Type B Girl’s Guide to Getting Organized (and Keeping It Together)

Because being chaotic and pulled-together don’t have to be opposites.

By JENNY SMITH MATTFELDT // Published April 03, 2025

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There’s this stereotype of the woman who’s naturally organized—constantly tidying up, keeping everything in its place, and maybe even cleaning up after her man. But what if you're the other partner? The one who loses their keys constantly, can’t find their wallet even though it's right in front of them, or shoves papers in a box without a clue what's hiding in there? Some of this might be bleeding into ADHD territory but there are so many hacks to optimize your brain and stay organized. I'm deep in the lifestyle and I’m here to guide you out of the chaos.

There Has to Be Visual Cues

At this point, I think I might as well be keeping sticky notes in business. Visual reminders are the key here—whether it’s sticky notes, whiteboards, or apps with home screen widgets that keep you on track. A great hack is the Todoist app, it lets you create a checklist that shows up on your home screen, so every time you pick up your phone, your to-dos are staring you in the face, ready to be checked off. (Plus there’s no way to lose it.)

A physical calendar hung somewhere you’ll genuinely see it like in the kitchen can work wonders, there just has to be a visual representation of what needs to be remembered. And don’t sleep on a good paper planner. It might feel a little retro, but trust me, it can be a game changer when you need to write things down and really keep track.

Habit Stack EVERYTHING

Atomic Habits is life changing—I genuinely mean this. Its full of tiny changes you can make to implement helpful routines into your life that will help you win. If you lean type B, routines can feel hard to implement, I can’t even count the number of times I’ve left the house and had to turn back four times for things I forgot, but once they’re set, they’re there forever. One of the easiest, most effective tips in the book is habit stacking, or pairing a habit you want to have with a habit that's already part of your routine. For example:

Taking your vitamins at the same time you brush your teeth.
Drinking an entire glass of water while the coffee is brewing.
Leaving your shoes on when you get into the house, I know we might be dipping into ADHD territory here, but trust me it keeps your momentum going. The minute you take your shoes off, your brain’s like, done. Keep them on, and you’re less likely to slip into that “I’ll just relax for a sec” mode.
Pair a show you want to watch with a habit like working out or matching the socks and only let yourself watch that show when you are doing that task.

The trick is balance: structure, but not rigidity. A loose routine is the sweet spot. Maybe you have a 10-step morning routine for the days when you're killing it, but on the days when you’re barely hanging on, just doing the three most necessary steps is enough. The key is sticking to it no matter what, but letting it flow with different levels of intensity based on how you feel. Flexibility is your strength here.

Just Force It—Just 10 Minutes

Straight from my Gramma Olive: at the end of the day, spend 10 minutes picking up your space. You can’t just do one big cleaning once a week and call it a day, that's how things get out of hand. There are things that need to be taken care of daily, it's a simple as ten minutes every single day. If you stay on top of it, it’ll never get out of hand and you won’t be left with a massive mess that feels impossible to tackle. Little bits every day add up to a lot less stress in the long run.

It Needs a Home

The absolute death of clutter is making sure everything has a home. I’m speaking from experience here, the girl who has lost multiple full sets of car keys, wallets, IDs, cards—you name it, I’ve lost it. But what finally stopped the chaos? Everything having a home. A designated place it goes every single time. Not just when you remember, not just when it’s easy or convenient, but every single time. It could be a bowl by the door for your keys (or you could skip ahead to an AirTag or Tile to track them), a specific spot in your bag for your wallet, or a hook for your coat. You set the rule and stick to it, no excuses. It sounds simple, but trust me, it’s the game changer that keeps everything from spiraling into a pile of where did I put that again, I know I put it somewhere safe?

The Big Bag Theory

This goes hand in hand with the "everything needs a home" rule. If you struggle with remembering things, losing stuff, or just staying organized, this is a lifesaver: get yourself a big purse and stock it with everything you might possibly need. I’m talking about anything you might need on the go. I mean to the degree that my big Béis bag has deodorant, Tide to Go pens, hair ties, gum, lip gloss, lotion, a book, a key clip to keep my keys secure (so they never go missing), chargers, pens, notebooks, MacBook, sunglasses, cash... this bag has everything. When I have my bag with me, I know I’m set even if I forgot everything else.

This has to be done with intention though—it has to be organized like military precision. You can’t just throw everything in there and expect it to work. Each item has to have its place, this is why I'm obsessed with my Béis bag. Not only does it have pockets, zippers, and a removable pouch you can buy an organizer to fit inside that I have filled with all the essentials.

The point isn’t about a new bag or a specific brand it’s about finding something you truly love, something you’ll value enough to take care of it. It’s about choosing something you’ll want to keep for a long time and keep organized. I like to think of my car it’s not a luxury vehicle by any means, but it is the cleanest car you will ever get in and if you knew me a few years ago, that’s actually shocking. The difference now is that I want to keep this car literally forever and in order to do that I have to take great care of it. It’s a mindset shift, when you approach it with the intention to value it and use it to live a more structured life it serves a different purpose.

*Shay Mitchell // BÉIS On The Go Work Tote*

80/20 Rule

It seems like this rule applies to every aspect of life: 80% of the mess comes from 20% of your items. And it’s probably pretty easy to identify what they are. They’re the items you find yourself picking up over and over like a broken record.

For example: if everybody keeps piling their shoes by the door, it’s probably time to buy a cute shoe rack and donate some of the excess. If you find yourself throwing dirty kitchen dishtowels on the floor or cramming them in a corner, it’s time to invest in a small hamper for the kitchen.

If there’s a chair in your room covered in clothes that never seem to make it to the closet, it’s time to get some clip hangers or even an extra hamper for that side of the room. Or if supplement bottles are scattered all over your counter, never in use, it might be time to buy a pill case and keep it right on top of your toothbrush. That way, it’s impossible to miss. We want to create habits that make it easier to do the right thing than to avoid it. Investing in a little piece of storage or a tool that you actually like incentivizes you to use it. It’s a win-win when it makes life just a little bit easier.

The Two Minute Rule

This rule will change your life if you're a procrastinator. The Two-Minute Rule is simple: if a task can be done in less than two minutes, do it immediately. If you just need to send a quick text, put your shoes on the rack, shoot off an email, or wipe down the mirror—do it immediately. Don’t give yourself the chance to talk yourself out of it.

It goes hand in hand with Mel Robbins’ Five-Second Rule comes in: If you have the thought, “Oh, I should just do it really quickly,” count back from 5-4-3-2-1, then force a movement. Just force it. When you take action in those first five seconds, you skip over the mental barriers and get things done. It’s like a little trick that tricks your brain into actually making things happen.

Five Critical Tasks

Maybe it’s something everyone struggles with, but there’s a huge difference between being busy and being effective. If you feel like you’re constantly running around, half-starting tasks, getting sidetracked by other people’s demands, or just getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of things on your plate at the start of the day, here’s what you need: Five Priorities. At the beginning of every day, write down the five things that absolutely need to be done to propel you forward.

Andy Frisella (who has created multiple multimillion dollar companies) talks about this all the time, he calls it The Power List. Once you’ve nailed those five, who cares what else you get done. You’ll look at your list and know you won the day because you accomplished the five biggest things that are going to move you forward. When you stick to this, it feels like a huge win, no matter what the rest of the day holds.