Feeling Disorganized? Here’s a Kind, Realistic Way to Move Forward

If you’ve ever looked at an organization guru online and thought, “Wow, I must be the messiest person alive,” I’m here to tell you: you’re not alone. Despite what Instagram-worthy planners and perfectly color-coded systems might suggest, everyone has areas of their lives that feel chaotic. And the truth is, there’s no magic fix. But there is a way to start feeling more in control—without the judgment.

The problem isn’t just disorganization; it’s that feeling of being scattered and overwhelmed. When everything you need to do is floating around in your brain, it’s almost impossible to focus, prioritize, or even know where to start. That’s why my number one piece of advice is to centralize your worry.

Step 1: Get It All Out of Your Head

Instead of trying to mentally juggle everything, write it down. Grab a notebook, a planner, or even a blank sheet of paper and start listing everything that’s weighing on you. It doesn’t need to be organized or pretty—just get it out of your head and onto the page. This simple act of writing things down helps reduce mental clutter and makes it easier to start taking action.

Once you have your list, create a simple routine around it:

• Regularly check in with your list (daily or weekly works great).
• Pick just one task to focus on at a time.
• Keep updating your list as things change.

Step 2: Acknowledge Where Your Time Goes

One of the biggest reasons we feel behind on our to-do lists is because we don’t account for everything else that fills our days. Most to-do lists only include project-based tasks, but what about the things we do every day that take time?

Think about all the non-negotiables in your routine:

• Getting ready in the morning
• Driving to work
• Making meals
• Doing laundry
• Grocery shopping
• Attending meetings
• Walking the dog
• Prepping the kids for school

These things don’t usually make it onto our to-do lists, but they take up valuable time. So, instead of expecting yourself to check off 10 tasks in a day, recognize that your daily capacity for extra tasks might only be one or two. That’s not failure—that’s reality.

Step 3: Pair Your To-Do List with a Realistic Schedule

A to-do list is great, but it works best when paired with an understanding of how your time is actually spent. You can approach this in two ways:

• Option 1: Write down everything you already do in a day or week (including work, errands, chores, and personal time) so you can see where your open time slots really are.
• Option 2: Simply be more mindful of how much time is already accounted for, and set realistic expectations for how many to-do list items you can tackle.

Both approaches help you see that you are getting a lot done every day—even if it’s not always the tasks you thought you’d accomplish.  You might want to try option 1 for a week just to get a better picture of everything you do!

Step 4: Break Big Tasks into Smaller Steps

Sometimes, the reason we feel like we’re never making progress is because our tasks are too vague or too big.

For example, I'm giving a workshop next month.  Let’s say I put "prepare workshop" on my to-do list. That’s overwhelming! What does that even mean? Instead, I break it down into smaller steps:

• Brainstorm a rough outline
• Sketch out workbook ideas
• Meet with my team to discuss logistics
• Refine the outline
• Create a title for the workshop
• Write a short bio for promotional materials

By breaking it down, I can tackle one small piece at a time, which makes progress feel achievable instead of impossible.

You’re Not "Just Disorganized"

It’s easy to get stuck in a loop of telling yourself, "I’m just disorganized." But that’s not the whole story. Feeling overwhelmed is normal, and finding a system that works for you takes time. The goal isn’t to become a perfectly organized person overnight. The goal is to take small, doable steps that help you feel less scattered and more in control, one day at a time.

So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, start here:

1. Write everything down in one place.
2. Recognize where your time is already going.
3. Be realistic about how much you can tackle daily.
4. Break down big tasks into manageable steps.

You don’t have to fix everything at once—you just have to start. And I promise, that first step makes all the difference.