In order to increase your motivation it is essential to get organized.
There’s nothing like a fresh start - a clean slate, right?
I always loved the start of a new school year or semester because your planner was clean and ready, your journals new and empty and every possibility spilled in the spaces before you.

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That fresh start motivated me to get organized, to make a plan, to set goals and it gave me the energy to accomplish them.
But only a few weeks in, the busy schedules and overwhelming to-do list crowded out that organization and smothered my motivation. Once again, I was playing catch-up with everything and anything.
And so life goes…
Life is filled with fresh starts and messy ruts. It’s what comes between that matters.
How you approach your goals and your to-do’s is essential in staying organized and on top of everything.
It’s so easy to let your goals and priorities slip behind busyness. So today I want to share some of the most powerful things that have helped me to stay on top of that inspired motivation and stay organized.
A Clean Space
Let’s take that first day, the fresh start and glean a powerful piece of wisdom on staying organized and accomplishing goals.
You need a clean space to focus your mind on what is important.
A clean space also frees the clutter and distraction so that you can nurture motivation.
Take a few moments to declutter your workspace & clear distractions. This will do wonders for your creativity, productivity and motivation.
Decor to Fuel You
There’s something powerful in pleasing scents that you can associate with work or focus or motivation.
Pick a candle that you can burn only when doing work. Make it something you love. Right now, my favorite is Autumn Harvest from Target.
After clearing my desk and lighting my candle, I’m almost giddy to start working. The motivation seeps into my time and helps to get me going.
A Planner or Place to Write Down Goals
One of the most important parts of staying motivated and accomplishing your goals is to write them down and have a place to refer to them.
I’m SO excited to finally have purchased the Living Well Planner. I’ve had my eye on this one for a while, but thought I could do without.
I finally gave in and I’m so excited.
This planner gives me space to organize several areas of my life. Not only does it help me with organizing my work, but I can meal plan, organize my finances and keep track of projects and goals in every area of my life.
I. Love. It.
Checkpoints to Refocus & Allow Grace
Over the past few years, I’ve been learning to allow myself grace. It’s tough to look at your mistakes and say that it’s okay if you’re the type of person that is way too hard on yourself!
On the other hand, if you tend to slack off too much, finding checkpoints to check in and discover how you’re doing with your goals is going to be essential.
Finding a healthy balance of checkpoints and grace is going to be unique to each individual.
I’ve learned to allow myself bits of grace each day, especially if I’m not feeling well. But I’ve also learned to set goals that are manageable and so I work as hard as I can to accomplish these goals. When I don’t, I increase the amount of times that I check in and refocus.
Getting organized with your goals and your space is essential to staying on top of your goals and priorities.
I’ve done this with a clean space, a refreshing candle, an awesome planner and finding the balance between checking in and allowing grace. What has helped you to get organized and stay on top of things?

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I so need this in my life right now. I bought a planner, but have yet to use it. Ugh. Maybe I can implement some of your advice….sometime this year. Lol
My daily to-do list is critical to keeping me on track. Thank you for some great ideas.
These are some great tips. I always feel & think better when things are organized.
I have a candle going right now and it’s just so relaxing! I also LOVE having a paper planner – it’s good for real life and blog stuff.
-Lauren
These are great tips! I will take all the ideas I can to increase my productivity. I am definitely going to implement check points to refocus- love that!
All of these are fabulous ideas that speak to me. I’ve been doing several of these already but it’s very encouraging! Thanks!
Great ideas. Staying motivated is much easier when your space is organized.
Motivating and inspiring! Thank you!!
You are so right!! These are great tips. Being organized can feel like it’s making your process take longer but it is actually increasing your ability to be more productive.
Not going to lie, when I opened this post I automatically thought to myself, this is probably another list of ideas that I’ve already mastered and at best, maybe I’ll enjoy her writing style (How terrible, I know, but it’s truly what popped in my head). Thankfully I was wrong! Your list was refreshing and held ideas that although I’ve maybe tried before, I never thought of as being important to getting the job done and making a real difference! I especially enjoyed the steps of making your work place clean and decorating to please your motivation! All really great ideas and I am eager to put them to good use!
I’ve been lacking motivation! I need to find it;)
I guess I need to get a planner. I gave a clean and organized space to work in at least, though.
Thanks for these helpful tips. I’m always looking for ways to get more organized.