Tips to Create a More Structured Life

You may have landed on this article after searching, “How to be responsible” or “Why is my life a mess?” People live deeply contradicting lives. It is strange how people feel that their life is a mess, or like nothing is going right, and all this negativity causes them stress. They also feel overwhelmed when they have a lot of responsibilities on their plate. This chaos creates a tremendous amount of uncertainty in them. 

And yet, they also hate following a daily routine. They resist the structure that comes with following a pattern. People hate it when they have to be responsible for the things that are handed to them. People want to be more in control of their lives, and yet they struggle against this control because they feel that having a routine is too rigid and too constricting. 

So instead of sticking to the plan, people toss out everything, and they decide to be free from any form of restriction. However, this creates uncertainty. Not being able to stick to any kind of structure could make a person feel anxious about what’s going to happen next. 

This contradiction is not universal, but a lot of people suffer from it every day. Are you? When you take responsibility for your life, you know that there is a great need for you to be in control. Your life cannot be inherently messy and uncertain; you have to put some sense of order to it. 

Why Do You Need To Create Structure?

“What am I going to do with my life?” This is perhaps one of the questions you have recently asked yourself. When life is crazy, all that you could think of is how you can put your life in order.

Adding structure will help keep you grounded, but, in addition, you have to think about the more substantial benefits of a routine. When you have a plan for your day, not only will you struggle less, but you’ll also clear a path towards your goals and peace of mind. 

Take a moment and write down your daily routine. Once that’s done, ask yourself, “How is my daily routine helping or hindering me?” Do you wake up late and are therefore late to work every day? Do you struggle with getting to bed on time because you’re always surfing the internet? 

If you’re still not convinced that you need some structure in your life, here are two reasons why you should at least consider it.

The messiness in your life can make everything else messy 

When you are in the middle of a chaotic environment, it is impossible to stay focused. It is hard to put effort into work when your mind is trying to process everything else that is happening around you. It is challenging to create meaningful work when you are distracted by the messes in your life, whether they be physical or mental clutter. But then again, this should not stop you from striving to achieve your goals. Challenge yourself to do better. 

When you’re disorganized, other people may doubt your ability to get things done effectively

If you’re chronically disorganized, your work or home life may be affected. If you’re consistently late to work, your coworkers may not trust that you can do your share of the projects that you have to finish. The mess and uncertainty of the life you live can create a massive gap between the people around you and yourself. It will make them wonder if you could truly live up to their expectations of you. You will have difficulty building good relationships with people.

These are the two most fundamental reasons why you need to organize your life. Being aware of the need for certainty is always the first step to making things happen. 

How Do You Create A Routine?

Once you have decided that it is time to get organized, the next big step to take is to start the process and make it happen. Know that the routine that you create today doesn’t have to be your routine forever. As your life and goals change, so will the structure of your life, so you can still go with the flow. 

However, you should never stop looking for stability in your life. So how should you go about it? Here are a few tips to get you started: 

Identify a part of your life that needs some organization 

If you need to, make a list of the pain points in your life. Putting your issues in writing means that you recognize that you need to address them. Not only do these issues make you emotionally unstable, but they also put you in a position where you have to make snap decisions. Once you have this list, choose the most important one to focus on.

Take baby-steps towards breaking bad habits

You can begin with simple things. If you check your emails all day long, then you can start by telling yourself only to check it at certain times in a day. This way, you don’t have to waste a lot of time checking on work emails again and again. Doing so will also allow you to focus on the task at hand and keep yourself from being distracted. 

Make a list of the things you need to do and put it somewhere visible

For you, organization may come in the form of a list. Once you have everything written down, it is quite easy to decide what should be done first. As long as it is visible to you, the list will serve as a reminder of the many things you need to do. 

Practice makes perfect

You may have laid down the groundwork, but if you don’t keep at it, then everything else will fall apart. Build a sense of trust within yourself and with others around you. Make sure to stick a routine and try not to see it as a chore. Instead, relax and submit yourself to it.  

Feel free to check in with yourself at regular intervals to see if your life is improving with this new routine. If you need to change something, then do it! There is no shame if you fail here and there. Eventually, you will find something that works for you.

What have you got to lose? Give organization a try, and you’ll see how much your life will improve.