I Stole This Organizing Trick from Martha Stewart, and It Transformed My Routine

It’s no secret that Martha Stewart is the master of modern homekeeping. Since she’s written over 100 books on the topic, it’s pretty much impossible to deny her expertise. Whether she’s teaching you how to arrange flowers properly, get rid of red wine stains, throw a legendary holiday party, or even polish silverware, she’s always been the best at making a home feel lived in, welcoming, and thoughtful.

Despite her larger-than-life presence, I’d actually never read one of her books until recently. I found her idea of meticulous homekeeping daunting and felt disengaged from the idea of household perfection, as it seemed unrealistic for my busy lifestyle. But after seeing a TikTok about Martha Stewart’s Organizing: The Manual for Bringing Order to Your Life, Home & Routines, which began with the phrase “If you feel like you were dropped from planet Mars one day and told to run a household … you need this book,” I was instantly intrigued and managed to find a copy at my local library. And her method — “The Martha Method” — has changed everything for me. 

The Martha Method is as simple as this: Use a calendar to take one small action per day to better your life and home. The entire book, along with this method, flipped my preconceived notions of keeping a household entirely. Instead of trying (and failing) to aim for perfection, the book empowered me to create a manageable and personal plan that fits my home and my life.

The book utilizes monthly calendars that give you a single task each day to live a meaningful life (including outside the home). Not only does she prescribe disciplined tasks, but she also leaves room for (if you can believe it!) fun. Some of my favorite and most surprising tasks from the December calendar include activities as practical as preparing and freezing cookie dough, as kind as handing out tips to service providers, and as festive as taking in a seasonal concert to celebrate the holidays. 

In this book, Stewart simply does the thinking for you. She knows what plants are in season, what holidays are around the corner, and which bite-sized tasks will keep you from having that “oh no” moment when days seem to slip away too quickly to get everything done. 

I’ve been using this book as my compass as I try to stay organized in my daily life, though I’ve admittedly skipped a day or two (don’t tell), especially as a renter who doesn’t need to, say, “check my firewood supplies,” as she so thoughtfully considers. Some of my favorite renter-friendly actions include scheduling my health and wellness appointments for the year, using seasonal citrus flavors for a winter meal, and giving my bike a tune-up before spring.

If you’re looking for some healthy habits in the new year, this just might be the book for you. Have I now magically transformed into the kind of person who flawlessly executes a dinner party? Far from it. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from this book, it’s that I really can take everything day by day. With this method, I can keep just 10% of Martha Stewart’s expertise in my pocket to make life easier. And if that’s as perfect as it gets, that’s just right for me.

Buy: Martha Stewart’s Organizing: The Manual for Bringing Order to Your Life, Home & Routines, $32.50 (Hardcover),  $2.99 (eBook)