A new year and new opportunities
Here we are! We made it through yet another year. Hopefully you’ve been able to sit down and catch your breath after the holiday season to reflect on where you’re at in life.
If you haven’t already, sit down and physically write, yes, on an actual piece of paper, what your top 3 goals are this year. If you’d like to be more organized, simply writing “Get organized” is too broad of a topic. If you feel overwhelmed with all the clutter in your home, you can write: “Whole house reset.” Then jot down each room you’d like to tackle beneath that with bullet points. And a date. This can give you some accountability to finish this project by this time.
Keep in mind, life happens. You may not organize your pantry by February 23rd. But having these projects listed with an actual “completed by” date can give you a framework to set some goals.
Begin with what area of your home is the most overwhelming for you. You may need to say, “For one hour each weekend, I am going to work on the basement.” What does “work on” mean? Let me break it down for you.
Get 4 pieces of paper. On each sheet, write DONATE, TRASH, SELL, and KEEP. Tape each sheet around the room, perhaps one in each corner. Some people like to use laundry baskets or tarps to differentiate each section depending on the size of the space.
1. DONATE. As you begin working in your room of choice, put any items that you feel are still in good condition and worth donating in this corner. Research local charities and choose to give accordingly.
2. TRASH. This includes items that are broken, damaged, stained, or ruined. Just throw these things away. You may want to put a trash can in this corner. You can carry around a trash sack as you declutter as well. Remember, these items no longer serve you.
3. SELL. If you own some high-end items (a newer bicycle, expensive jewelry, etc.) that you would like to sell, place these in a tote or box in its respective corner. Disclaimer: Some of my clients have SO much clutter in their homes that they don’t have the time or mental capacity to try to sell their items. That’s okay. You can donate them. If you don’t have the emotional energy to deal with it, remove it from your home.
4. KEEP. Be aggressive in what you actually choose to keep. If you’re finding your party decor is adding up to 32 totes, you may want to consider more donations or trash. Keep in mind, THIS is when you can choose to purchase storage containers. Many people want to buy all the cute storage bins and containers before the decluttering stage. Nope! It’ll be more beneficial to wait and see what you end up with as “keep” items. You may also have a basket of “keep” items that simply need to go to their appropriate places in your home.
After the room is divided up into these four sections, take the trash immediately to the trash can, put the donation items directly into your vehicle, and store your “keep” items in a logical manner in that space until you purchase containers (if needed). This includes putting other items in their “homes” around the house.
Remember, it’s okay to use what you have around your home for storage containers. Not everyone needs perfectly matched totes and labels…even though they certainly are pretty. You’ve got this! What are your goals for this year?
