5 Super Simple Tools I Use to stay Organized

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When my older sister (Hi, Beth!) and I were younger, we used to discuss this idea we called “The pendulum theory.” (P.S. Someday we’re going to trademark that phrase because it’s legit! 😉)

The theory centered around this idea that sometimes people have a tendency to swing from one extreme to the other without finding a happy middle ground.

I tell you this because in the past, I’ve looked up tools to stay organized on Pinterest, and I was shocked at the amount of overwhelming information. There’s “33 worksheets to keep you organized” and “15 hacks to schedule your day” and “120 apps to keep you on track.” (Ok, the last one may have been an exaggeration, but you get my point. Information. Overload.)

It’s so much overload in fact, it makes us not want to create a plan or find tools to stay organized at all, right? It’s either an overload of info or we’re doing nothing. (PENDULUM THEORY.)

Lucky for you, I’m the “middle ground” queen. So, no, we’re not going to spend the next 10 hours getting every nook and cranny of your life organized. BUT, I do think you need some sort of plan, sister, or you’ll be dealing with overwhelm or burn out, and I’d venture to say that you already are if you’re reading this post.

So, today I’m sharing just 5 super simple tools I use to stay organized, in the hopes that it inspires you to come up with a plan and find some tools to use, too. Please feel free to steal mine. 🙂 Here we go!

1. Erin Condren planners and notebooks.

The first thing I need to tell you is that I am a paper planner girl. I just am. I tried to keep everything electronic (and I still use a few electronic tools that I’ll get into later!), but WHERE is there room for doodling and random to do’s on an electronic calendar?

Give me all the paper and all the pretty pens, please.

So, knowing this about myself, I take finding the perfect yearly, paper planner very seriously. The amount of time I’ve spent to find the perfect one every December is probably equal to YEARS of my life. I’ve searched Target isles, scoured Amazon, and Googled reviews. To say I’m a little particular about picking a planner I’m going to have to look at every single day for the next full calendar year would be an understatement.

About two years ago, I stumbled upon the best website and company I’ve found to date for all our paper planner needs –> Erin Condren!

You guys, if you’re a paper planner gal like me, this site has got you covered. They have oodles of designs to choose from, and planners in all different areas – Wedding, academic, teacher planners, meal prepping, budgeting, you name it.

I’m a huge fan of their Life Planner, which has 3 different layouts you can choose from. Plus, you can design the cover specifically for you by putting your name on it, or even changing the color of the coil on the side. Here’s my most recent one:

I’ve also invested in their notebooks, which are just quality products in my opinion. The paper’s thick and durable, the cover designs are adorable, and there’s plenty of room for doodling. 🙂

I’ll quit rambling on and on about these products, but the point is, this company makes planning simple, easy, and super fun (with stickers and colored pens, no less)!

For more info on their planners, you can check them out here.

2. Priority Planner from The Hollis Co.

Above, we talked about the traditional paper planner to meet all your scheduling (and doodling) needs. Next, I want to touch on a more in depth planner that I just started using this year – The Priority Planner from the Hollis Co.!

First of all, if you know me at all, then you know I’m going to give anything a try that Rachel Hollis has created. And let me tell you, this planner does not disappoint!

However, I will caution you that this is not your traditional planner. This is more of a “planning tool” I would say. It’s only designed for 3 months at a time and you must fill in the dates yourself as you go along (which is great in that you can pick one of these up at any time and get going, but not great if you’re looking for something already showing the dates and holidays, etc.). The main goal with this planner is to get you to be intentional with your time and achieving goals you’ve set for yourself.

The planner starts out with an overall 3 month goal, and then everything is broken down into weekly and daily chunks from there. Every week there’s a review you can fill out, which is perfect for determining what’s working, and what’s not when it comes to achieving your goals.

So, if you want to take a deeper dive and be more intentional with your time and your planning, then this planner is totally for you. The best part? They’re available at Target, so you can order online or grab one the next time you’re on a #TargetRun.

3. Shared Google Calendar with the Hubs.

Remember how I said I don’t like electronic calendars? Well I’m making an exception on this one.

A few years ago, Cory and I bought a huge desk calendar and hung it on the wall, and it was our intention to use it for all things family planning. It worked for a while, but then we added to the family and started slipping more and more when it came to writing down ALL THE THINGS. Plus it became cumbersome to plan out in advance and see anything more than the month you were in.

So about a year ago, we decided to make the switch from the giant wall calendar (and color coded pens) to a shared Google calendar for family events and appointments. I don’t want to be dramatic, but y’all, it’s been life changing.

We can both add to the calendar at any time and see what the other one of us has planned. If I’m keeping my own planner, and Cory’s keeping his own planner, it’s a heck of a lot harder to stay on top of every school event, Dr. appointment, and meeting as a family of 5. This way we can see anything and everything and it’s easy to scroll ahead and plan further in advance. (Plus we can still color code, which makes my creative heart very happy.)

So, to summarize on the first 3 tools I use to stay organized: The shared Google calendar is my tool for all things appointments and scheduling, and my daily paper planner is my tool for day to day notes, to do’s, and organization. Now we’re going to move on to a couple tools I use on my phone.

4. Notes App on my iPhone or laptop.

I know, I know. I keep talking about how I’m such a “paper and pen” girl and yet here I am discussing another electronic tool that I use to help keep me organized. But here’s the beauty of the Notes app on Apple products: It’s with you everywhere.

The notes app is easy to access on my iPhone, and when I sit down at my computer, I can pull up the same synced list of notes right on my laptop.

I keep a lot of random things in this app. I have a note for menu planning, a note for random passwords I might not remember (no one hack into this please), and a note for blog post ideas that pop into my head at random times throughout my day.

The biggest win for this app is that it’s a super easy way to voice text or type out anything I’m thinking of when I’m on the go and I don’t have another way to write it down. It’s kind of like a grown up version of sticky notes.

5. siri reminders.

There’s one important thing you should know about me (and those that work with me already know this): If I don’t write it down, I won’t remember it. Doesn’t matter what “it” is.

Weddings, birthdays, appointments, random school events, bringing an extra item to work that I wouldn’t normally grab. Friend, if I don’t have a written reminder somewhere of what’s going on, I will miss it. Every. Single. Time.

Because of this, I have gotten really used to telling Siri to remind me of things on a certain date and time. I especially love this trick when I need to remember to grab something in the morning for the kids before school. And if you could only imagine the amount of times I’ve said, “Siri, remind me to grab diapers for Brooks tomorrow morning at 7am.” 😂

You may be laughing at the simplicity of this tip, but let me just tell you, this has helped me stay extremely organized! If you see me out and about, it might look like I don’t forget anything, but really, I’m just setting reminders. 10 out of 10 times, I’ll have forgotten all about the bake sale at school until my phone chimes.

Do not underestimate the power of Siri when you’re thinking about using tools to stay organized. 😉

Bonus tip: I quit writing down more than three things on a to do list.

You’re right, this is not a tool or a special app or product. This is just me reminding you that regardless of the tool or planner you use, you’re still going to feel overwhelmed if you don’t cut back on your expectations of what you can do in a day’s time.

I have an hour long lunch break from work each day, and I used to make a list of 6 or 7 things I thought I could tackle in that hour. Surprise, surprise, I’d end up not getting the list done, then heading back to work feeling frazzled and frustrated. I’d spend my whole “break” rushing around like a crazy person and looking back now, I can see I was just being dumb.

Listen, the “to do’s” will always be there. Always. We can always find time to squeeze in oooooone last thing quick before we go back to work, head to bed, get the kids to school, etc. But, take it from me and the lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way, CUT BACK ON THE TO DO’S.

Let yourself slow the heck down and breathe for a second. Not every moment of every day needs to be planned. It’s ok to just let some things go.

Wrapping up.

Friend, I hope this list of tools I use to stay organized has helped you in some way. I just fully believe that being organized doesn’t have to mean a ton of work. New apps, 6 notebooks, and 3 separate family calendars totally aren’t necessary.

The most important thing is to find a system that works for you. Even if that means you don’t use a single tip I listed above as tools to stay organized! All I care about is that you’re making your life simpler, easier, and less complicated so you have more time for the things that count.

**OVER TO YOU: What was the tool that resonated with you the most? Or what tools do you use that help you stay organized? Let’s start a conversation in the comments below!