Tips For Creating Organized Days That Work For You (Because Sunday Resets Aren't For Everyone)

If you regularly scroll TikTok, you've almost definitely come across the Sunday reset trend. These "clean with me" videos depict people resetting their living spaces in preparation for the upcoming week. While some of the TikToks feature useful cleaning or organizational hacks and impressive before and after comparisons, many of them are simply videos of well-dressed women cleaning already clean all-white apartments. If you live in real life, watching these videos might not feel great.

Sunday resets, even when they do include actual cleaning and organizing, just aren't feasible for everyone. Many people work jobs that don't come with weekends off, for one. Others face physical or mental health challenges that make an entire day of chores unattainable. That being said, those looking for a way to organize their schedule and keep their home functional can use a timer or even try delegating. Fortunately, this guide includes more tips that can help. 

The first step to breaking down what needs to be done to keep your life and household functioning is listing every single task that has to get done. Give yourself plenty of time to make your list; you don't want to burn out before you even start implementing your organizational plan. Listing every task that it takes to keep things running smoothly might take a few days or even a couple of weeks.

How far you break down the tasks on your list depends on how your individual brain works. If resetting the living room, for example, sounds like one task to you, add it to your list as such. If looking at a whole room at once tends to leave you overwhelmed and paralyzed, break the task down into individual steps. Within the living room, putting away out-of-place items becomes one task, and sweeping the floor becomes another. 

Once you've created your master list, divide it into tasks that need to be done once per year, those that need to be completed seasonally, monthly tasks, then weekly and daily chores. For example, buying and sending out holiday cards is a task that only needs to be completed once a year. Rotating the items in your wardrobe might be a seasonal task you'd like to remember. Cleaning out your car could be a monthly chore; deep cleaning your bathroom may feel like a weekly affair.

Your daily chores should consist of a minimal number of non-negotiable tasks meant to keep your home running smoothly. Your goal is simply to make the next day easier and more functional for yourself. This might look like quickly wiping the bathroom sink, surveying your bedroom floor for laundry each morning, and tidying your kitchen and/or home office every night. If your weekly reset list is looking a little overwhelming, split it into two or three mini-reset lists you can perform throughout the week. 

If the pressure associated with completing tasks often results in avoiding even starting them, consider tackling your list in timed increments. After dinner, commit to dedicating 15 minutes to your daily tasks. Then, before you head to bed, put in another ten or 15 minutes, and you'll find yourself finished without the massive dread. For larger reset or mini-reset lists, consider using time blocks for a more manageable approach. Try blocking out 45 minutes to focus solely on completing as many tasks as possible without interruption. When your timer goes off, take a timed 15-minute break. Repeat until you've completed your list.

If setting a timer on your phone leads to digital distractions, use an oven or egg timer instead. If your brain tends to work on an out-of-sight, out-of-mind basis, consider investing in a visual timer. This will allow you to keep an eye on how much time you have left in the current block without risking getting distracted by a phone notification. 

Once you've brain-dumped your home's list of tasks into your notebook, bullet journal, or notes app, consider creating your chore schedule in a task management app like Todoist. The app allows you to categorize your to-do lists, schedule repeating tasks, and assign items to other people in your household. When one person checks off a completed item, everyone involved in that list can see that the task has been finished.

Technology is also incredibly useful for keeping yourself entertained while cleaning and organizing. Invest in a pair of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, if you don't already own some. Then, start a new podcast or audiobook you'll only listen to when working on your task list. Soon, you'll be getting a head start on the next day's chores just to hear what happens next. Pro tip: this method also works for getting yourself to look forward to exercising or any other task you might dread. 

You need regular resets just as much as your home does. Make sure you schedule a time to rest and rejuvenate each week, even if that means pushing a few low-priority tasks off until tomorrow or next week. Resting includes resting your physical body and resting your mind. This might look like literal sleep, spending an afternoon on the couch watching movies with your cat, meditating, or attending a restorative yoga class.

If you're an extravert, you might crave social interaction to recharge your battery. If a leisurely brunch with friends followed by some group retail therapy sounds like exactly what you need to reset, then make it happen. Those who are introverted, however, might find this type of downtime just as exhausting as the everyday grind. If you fall into that camp, it is essential to rise above social pressure and prioritize alone time in order to prevent an introvert hangover. 

When approaching an issue that requires a certain amount of structure, it can be all too easy to fall into an all-or-nothing mindset. The problem with approaching cyclical tasks in this manner is that they're never permanently completed, which means that life will inevitably interfere. Without flexibility in your approach, you're likely to become exasperated and give up on the whole system when it does. Instead, go into every plan you make ready to pivot.

If your circumstances change, your plan needs to change along with it. This might look like taking a few tasks that you normally complete three times a week and limiting them to once per week. It might look like delegating more to others in your household or even outsourcing the most time-consuming tasks to a paid professional. The correct approach to finding an organized daily schedule that works for you and your home is the one that fits into your life right now.