New year, new you! Yes, it’s a cliché, but it’s also a completely doable cliché. Getting organized is something that many of us think about a lot. Organizing your surroundings will benefit you in more ways than one. It will save you time (have you ever spent an hour searching for something that was right in front of you the whole time?), but it will also save you from stress! I always feel much calmer when my house is clean and organized. Also, organizing what’s around you will help you get your goals in order, too! I know quite a few people, including myself, who have a New Year’s resolution to get organized. And whether you are the type to make New Year’s resolutions or not, everybody likes to be organized. The problem is that many of us don’t know where to start. Well, here are 3 steps to prep yourself and your home for organization:
1. Plan!
I can’t believe I’m saying this (I’m not a planner at all!), but when it comes to organizing, you should always start with a plan. It’s just the nature of becoming a more organized person. Whether that means you write out your goals on paper or you have a calendar that you follow, it doesn’t matter. But if you have some sort of plan, you’re much more likely to actually be productive. My husband is constantly getting on my case about my lack of planning, but I can’t deny that I do seem to be more productive when I at least try to plan out my days or weeks.
2. Throw Stuff Out
It’s so much easier to get organized when you aren’t dealing with extra stuff that you don’t need. Throw away or give away anything that you don’t use. If it’s an old pair of shoes with holes in the soles, throw them out. But if it’s a nice coat that you just don’t wear, then give it to a homeless shelter or a worthy charity. Even things like kitchenware, home decor, and furniture, can be given to your local thrift store or donation center. This step may end up being combined with the next one and that’s okay.
3. Get Contained
If you have old cardboard boxes lying around, those will work fine. Or go to a dollar store and get some cheap plastic containers. It’s easiest to organize when you don’t have to go from room to room every 10 seconds. Instead, have a few boxes and label them by room (plus one labeled “trash” and one labeled “donate”). Anything that isn’t where it belongs should get put into the box of the room where it belong. Just start filling up the boxes and once a box is full, take it to the room where it belongs. Once you have everything in the room where it belongs (even just in a box in the room), organizing becomes a little easier. This might seem overwhelming at first, but don’t worry! Just take it one room at a time (or one bookshelf at a time, if needed).
