Ah, the promise of a new year! An opportunity for reflection and the cultivation of some healthy new intentions and habits.
Research shows that nearly 60% of people set new year’s resolutions. According to The Business Insider, getting organized is one of the top 7 resolutions that people make, along with exercising more and eating healthier. That’s right! People recognize the value of being organized! Yet, somewhere between setting ambitious goals and, well, February, resolutions often fall apart. According to the U.S. News & World Report, the failure rate for resolutions is nearly 80%. Not this year!
With some intentionality and commitment, you can not only get organized in the new year, but STAY organized! Here’s how:
Find Your Why
There are a plethora of benefits to having a decluttered and organized environment. Benefits include a reduction in stress and a greater sense of calm. You’ll have more available time and money since you won’t be spending time on the purchase, maintenance and replacement of so much stuff – stuff that often doesn’t add value to your life. Remember these benefits. Hold tight to them whenever you feel discouraged on your journey to organization.
Write Down Your Goals
Be specific. Do you want to improve your time management so you can carve out 30 minutes a day to work on a passion project? Or perhaps your goal is to establish a system for managing the influx of paperwork into your home. Writing these down helps with accountability and provides focus and clarity as to what success looks like to you.
Start Small
When we’re climbing out of a state of disorganization, it can feel overwhelming. To avoid this, organize in bite size chunks. Start with a small area, such as a kitchen junk drawer. Take everything out and place each item into one of four piles: keep, relocate, trash, donate. Then, assign a home to each item that will remain in the space. The benefits of this organized space will provide you with motivation to address additional spaces. Rome wasn’t build in a day, and your house won’t become organized overnight. But you will get there! Celebrate the little victories along the way. Each drawer, shelf or room that becomes organized is cause for celebration.
Employ the 1-in-1-Out Rule
It’s easy for clutter to creep in, so be vigilant about what you allow into your home. For every item that comes in, challenge yourself to move one thing out. That way, you’ll remain in a neutral state instead of one of accretion, which leads to clutter. Or, if you’re looking to decrease the total number of items in your home, get rid of two things for every one thing that comes in.
Do an Evening Reset
Each evening, set a timer for 10-15 minutes, and reset your home for the next day. Tidy up, finish the dishes, pack backpacks (kids can help with this!), and set out clothes for the next day. There’s no use in yesterday’s unfinished business following you into the next day.
Be Consistent
New activities and ways of thinking become lasting lifestyle changes when we employ them consistently, particularly during the first month. After that, they become habits. That is the goal! Leverage whatever calendar system you use elsewhere in your life to help you. Set up repeating meetings or reminders on your phone for your evening resets and organizing sessions, treating them just as you would any other commitment in your schedule.
Consider a Professional
The organizing profession exists to provide judgment free support to individuals who are looking for more organization in their life. Organizers teach skills and provide encouragement and accountability, just as a personal trainer does in support of someone on a fitness journey. Don’t believe the lie that says you’re not the organized type. Organizational skills are just that – skills – that anyone can learn. You can progress on a spectrum from wherever you are. Give yourself credit for taking the first step toward an organized year – the first of many!