When it comes to making New Year’s resolutions to get organized it’s important not to overreach and set yourself up for failure and disappointment. With the right plan, positive improvements will begin to appear long before spring time. These easy to implement steps will get the most effective results in helping you turn your New Year’s resolution into reality.
1. Begin with a specific reason for why you want to get organized. Perhaps you’re frustrated with piles of papers always cluttering up your countertops or just stressed out and exhausted trying to get control of the mess and clutter in the closet or garage. Then, visualize what the results will look like after you’re organized and create a plan for achieving it. For example, if you keep piling papers on the counter top, pick a place where you will always place them, add a small container to keep them in control and set aside time daily to sort, purge and take action on them. If you are tired of shuffling through clutter in the closet or garage, take the necessary steps to purge out the clutter and schedule small blocks of time in your week to actually do it.
2. Pick your most challenging spot (it’s usually the one area that frustrates you the most and drives you crazy). For some people it’s keeping up with the mail and all the important papers coming into the home and not letting it culminate into large piles. For others it may be the clutter in the clothes closet that creates a challenge. You can’t start everywhere and most often this is the major reason most don’t accomplish their goals.
3. Focus on just one area at a time; one pile of papers; one drawer in a desk; one shelf in a closet; one small corner of a room. Once you begin to see the results with one area this will give you momentum and will motivate you to continue with other areas of your home.
Lastly, after you’ve organized an area, practice keeping it that way. Develop a daily habit of always putting things away in their home immediately. If you truly wish to eliminate clutter and take back control of your space, your time and your life, now’s the perfect time to take action! Implementing these simple steps will enable you to stop feeling frustrated and out of control. Beginning this year, focus on just on area per month and by next year you’ll be proud of your accomplishments and making new resolutions for other areas of your life.