I’ve been requested a lot recently to do a video about finding balance. I’m not an expert on the matter, but I do have a lot going on (oh man a lot…it’s bananas over here right now!), and here are a few of my favorite tricks for simplifying my day.
Be sure to enter below to win a planner from Personal-Planner!
My favorite ways to “do it all”
1) Identify what’s important and QUIT BEING SO AVAILABLE. Forget your phone, 90% of the time it’s just a distraction (I’m still really working on this one!)
2) 80% of the importance of what you are doing can be found in just 20% of your day. Focus on the first 20% of your to-do list. What you think is urgent usually isn’t.
3) Make a list and plan accordingly. I find it easiest to have a planner that shows each member of your family.
4) Work hardest before 12…your productivity decreases after lunch so always front-load your day.
5) Have each item in your checklist include a number so you can quantify what you are getting done. Don’t write “do laundry” write “do 1 load of whites and 2 loads of colors”…hold yourself accountable!
6) Forget perfection and embrace grace. It’s not about a perfect house, or doing it all flawlessly. Give yourself a break. Enjoy your family. We have a messy kitchen for HOURS every night and we don’t care!
7) Find systems that actually simplify. It’s usually about simple changes. Sort your mail next to your recycle bin. Do your laundry where you put it away.
8) Maximize each trip (in and out of the house). Take as few steps as possible and do as many things as you can each time you get up out of your seat. You will end
9) Get SLEEP. Sleep is necessary for productivity and most people get far to little. Aim for 7-8 hours of GOOD REST.
10) Create a breakfast station and kick-start your morning.
Giveaway ends August 28th 2015 at 12:00 am EST. Open internationally. Winners must be 18 or older or have parental permission. Winner will be selected randomly by Rafflecopter within a week of the giveaway ending and be notified by email. Winners have 72 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. The products offered for the giveaway is free of charge, no purchase necessary. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation. Personal-Planner provided the planner for giveaway in this post. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube are in no way associated with this giveaway. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to me and me alone. I will use your information only for the purpose of contacting the winner.
Thanks for the great tips!
I really like how simple you are. I have 4 kids and part time job it’s really hard some time to do every thing .thanks for making theses kinds of videos??❤️?
I love the fact you tell us to have grace. I think we all forget that during our day/lives. Thanks, toni
I would like to be entered into the giveaway.
Thanks for the great tips!!!
Love your videos! awesome?
Hi…I just wanted to say that I think you are very inspiring ,because of you my house has never been so organized before..My husband and kids laugh at me all the time when they see me watching your videos..
Great tips– as always! Thank you.
Love your videos — I am a Kathryn junkie and a Kathryn wannabe!! You are an inspiration to me. Thank you so much!
Kathryn,
I absolutely love your you tube channel.. I have learned so much about organizing
from you.. I have always went to Dollar tree, but never bought their baskets/containers.
I now.. have every closet/dresser in my house organize [and very budget friendly, thanks to you.].
Love this post.. We all need to learn we cant do it ALL..
thank you for the give away.. Judy
Thanks for the tips! Love your videos!
I love watching your videos and I use so many of your tips and ideas.
Love your sweet personality and your ideas are so interesting that one of these days I will use one of them, maybe the oatmeal one
Love watching your you tube videos learn a lot from you❤️?????
Great advice! We are all way to hard on ourselves and life passes us by if we don’t take the time for those family moments. Thanks for the chance to win 🙂
Great tips! I will be sharing this with my three daughters who are have family of their own. Yes, another great video!
I love your videos and your advice thanks alot?
Hey, omg I just want to say I absolutely love love watching your videos 🙂 they make me so happy everyone 🙂 keep doing them and thanks so much for sharing really needed to hear this 🙂
Xoxo
You have such simple plans that anyone can follow to become organized, and I love that about you. But more importantly…you have such enthusiasm about trying different things, and not worrying about perfection. AND you have Jesus in your life. God bless you!
Thank you for all of your wonderful clips.
This was so good for me to hear today. Thank you!!!
Hi Kathryn, I just love all your videos and have found so many of them useful in my everyday life. Thank you so much for all you do, and sharing with all of us. God bless you.
I can always use tips to help me get organized.
Thank you so much for the awesome tips. Anyone that thinks you can’t teach an old dog new tricks is sooooooo wrong. I am 61 and have learned so much from your delightful and insightful channel. Thank you and God Bless!
This comment makes me smile 🙂 Thank you, Donna and God Bless you, too!
♥ 🙂
I so agree with Donna!!! I’m 56 and love your channel! I also agree with Loretta up there, who is a Kathryn Junkie and Wannabe! LOL….I have implemented a few of your ideas…mostly the breakfast station. I have made your homemade oatmeal packets ( epic win! yay! ) and take them to work with me. I’m STILL trying to DESPERATELY simplify other areas of my life and organize my living space but, like me, it is a work in progress! =) Thank You so much for your videos and a glimpse into your world. Blessings!
Thank you Kathryn!! I always learn so much from you and look forward implementing what I’ve learned in today’s video. 🙂 p.s. Carson is the sweetest!!
I have learned to clean as I go! Especially while making dinner….makes after dinner clean-up a breeze! I love watching your videos…I learn so much from you!
I absolutely loved this video. Hopefully by following these tips I will start living a stress free life. Im 25 and have three little ones. So you can imagine how I feel lol.. I love my kids and spending time with them is so important to me. Thank you
Thanks for all your encouragement!!!
Enter for personal planner. Thank you.
Great tips! I love watching your videos! They are always so helpful. Thank you!
Great tips for put in practice.
Entering for the planner. ☺
My cousin and I love your videos! Especially your dollar tree hauls. Literally after watching one, we get in the car, leave the kids with their dads and go to our local dollar tree and spend literally about 2 hours in there! LOL! we have done so much organizing , because of you!! 🙂 YOur the best!!!
xoxo
Thank you for sharing your ideas!
Kathryn. Thank you for your wonderful videos. Your intusiam alone inspires me!
I love your channel! Please enter me in the planner giveaway! I would love to try using one. Thanks!
Entering for the planner!
Also, I absolutely love your videos! I found you through WhatsUpMoms but I’ve seriously been on your channel throughout this whole last week seeing all the great ways I can organize! I even took a trip to Dollar Tree today to get bins! ?
Entering for the giveaway!!! Ever since I watched your channel you inspired me to get more organized. Thanks for the sharing your knowledge.
Your videos are so inspirational and I look forward to them each week. Your advice is spot on and I especially like your candid attitude.
Tips 1, 2, & 6 hit home for me. The 80/20 rule applies to many areas of life.
Would love to win the planner. Count me in.
Wow! Thanks Kathryn.. I’ve a full time stay at home mommy, going back to school to finish my degree and your tips are so helpful. I love how you say to keep yourself accountable! I try to keep myself accountable in my devotions and intimate time with Christ as well as my responsibilities to my family. Love this and love you! God Bless
Your really are an inspiration. I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Thanks for all of your give aways. How do you find the time and work full time as well??? TFS…Blessings…Bobbie
thank you so much for the great videos! I look forward to them – love you!!!
I love your videos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for the video, I am trying to find simpler ways to make life easier for me and my kids.
Enjoy your videos, they are very helpful. Thank you
Enjoy your videos, they are very helpful. Thank you!
Love watching you to get motivated to do my own house
You help me so much with your tips!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!! Keep up the good work.
Gina K.
I loved this video. I found it very helpful
Again such an inspiring video! I do love al your tips and ideas, you are so inspiring! Whenever i watch you, i start organizing…my pantry is beautiful organized nowadays! And my children shake their heads, when they spot new lables anywhwere, haha!
By the way, a tip for families with lazy teenagers that don’t put on a new roll of toilet paper…at ikea i bought a rollholder that basicly looks like an iron stick. You just have to shuffle the empty roll off and the new one on. No difficulties, as simple as it can get. Works perfect in our house (four kids).
Thank you, so much. ( i also love to enter your give away.)
This Personnal Planner is my dream !!!
Love your videos. I re watch old one all the time. They inspire me to get up and clean, organize, and down size all of my stuff. Since finding you a year ago I have such a more productive day, life is easier when everything has a place and you can SEE everything. Thank you for the help.
I love to watch your organization videos but the ones ive loved the most are where your sharing your heart about managing and a life defined by grace! I completely agree! I actually have a tattoo that says since Christ has set me free I am free indeed. .. the meaning behind it is two fold but part of it is i have the ability to live in the grace God has already bestowed on me. thanks for sharing that aspect of grace. i am planning for surgery right now and need that reminder. thanks so much!
Kathrine you are the best, I have been following you in 2 years now, and I have learn so mutch. And I looking for to every single time you put a video up on YouTube! ❤️
Have a Nice day!
Personal planner is the best planner. 🙂
I absolutely love your videos. I get excited every time I see a new on in my subscription list. I have gotten so many wonderful ideas for organizing my home from you. Thank you so very much for doing what you do. You are truly an inspiration.
P.S. I love that your videos aren’t forever long. Love how you get right to it!
Love to win the planner!
You are such an inspiration.
Thank you for the giveaway. I´m pretty new subscriber and I love it. Thanks for all this work.
I watch your videos all the time please enter me n the drawing
I love your video. Thanks for the tips.
I love your show, very inspiring.God bless you and your family.
I love to wach your vidio, the way u talking it’s so clear,
Because of u I see my way.
Thanks
Thanks for all the great tips.
thank you so much for all your helpful videos!!
I just love to watch your videos. You help keep me motivated while doing my 20%. Thanks for that.
I always love your tips. The planner/calendar really looks neat.
I chanced upon your channel when I was at drowning point in house junk. You’ve made all the difference!! Thank you!
What I enjoy most about your channel, is how sweet and brilliant you are and very relatable!
I love all of your tips and pass many of them on to family and friends who also love them. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your journey. God bless
Thanks for all your helpful tips. I’m a visual person and just can’t use the digital apps for my planning. Pen and paper all the way. Love your energy!
Great tips and video — as always! Please enter me for the planner giveaway. Thank you! Keep doing what you’re doing. 🙂
What a great giveaway! 🙂 Kathryn you rock! You always have amazing ideas, suggestions and tips and I may not use them all, but at some point may use them! You are a rockstar! Keep up the great work!
Thank you for all your tips. I really like watching all your videos and are an inspiration to me and lots of other folks. thanks for all you do. 🙂
I just found your you tube channel and subscribed! I love all your informative tips on getting organized and decorating. This momma of six is learning a lot!! Thanks! You are awesome!
Thanks, Kathryn! Love your videos and would love to be more organized.
Hi there! Really enjoy your spunk! I would like to enter for the planner. Try to be organized but truth be told, I sometimes need a boot in the sitting cheeks! Maybe a planner is the way to go. The inspiration and commitment to use one is a good idea. Putting something down on paper may give me the incentive to complete more tasks on a schedule.
You are full REAL solutions! !!…blessings to you now and always!
Great ideas!!
I’m a 62-year-old high school English teacher who continues to love her profession. Your effervescent personality and down-to-earth tips are encouraging to any busy woman. Thank you so much for mentioning being covered by Grace!
It never would have occurred to me to wait until after family time to do the dishes. This is a great tip. Thanks for the videos!
You are just the cutest thing…love all your advice!
I really enjoy your videos and blog. Thank you for all of your inspiration.
Thanks for the simple steps!
Awesome tips and giveaway….thanks 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing all your tips and tricks to simplify our lives. I love your youtube channel!
I’m hoping your organization is cyber contagious…. Love your videos.
I am so thankful I found your blog. Your post really made me think of what all this is for. See, I have muscular dystrophy and I am never able to get it all done. I work full time and have a wonderful daughter and husband. About two years ago, I started researching organizing, simplifying, etc. to try to find a balance. Your post has made more sense than any other book, blog post, video I have found. Thank you for doing what you do!
Hi! Its so refreshing to watch your videos! I love to be organised. I get so wonderful ideas from you! Love the fact you mentioned grace! We all need to be more aware it because that’s what God gives us grace!
I would love to enter for the planner !!
I started watching your dollar tree hauls, but I have made it through your entire list of videos now. You are truly an inspiration !!
Thank you for all of the wonderful tips and tricks =)
Great tips
Great ideas about simplifying life, which I need to follow!
Love your videos!
You always have great ideas to simplify my life. Thank you.
The best tips ever! Sometime we try to do too much and it can overwhelming…i will take a step back and take your advice. God Bless x
Great video and very useful tips, thank you very much ! I’m entering for the planner 🙂
Love these tips! Especially the one about giving yourself grace and making memories with your family instead of constantly chasing the messes. As a mom of 3 boys, I struggle with that one! Love your channel, Kathryn! Thanks for always inspiring me!
Thank you so much for your wonderful tips and ideas. I to am addicted to dollar tree and the 99 cent store!
Loved the tips here!