Let’s talk today. Life is sweet, but if you live it anyhow, it can become full of confusion like market on a busy Saturday. You see, when your life is not organized, you feel tired, stressed, and you forget important things. Even your dreams and plans, they suffer.
So the question is, “How do I make my life more organized?” Let me break it down in the simplest way, using our own African style and examples. No big English, just wisdom from the village, the township, and the city.
1. Wake Up With a Purpose.
You know how a cock crows early in the morning? It has one job – to wake people. In the same way, you must start your day with purpose. Don’t just wake up and start running around like a headless chicken.
✅ What to do:
- Decide the night before what you want to do tomorrow.
- Write it down on paper, or even in your old diary.
- Wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
🧠 Example: Mama Aisha from Mzuzu always wakes up by 5AM. She first prays, then cleans the compound, then prepares mandasi (fritters) for sale. Her life is organized and her business is moving forward.
2. Use a Simple To-Do List – “Lembani Zoyenera Kuchita”
Don’t try to keep everything in your head. Even goats forget where they were tied if you untie them too often. Use a paper and pen. Just write what you want to do that day.
✅ How to do it:
- In the morning, write 4 to 6 things you must do.
- Put number one on the most important thing.
- Cross each task as you finish it.
🧠 Example: James, a college student in Blantyre, writes his list before leaving the hostel. Study time, cleaning, classwork, and calling home. He never misses anything.
3. Keep Your House and Space Clean.
If your room or house is in a mess, your mind too becomes like that. Imagine entering a house with clothes everywhere, dishes dirty, and you are stepping on shoes in the kitchen!
✅ Tips:
- Sweep and clean before doing anything else.
- Put things back where you got them.
- Don’t keep too many things you don’t use.
🧠 Example: In a small village near Nsanje, Gogo Mavuto keeps his hut clean. His clothes are hung neatly, and the floor is always swept. Even visitors feel peace when they enter.
4. Group Similar Tasks Together.
Don’t scatter your energy like maize during harvest. If you are washing, wash all. If you are making phone calls, do all of them one time.
✅ How to do it:
- Wash clothes, bedsheets, and curtains on the same day.
- Buy everything from the market in one trip.
- Set one day for cleaning, one day for visiting relatives.
🧠 Example: Mama Thokozani sells tomatoes at Lilongwe market. Every Monday, she does shopping. Every Wednesday, she visits her suppliers. Her business is organized like that.
5. Put a Place for Everything – “Chinthu Chilichonse Chikhale ndi Malo”
Don’t throw your socks under the bed and your ID card in the kitchen. That’s how people lose important things like bank cards or certificates.
✅ What to do:
- Use a small basket for keys.
- Put all your documents in one bag or drawer.
- Hang your clothes in one place.
🧠 Example: Peter, a boda boda rider in Zomba, keeps all his receipts and licenses in a plastic file. When police stop him, he just smiles and shows everything.
6. Reduce Useless Things.
If your house or life is full of junk, your brain will get tired. You don’t need 10 trousers if you only wear 3. You don’t need all those WhatsApp groups either.
✅ How to declutter:
- Remove clothes you haven’t worn in a year.
- Delete apps and groups you don’t use.
- Let go of bad habits that waste your time.
🧠 Example: Auntie Chikondi gave away 3 bags of old clothes to an orphanage in Dedza. Her house became peaceful, and her heart was light.
7. Use Time Wisely – (Nthawi ndi Chum).
Time is like water in a drum. If you don’t close the tap, it finishes. Same with your day. Don’t waste it. Learn to say NO to things that steal your time.
✅ Tips:
- Avoid too much gossiping or visiting unplanned.
- Switch off phone when doing important work.
- Have time for work, rest, family, and God.
🧠 Example: Lackson in Karonga switches off his phone between 7PM and 9PM every day to study. That’s how he passed his MSCE.
8. Plan Weekly and Monthly – “Konzani Mtsogolo”
Don’t just plan day by day. Think of the whole week and month. You can plan for food, money, school, and family events.
✅ Ideas:
- Write a budget for the month.
- List important events (weddings, meetings).
- Set goals like “read one book,” or “save MK5,000.”
🧠 Example: Pastor Banda from Nkhata Bay plans every first Sunday of the month with his wife. They talk about money, kids, and church.
9. Rest and Take Care of Yourself – “Pumulani, Samalani Thupi”
If you work too much and never rest, your body will give up. Even God rested on the seventh day.
✅ What to do:
- Sleep early and wake early.
- Drink water, eat vegetables, take walks.
- Take quiet time alone or with family.
🧠 Example: Mr. Chimwemwe, a teacher in Kasungu, never misses his Sunday nap after church. It gives him new energy for the week.
10. Pray and Reflect – “Pemphera, Ganizani Moyo Wanu”
When you talk to God, He gives you peace and direction. Every evening, ask yourself: “Did I do my best today? What can I improve?”
✅ Habits:
- Pray in the morning and evening.
- Thank God even for small progress.
- Read a Bible verse or motivational quote daily.
🧠 Example: Grace in Machinga keeps a small notebook. Every night she writes what made her happy, and what she wants to change.
Final Words: An Organized Life Is a Blessed Life
My friend, being organized doesn’t mean you must be rich or have fancy things. Even in a mud house, you can live clean, peaceful and successful. It’s all about planning, discipline, and doing things step by step. Use what you have, where you are.
So today, pick one or two ideas from here and try them. Slowly slowly, you will see your life become better. And remember: “Order brings peace, and peace brings progress.”
Let’s organize our lives like we arrange firewood—neatly, so the fire can burn well!
But before you go, do you know How You Can Start a Business as a Student as Beginner?
