Do you have a vision for an organised life?

Do you know exactly what you want when it comes to organising? What would be the definition for an organised life for you?

An organised life my definition

For me, an organised life would be one where I achieve a balance between "have-to-do’s," "important-to-do’s," "want-to-do’s," and "love-to-do’s," taking into account the realities of my life at this point in time.

Have to-do’s in an organised life

Whether we want to or not, we need some form of income, somewhere to sleep, and something to eat. There are many ways to earn an income, and accommodation can range from a small house to a big house or even a tent, each with its pros and cons. Feeding yourself is non-negotiable—life quickly loses its joy without money, a place to sleep, and food to eat.

Accommodation needs with an organised life

Depending on your bigger vision for your life and the situation you find yourself in you can make very deliberate decisions about the have to’s of an organised life. If you are young and single why not live in a small house, a van or a shared house to keep cost down. Or maybe you want to invest early and have your own space. If you are a little bit further down the track and have children maybe your location is more important, and the size of the house needs to increase. If you are flexible about your needs and wants at different points in your life you can be very organised and cost effective in this area of income, housing and food.

An organised life and meals

Regarding meals you can be deliberate about if you want to eat out or cook mainly at home. In both categories you can decide how much you want to spend. For years I loved eating out, but I mainly went out for breakfast which is more cost effective than dinners. Dinners are mainly eaten at home, as a vegetarian that loves soup this can be very cost effective as well. Now I need to feed a family of four the costs are very different and the decisions to eat in and out are as well. There is no right or wrong answer as long as you are deliberate about this part of your organised life.

Want to-do’s as part of an organised life

What is it that you want to do? And think about this in the context of years, seasons, five year plans or decades.
What is the focus of your next year, your next five years or the next decade. You can and should be deliberate about your strategic want to do’s in an organised life.

Do you want to focus on your studies, your career or your family? Maybe you want a combination of both and when the seasons of life change you can give more or less time to your career, studies or family.

An organised life is a deliberate life, clearly you can change these plans, tweak them and completely change your mind but going through life from one year to the next without have goals and ambitions is setting yourself up for a life that might be filled with regrets in the future.

I had my children young and was still doing university when my eldest was born. What kept me from giving up or postponing my studies was a very clear image of her going to primary school and me being left at the gate. As part of my vision for an organised life I didn’t want to stand there without a degree and options to join the workforce with a university qualification as its entry level. This vision got me through all my exams and the remaining 2.5 years of university study with a small child. I kept my university contacts and had a variety of job opportunities that grew as my skill level and abilities to work more grew.

Now that the children are teens, I have a different vision as part of an organised life. This time the goal is completing my PhD at the time the youngest is 18, again, it will give me options as the seasons in life change. It also gives me an intellectual challenge and an identify other than of parent or worker.

I don’t need to tell you that all days are fun and easy but having a clear focus on your goals and ambitions as someone with an organised life is worth it in the end.

“We are getting older irrespective of what we do. People with an organised life make sure they use their years wisely to follow their hopes, dreams, wants and needs. They follow not only the wants and needs of today but also those in five years or a decade from now.”

— Sabine Straver

Important to-do’s in an organised life

These are the things that you might not have to or want to do, but as time goes on, they are important to do. Most of the information on this site probably falls into this category of important to-dos.

You don’t have to do your taxes this year; five years from now, you do have to, and it becomes painful.
You don’t have to do your laundry but eventually you won’t have anything to wear that doesn’t small.
Don’t do the dishes, and soon you can’t cook while starving.

An interesting dynamic exists between the important things to do in an organised life and the having to do things as part of an organised life. If you skip or ignore the important things, your life over time becomes less organised.

There are many important things to consider most are simple an regularly occurring things:

Daily things for an organised life:

Food
Looking after your accommodation
Laundry

Weekly things for an organised life:

Budgets
Regular schedules for work, school, study and exercise
Detailed cleans

Monthly or quarterly things for an organised life

At regular intervals, you want to do quick reflections on how things are travelling

Are you on track with goals, your wants and needs?
What is working what is not?
What is coming up? Can you prepare for this?
Should you spend more time doing xx and less time doing something else?

Yearly things for an organised life

This is the big-picture thinking

Would you repeat this year, why not why would you?
How is your work tracking, your family and/ or your study.
What big changes are coming up, or will the next year be fairly stable
- Again, can you prepare for this? Preparation could take the form of extra rest, extra savings, or not taking on extra commitments, as three months from now, you will be swamped.

Cal Newport and advice on an organised life

I love all the material Cal Newport puts out, all his books, blogs, and podcasts (although he produces more than I can keep up with). We are at the same stage of life, in our 40s, with kids and careers. He is very strict with protocols on what he wants to achieve, when and how he finds a cadence between the large volume of demands on his time over the next few months, years, etc.

Love to-do’s as part of an organised life

As part of making your life sing and looking both backwards and forward with joy and excitement, what things do you love to do?

An organised life full of things you love doesn’t happen by accident. It is crafted through deep thinking, working hard and moving forward every small, boring, uneventful day. You do this until things accumulate to bigger tangible outcomes, satisfying careers, completed educational achievements, being in shape, having a beautiful home or well-adjusted kids, etc.

An Organised life needs a clear vision and maybe a life book

In 2024, I did an exercise of producing a life book, and I loved it. It isn’t the cheapest course or the fastest because you have to think through all your answers, but it is well presented, and I liked the presenter (* note: I do not encourage you to join Mind Valley as I have my doubts, but that is another story).

“A key thing of the life book is having a clear vision of what is important to you and how you will start to work towards getting to this goal.”

I think working on an organised life and getting into an organised home is key.

An organised life at home.

Here you want to ask yourself questions like:

What are my

What type of furniture do I like?
What colour scheme?
Which rooms are the most important to get organised first?

For me currently, the lounge, a white wall, as well as my bedroom are the most important spaces to have clear and clutter-free so there is room to relax. Maybe your vision is a neat wardrobe or living room; it doesn't matter what you like to get organised; you must have a clear idea of how it will look like when you are finished.

**Help with a vision of an organised life**

My visual Organising book will inspire you along the way.

Get the book

Create a vision for your organised life

Recently, I’ve spent time reflecting on visions and missions for my home, work, and life in general. This process culminated in a vision board, which has been a powerful tool. A vision board serves as a clear guide and reminder of what’s most important. For instance, if the living room is a priority, it’s easier to focus there instead of decluttering the wardrobe.

Set up a vision board for your organised life

This week, consider creating a vision board. Dedicate time to cutting out images and inspiration that reflect how you want your space and life to look. Arrange these images into a cohesive board and place it somewhere visible. Over time, you’ll find yourself living in the organised, clutter-free space you envisioned.

In summary an organised life needs a clear vision

We’ve explored the "have-to-do’s," "want-to-do’s," "important-to-do’s," and "love-to-do’s" of an organised life. Resources like Cal Newport’s work or the Lifebook course can guide your thinking, or you can reflect on these topics in a journal or vision board. These are not mere indulgences but essential steps to shaping your life and steering it towards your goals.