. Here’s what I’ve learned about getting back on:

• Setting Boundaries: Learning when to say NO can free up time for other important things.
• Taking Breaks: I’ll be honest, I’ve learned the hard way that taking breaks is essential for staying motivated.
• Finding Balance: I love being organized, but I also believe life needs some flexibility.

You can find a lot of studies on the internet these days about burnout, but I remember reading about the pros and cons of being organized on the Psychology Today website, and thinking, yes, being overly organized can be bad sometimes. And yes, it is fine not to have control over everything, every day.

What Type of Organizer Are You?

Before I wrap up, here’s a fun bonus to help you figure out what kind of systems might stick. Different brains like different setups, and this quick breakdown can point you toward tools that match how you already work.

Trait	Type A	Type B	Type C	Type D
Structure or freedom?	Structure	Freedom	Structure	Freedom
Digital or analog?	Digital	Analog	Hybrid	Analog
Plans far ahead?	✅	❌	✅	❌
Distracted easily?	❌	✅	✅	✅
Suggested system	Trello	Bullet Journal	Notion + planner	Visual Kanban Board

You can try the suggested system and let me know if I helped you make the right call!

Key Takeaways

I hope this page gives you a strong starting point for planning and simplifying life in a way that works for you. My goal here is to share real, useful tips for staying organized that make life feel easier. You’ll find links to helpful tools, templates, and detailed articles that cover everything from organizing your day-to-day tasks to tackling digital clutter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let me answer some the questions you might have: