3 Tips to Get Organized this Year

Happy New Year! I love the start of a new year! The new year seems like a blank canvas on which I can create a whole new me. So what's your new year going to look like? More exercise, less screen time, maybe getting organized? If it's to get organized, you're in good company. It's one of the top 5 resolutions people make every year.
 
January is “Get Organized Month” because it’s a resolution that so many people make. Here are 3 simple tips to help you start towards your goal.
 
1. Keep your expectations realistic - If you have 4 children, a spouse, a job, a dog and 10 other hats that you wear, is it realistic to think your house will look magazine ready every day? Determine what “organized” means to you and go for that level of organization. There’s a wide spectrum of what organized means and it’s different for everyone. Many people can live with things lying around the house and it may appear to be disorganized to you. But if they can find what they need when they need it, that’s being organized. Know what your organizing style is and work with it, not against it.
 
Also, be realistic about how long it will take. Getting organized takes time. Usually more time than you think it will. It can be helpful to have someone work with you to keep you focused.
 
2. Resist the urge to buy products - Sadly, organizing products won’t get you organized, regardless of what the product claims. Before I figured out how to organize effectively, I would hit the Container Store hard, buying bins and boxes for everything. Then I would come home and start to organize, but I was just rearranging my clutter. After a good purging session I would find that those same bins and containers didn’t meet the needs of what was left. My husband joked that I needed containers for my containers. You have to do the hard work of deciding what to keep and what to purge first.
 
3. Be open to change - Organizing systems can start out great, but falter after time. Revaluate the process you created. Does it have too many steps to maintain? Do the other people in your home know your system? It can be helpful to talk through your process with someone who can see it from a different viewpoint.
 
If your resolution is to get organized, I’m here to help. Call 201-674-1474 to schedule a session. Life is easier and less stressful when you are organized.
 
All the best for a fantastic 2016!