How I Organize My Life

It's not about getting more done in a day.

This morning, I woke up, made coffee, did my skincare, and got cozy on my living room floor with my journal. I put in my AirPods and journaled about the day before, which always removes the cobwebs from my brain. I took three deep breaths and spent a few minutes in prayer. Then I scanned my calendar and wrote down my top 3 priorities to get done that day. It all took less than 30 minutes, and by the time my kids got up, I felt calm and focused for the day ahead.

I used to think that the point of being organized was so I could cram more into my schedule. If there was an empty block on my calendar, I'd fit in one more task or activity in the name of productivity. But the older I get, the more I realize: organization isn’t about squeezing in more—it’s about creating space for what matters. Space to breathe, to recharge, and to truly enjoy the life I've built.

In today's post, I'm pulling back the curtain on how I organize my life, both practically and holistically, so I can stay balanced, productive, and most importantly—present.

Weekly Links & Recommendations

• 🔨 Zuma Beach House updates: In this week’s Renovation Diaries post, I shared all about our plans for the addition (basically one giant kitchen.) See the “before,” and the renderings for where we’re headed.

• 🎧 3 Habits That Change How People Respond to You: Such a good listen about the energy we bring to our interactions. When we focus on making others feel seen, it changes everything.

• ❤️ Weekend Baking Project: I’ve been revisiting these grain-free zucchini muffins—almost forgot how good they are! I perfected this recipe on my grain-free journey and though I'm back to eating some grains now (fully in my sourdough era), these are still faves. Perfect with coffee in the morning and to throw in my kids' lunchboxes all week.

Okay let’s get into it.

The Secret to Staying Organized: Keep It Simple

When people ask how I "do it all," my answer may surprise them: I don't. I prioritize simplicity and let go of the rest. The heart of staying organized isn't in complicated spreadsheets or color-coded planners—it's in getting crystal clear on my priorities, and having consistent systems I can return to again and again.

My systems (or what I like to call “my practices”) are divided into three levels: daily, weekly, and monthly. It might sound like a lot at first, but these are habits that, over time, have become so ingrained, they feel like second nature. And since I truly enjoy each of these, they feel nourishing rather than something to add to my to-do list.

If you're new to these kinds of practices, start slow. Try one, be consistent, and see if it adds to your life before adding more layers. Remember, this isn't about complexity, it's about simplicity.

The goal is to hurry less, create room to breathe, and say “no” to what's nonessential so we can say “yes” to what matters.

The Daily Practice: Get Grounded

These are the habits that ground me each morning:

• Journaling: For me, this is a combo of creative free-writing and recording things from the previous day that I want to remember later. If I’m experiencing writer’s block, I just put pen to paper and start writing—even if it makes no sense, it usually sparks something I want to dive deeper into.

• Prayer: The morning is a great time to set our minds and hearts on what we want to pay attention to that day. As they say, “Where attention goes, energy flows.” I take a few minutes to feel God's presence and let it guide me to be the loving, joyful version of myself that I want to show up as in the day ahead.

• Vision Board: My vision board is really more of an "action" board—it's filled with images and words that reflect the way I want to live. It reminds me to slow down and enjoy the beauty of ordinary life. Just a quick scan shifts my entire perspective, reminding me of what truly matters.

• Top 3 Priorities: The final step is writing down the 3 most important things for me to get done that day. They can be work-related or personal, but this is a way to make sure that my top priorities don’t get crowded out by the many small to-dos that pop up during the day. When I know my Top 3, I can make sure that even when things are crazy busy, I still get the most important things done.

Morning Routine Toolkit

The Weekly Practice: Set Intentions, Not To-Dos

For me, Sunday night is sacred. After dinner, I take a hot bath, then I light a candle and settle in with my computer to prepare for the week ahead. I open up an Evernote, and at the top, I write "Intentions for Week of XX Date." Then I divide my list into 3 sections:

• Big picture: These are the top priorities I want to make serious progress on or complete that week. Think: big projects, goals, challenges, etc. They can be personal or professional.

• Tactical: These are the actual tasks that will help me make traction toward those big picture goals. I list them out and get as granular as possible. This is more like a master to-do list for the week ahead that aligns with my big picture areas of focus.

• Prayer: In this section, I write down the things in my life that I don't have control over but that are on my mind. In the act of writing them down, I hand them over to God that week. It helps me release the anxiety that comes from trying to carry them myself—plus, there's power in prayer.

Throughout the week, I return to this page when I'm setting my Top 3 Priorities each morning to make sure I'm carving out time to work through the important things that week and add necessary action items to my schedule.

Monthly Check-In: Stay Aligned

It happens to all of us: we start the year feeling motivated to make traction on our big goals. And then, by February, they've already gotten lost in the busyness of life. That's why it's so important that we set aside regular time to reconnect with our dreams and make sure we're carving out space to bring them to life.

On the first Sunday of each month, my "Weekly Practice" becomes a "Monthly Check-In." I set aside an hour or so—sometimes I'll take myself on a solo coffee shop date so I really look forward to it. Here's what I do:

• Review: I get out my Vision Workbook, review my intention for the year and my goals for each of my life spaces (ICYMI, I deep dive into all of that here.) This not only reminds me of my big career goals, but it re-centers me on how I want to show up in my relationships, my creativity, and my wellness goals.

• Reflect: I take a look at my calendar for the month ahead to see if it feels aligned with those priorities. For example, one of my goals this year is to spend more one-on-one time with my kids. So, I’ll take a look and see where I can add in "dates" with them throughout the month. I can see if I've carved out time for pilates, and solo work sessions where I can develop my writing.

• Take Action: Use this time to actually schedule actions—like sending a text to a friend, booking that date night, or penciling in time for projects you care about. Yes, you might have to cancel or move something else that’s on your calendar to make room for these priorities. When you say “no” to some things, you're saying “yes” to what’s important.

The Reset: How to Create Your Vision and Build the Life of Your Dreams

Why This All Matters

Creating these simple systems has completely changed how I move through each day. I’m not overwhelmed trying to remember everything—I can trust that with these practices, I'm spending my time on what's most important. Just the act of putting structure in place allows me to be more present, productive, and intentional in all the parts of my life that matter most.

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I hope this was helpful and not overwhelming—I honestly feel like I have SO much more I could say on this topic, so I'd love to keep this going in the comments. Feel free to drop any questions you guys have about these systems, practices, and staying organized at life in general! And I'd love to hear what habits and systems you rely on, too.

xo, Camille