Getting Organized For The New Year

Whether we want to lose weight, make more time for family or change careers, the start of the new year is our opportunity to commit to living a better life. One of the most common New Year’s resolutions we make for a fresh start is to get organized. Disorganized spaces in your home or office can begin to clutter your mind and distract you from living a mindful life. Being more organized means you’ll be better prepared for whatever life throws at you. It also means less stress and an overall sense of better well-being — because you’ll know where items are when you need them. ”Getting organized” may mean something different to different people. Organizationinvolves many facets of our lives. For instance, you may have every item in your house in its proper place, however if you can’t get a handle on your daily schedule, you’re not going to feel very organized.

With the new year upon us, here are some basic tips you can follow to get organized. By using some or all of these tips as a starting point, you may be able to approach the new year more successfully than the last one.

Clear Out the Clutter In Your Home

One of the most important ways you can live a more organized life is to get rid of everything that’s getting in the way of it. It’s much more difficult to be organized when you have too many possessions. Take stock of everything you have in your home and get rid of everything you don’t want or need anymore.

A good rule of thumb many people have sworn by is that for every item brought into your home, two should leave. Not only does this make you think more critically about the items you already have in your home, it may make you stop and think twice about getting any new items. Any clothes you haven’t worn in the past year should be donated to a charity. Any kitchen appliances you haven’t used in the past two years can be donated to a shelter. Have a friend go through your junk drawer, and if they don’t see the value in the items, then toss it. Find a great charity that can take clothing and household items that you don’t use. You can also ask your moving company to store furniture that you want to keep, but you don’t need right now.

Embrace the Labels And Organization

One of the simplest but most effective ideas for organizing your home is making sure everything is labeled. Labels make it easier to tell what’s in all of the boxes, totes and crates you have throughout your home. They also make it easier for your family to know where they should put something back after they use it. When everything around your home is marked with clear, easy-to-understand labels, people have no excuse for just leaving something on the counter or on the floor without putting it back in its proper place. This is a great way to prevent future clutter.

Stick to a Schedule

Being organized is a habit. The best way to get into a new habit is to make a schedule and stick to it. Keeping everything in your home neat, clean and organized means staying on top of your household chores. Habits form best when done for 21 days straight, so get an accountability partner to help you habitually organize your home. Realize the organizing is a task that is worthy of your time and deserves to be on your calendar, as much as meetings and other chores. Scheduling a night to clean the bathrooms, for example, means you’ll be much more likely to keep them clean and organized. This way, you can avoid becoming overwhelmed and giving up on your plan.

Keep It Simple

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when your family is busy with afterschool activities and extracurricular commitments. It may seem as though you’re slacking if you don’t load your calendar with as many commitments as possible. Yet the truth is that you don’t have to be booked all the time to have a fulfilling life.

Don’t think you need to fill every open spot on your schedule with commitments or activities. Leaving some free time means you won’t be stressed trying to dash between places so often. It also means you’ll be able to focus on a few tasks you really want to do — rather than stretch yourself thin over too many obligations. If you are a calendar stickler, then block out “personal time” on your calendar and honor that commitment as you would any other meeting.

Getting organized is almost too much for a single New Year’s resolution. However, by following these tips, you stand a better chance of getting organized and having a happier new year.