10 Ways to Help You Get Organized For Busy Seasons

If you are a parent, especially with school age kids, you know how busy the spring season can be. From spring sports, to end of the year school events, to planning for summer, it is a season with a never-ending to-do list. Today I am going to share ten ways to help you get organized for busy seasons - whether it is this upcoming spring or any other time of year.

Currently it is mid-March and I am already anticipating the full calendar, the busy afternoons, and the go, go, go weekends of spring. I want to say that I am going to take it slow, not do everything, enjoy all the moments with my kids. But let’s be real - that is probably not going to happen. With three kids under 10, it’s just going to be busy and the only thing I can do is think thoughtfully about how to manage it and still keep my sanity. I have learned that small organizational habits can make a big difference in my days.

Here are some tips for how to get organized in advance of, and during, busy seasons. These can be adjusted to fit your family and lifestyle. 

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How do you prepare for a busy season?

The Calendar. To start, you need to have everything on a calendar. It could be a Google calendar, a paper planner, or the calendar on your phone. It could also be a wipe-off monthly calendar that you have hanging in your kitchen for all to see. You might also consider having a shared Google calendar with your partner. We have a shared calendar and it makes planning and sharing responsibilities so much easier.

Prioritize. We can’t do it all, even when we want to for ourselves or our kids. What are your priorities for the upcoming season? What are non-negotiables? Ask yourself these questions as you fill your calendar.

Get a Jump Start. Planning ahead is really the name of the game for getting prepared for busy seasons. One thing you can do now to make things easier in the next few months is get a jump start on anything you know you will need. Think sports gear, dress clothes for events, birthday gifts, teacher gifts. You don’t need to do all of this now, but thinking ahead about what you’ll need to purchase will help prevent those last minute, late-night Amazon orders. You might even set reminders to order/purchase things you need on your calendar.

How do you stay organized when life gets busy?

Weekly Look-Ahead. Start each week with a look-ahead. What’s on the schedule for the upcoming week? Who will be in charge of drop-offs, pick-ups, appointments, sports practices? What will you need for these things? What can be packed and prepared ahead of time? Getting in the right headspace before a busy week starts can go a long way in keeping stress low during busy seasons.

Daily To-Do List. I like to write out the schedule on especially busy days. Writing it down is a way to get it out of my swirling brain, but it is also a way to ensure that my husband, sitter, and I are all on the same page. I thrive with a daily to-do list.

Delegate. If you can, delegate. How can you and your spouse share the responsibilities? How can your kids help out? Can they be in charge of packing their own backpacks, grabbing their own snacks, putting in a load of laundry? Delegate what you can to take things off of your plate.

Stay On Top of Little Things. Staying on top of the little things, such as making sure your car has gas, keeping a running grocery list as you notice you are out of things, or picking out clothes the night before, can save time and stress during busy days.

Meal Plan & Prep. If you are in charge of the meals for your family, think about what your meals will look like for the week ahead. What can you easily make? What could you prep ahead of time? Which nights will require pizza or your favorite take-out? Consider meal prepping a few things on the weekend. It could be as simple as cooking up some grains or proteins, cutting and washing fruits and veggies or even making some easy meals to have at the ready. No one wants to worry about what to make the night of, when you are already balancing a lot. (Check out this post for super easy and quick pantry meals.)

Stock Your Freezer. Along the same lines, stock your freezer with some easy meals and store-bought frozen favorites (we always have pizza!). This will also make meals easier during busy seasons. Batches of soup, protein you can throw in your slow cooker, breads, frozen vegetables and fruits - there are lots of things you can keep on hand when the last thing you want to do is make a big meal from scratch.

Make Time for Rest. It's so much easier said than done, but don't forget to make time for rest, especially during busy seasons. Try to continue daily routines such as exercise. It's so important to your overall health.

You can also check out this post with the Sunday reset routines I depend on to start my week off strong!

How do you get it all done during busy seasons?

You don’t. That’s just a reality. But I do believe that if you can stay organized during these busy seasons, whether it be spring, summer, or the holidays - you can get through them with a little less stress. 

There will be weeks where you might feel like you don’t have a minute to breathe, that there are not enough hours in a day, that you didn’t accomplish what you wanted. We all have those days, and it’s hard. There isn’t an easy fix, especially if you have young kids. Give yourself grace.

These are my ways to help you get organized for busy seasons, I hope it’s helpful!

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