If we're going to get advice on how to be the most organised versions of ourselves, we're going to ask someone who has made a living out of goal setting, getting through your to-do list and feeling like you're on top of life's admin, founder of An Organised Life, Beck Wadworth.
Known as the must have minimalist diary that looks chic at any meeting, An Organised Life stationery not only looks the part, but is packed full of the functionality you need to get the job done.
We take the opportunity to chat to the most organised personal we know, Beck Wadworth, and get her organisational tips and habits to help us organise our lives from our overflowing inbox to life admin.
Get your notebook ready, you're going to want to write these down.
INBOX
What’s your approach to keeping your inbox in order? Do you have a filing system, do you delete and save all necessary attachments elsewhere? Tell us your secrets on how to have an organised inbox!
I actually like to keep my email organisation pretty simple. Below is my strategy.
1. I always write really clear subject headings so that when I search my emails to find something down the track I can find it with ease.
2. I’m really big on keeping all communication about one topic or project in one email thread.
3. When it comes to my inbox I keep it simple and organise it by Read and Unread. Anything I need to reply to I keep marked as unread until it's completed and anything that's completed and no longer needed I archive.
4. I also try and do an email declutter at least once a year where I go through and unsubscribe from any company emails that are no longer relevant to me so my inbox doesn’t get clogged up.
LIFE ADMIN
Insurance, car registration, tax, rent, doctors appointments - how do we take the stress out of juggling the boring things?
My biggest tip is to do an ‘admin’ day ideally every quarter. Allocate a few hours and power through everything, from booking your next hair appointment to your annual dentist, doctor or skin check up. Spread them out over the following 3-6 months so it's not so much pressure time or money wise.
While you’re at it, check your passport, car registration and any other bits and pieces that might need renewing and write down in your diary what date these expire and a reminder to renew them prior to this date.
And if you want to take it one step further - look over all your bills. Are there any that you haven’t set up an automatic payment for? Or maybe you could call around your providers and see if they have any new plans you could move to that will save you money. It’s also a good time to look and see if there are any subscriptions you no longer need too.
KEEPING ON TOP OF RELATIONSHIPS
We want to be those people that have birthday presents organised well in advance, send flowers and notes on special anniversaries. Whats your system to making sure you’re always on top of the little things that make the people you love the most feel remembered and important.
Utilise your diary for this, make sure you jot down all the key dates in your yearly and monthly calendars and check this at the beginning of each month! I also like to allocate a ‘gifting’ spend in my budget, there’s certain times in the year either around Christmas or even some months where you will find you have a lot of birthdays all at once and that can become overwhelming - if you pop aside a little bit of money each week throughout the year, it can really ease the overwhelm of going out for anniversary/birthday dinners or travelling to see loved ones for special occasions.
WORK DAY
How do you prioritise your work day and make sure you're spending your time on the most important tasks, and getting them done.
Creating a balance between business and wellness for me comes from understanding your peak productivity times. Personally I don't believe that you should push yourself to work 9-5pm if those hours aren’t working to your strengths. As long as you're getting your work done to a high standard, you shouldn’t be restricted to certain hours. Make the most of your own productive time blocks and take those little reset breaks when you need them (and even when you think you don’t). You'll notice the benefits and more than often, naturally you’ll end up feeling motivated, creative and productive when you are in work mode.
1. MOVE: I always make sure I move my body each day - even just a 15min walk with my puppy and baby girl Isabella, or a reformer pilates class.
2. NOURISH: Nourishing your body is so important, I always plan my meals in advance (even just the night before) so that I stay hydrated and fueled for the day.
3. TIME BLOCK: The first thing I do when I sit down at my desk in the morning is look over my to-do list for the day and my emails. From there I prioritise my to-do lists with my x3 MIT’s (most important tasks) and time block my day. This has become even more relevant to me since having a baby with limited time!
4. PREP & ORGANISE: Prep and Planning is key to living an organised life! I always allocate the last 30 mins of my day to prep and organise everything for the following day. Firstly I check my diary and plan out my schedule and to-do list for the following day, I set any alarms or reminders needed and prep anything else required. Finally, before I switch off for the evening, I always clean up my desk and ensure the space is organised. There is nothing worse than starting your day in a messy space. A clean space = a clear mind.
WARDROBE
How do you organise your wardrobe? From coat hanger choice, category or colour, folding system, what habits have you fallen into that make your wardrobe an enjoyable space thats works for you.
I organise my wardrobe by season and anything I won't be wearing is cleaned and stored away in airtight bags or boxes. I like to sort my wardrobe by category and then separate it by colour - e.g white, beige, navy and black colours.
One of my favourite wardrobe tips is to also plan outfits the night before (or even a full week on a Sunday) which will save you a lot of stress and time! I check the weather for the following day (or week ahead) and plan out looks around the temperature; this is especially helpful if I have meetings, appointments, events or just a social catch-up. Every evening during the week get your outfit out, make sure it's ironed and ready to go at the front of your wardrobe. It will make your morning routine a lot faster!
A TIDY HOME
There is nothing better than a tidy home, where everything has a place and you can do a whip around in 10 minutes or less and everything is back to where it should be. How do you keep your home under control?
It’s all about finding storage solutions that work for you and creating a system you can maintain and keep organised. Personally I hate clutter and am a minimalist when it comes to what I physically store.
I definitely like to give everything a place and do a whip around the house before I go to bed to make sure everything is back in order. I utilise buffet tables and cupboards for key storage solutions.
In the morning when I put Isabella down for her nap I do a quick clean - I vacuum, fluff up the bed and couch cushions, put on the washing and empty the dishwasher. I’m very speedy and after I’ve completed this routine I can get stuck into my day with my morning coffee. I leave the bigger tasks like bathrooms etc. to Friday so I can go into the weekend with a fresh and clean home.
TRAVELLING
From preparing the trip to packing the suitcase, what are your top tips to a seamlessly organised trip?
PLAN YOUR ITINERARY: First things first, planning as much as you possibly can before you leave will mean you can enjoy making memories once you’re there without the stress. I always book accommodation and any travel needed prior and write a detailed itinerary.
THINK ABOUT THE SMALL DETAILS: It's important to pay attention to the little details before you go and keep everything organised in one place. For example when I’m moving from place to place I always need to make sure the smaller things line up. For example: have I allowed enough time to get through customs in a foreign country? Have I checked the baggage allowance is the same on all my flights? Have I noted down what time check-in closes in case it differs to other airlines? Although these all seem like tiny details - sometimes they can cause major stress when travelling. My tip is to take the time to go through all your plans with a fine tooth comb and write everything down in your planner.
KNOW YOUR BUDGET: Don’t be too prescriptive about your budget; it’s more important to have leeway than to be the person saying no to dessert but DO have an idea of what you have to work with and what your daily spending can be. If you can, I suggest speaking to friends or loved ones who may have travelled to the same places to gauge an idea of possible spending budget. Pre-book big items like flights, accommodation, events or pre-payable experiences in advance. As many things you can pre-pay as possible will just mean your money can be spent enjoying your holiday while you’re on it.
MUM MODE
As a new mum, what have been your favourite products or tools to feeling organised with your little one?
As I write this I’m 2 months into motherhood and every day is different. From a work perspective I’ve learnt to work smarter not harder and the key to that has been to prioritise my 3 MIT’s each day (most important tasks). Having a newborn means each day can be unpredictable so when I do get a break to do some work I can revert back to my MIT’s in my diary and make sure I focus on those first and foremost. I never put pressure on myself to get through anything else as my beautiful baby girl is always the priority - but if I do manage to get through more work than expected, it’s a bonus.
Organising my meals has also been a biggy. I don’t have time on my side anymore so meal prep has been hugely beneficial to ensure I’m nourishing my body. I have been opting for fast but healthy options including soups, wraps, muesli bars, fruit etc and have also signed up to WOOP for our meals during the week. It saves so much time and is so nice for variety.
And finally, creating a loose structure to my days has been a great tool for me personally with my little one. I’ve loved time blocking to make the most of her naps and awake times. From walking to our local cafe to get a morning coffee to bath time with our favourite playlist and powering through chores or work when she sleeps - having a loose structure has been so nice.
Over and above all though - my biggest tool has been learning to surrender and to not be hard on myself if I don’t get any work done or don’t get time to do the chores. She is now my top priority and that’s all that matters.
