Get Organized in the New Year
As the old year comes to a close and the new year rings in, many people set resolutions. Why not make a resolution to get yourself organized in the new year? It is a great time to start anew!
Here are 10 tips for getting organized in the new year.
Make a list. Start writing things down. It can help you be more productive and ensure that you don't forget the things you need to do.
Set realistic goals for your life. Don't set a goal that is out of your means to keep.
Clean out your messy corner. Pick the room or area of your home that is always messy. Come on, we all have it, and repeatedly tell ourselves we are going to get to it tonight, this weekend, next week, and we never do. Make the time to clean it out. Clear the space and start fresh.
Keep a calendar. Physical or digital, whatever works for your life. Start simply. Write down "work 9-5" or "gym 6pm." Slowly, start to add everything in; appointments, personal meetings, etc. It will soon become habit and whenever you make plans your first instinct will be to add it to your calendar.
Stay motivated. This can take many forms. The moral of this tip for the new year to start making things a habit. Simply putting your keys on a hook when you walk in the door, putting your toothbrush away after you use it, put your clothes directly into the hamper (skip the floor!), etc. Minor things that will help make your every day living a little more organized.
Set deadlines. This great one, but also brings us back to setting realistic goals. On January 1, don't set a deadline for January 31st to have the entire 3 story house cleaned and tidy from top to bottom. That's an unrealistic deadline you've set for yourself and you are less likely to every complete that project. Set a true deadline and start small. Let's say you know you have an event coming up in three months, and you have someone staying at your home but your guest bedroom is messy. That's a great goal. It starts you small.
Be attentive. This one connects to our previous goal on setting deadlines. This is important. If you set a deadline to clean out and organize your guest bedroom, be aware of the fact that you might have to start organizing elsewhere. You might have been using that room as storage and now you need to relocate and sort through those boxes that you want to now store in the attic. You first have to start in the attic and organize there first before you can think about moving the boxes from the guest room. Otherwise you are moving your mess from one place to another.
Have support. When it comes to organizing your life you have to take into consideration the people closest to you, especially if you are not the only one in your home. Will they help you organize the space? Will they use the systems you set up? If you now have a great system for keeping the front entryway organized, but your roommate doesn't work by it, things are more likely to get messy again and quickly.
Stay positive. When it comes to getting yourself organized, we all experience setbacks in the journey. Don't let that deter you from trying again. Modify the systems you thought would work but aren't. Don't give up!
Have fun! At the end of the day, organizing should be fun as you find homes for all of the things you surround yourself with. It should help make your days smoother and functional. If it overwhelms you, take a step back, take a breath, and then return to it. Remember: find the system that works for you and your life.
Happy New Year!
Shannon