Everyone dreams of finally getting organized and January is the perfect time to set a plan in motion. Whether you want to improve your organization or create a system that works for you, I’m here to tell you that it’s possible!
The problem with organization plans is that they can be overwhelming. Turns out, organizing your entire life isn’t easy when there’s so much to think about all at once.
This is why I want to focus on the absolute basics today. These are steps that everyone can follow and immediately reap the benefits – both short and long-term. Here’s how to get organized this year!
Start with a declutter
I love the idea of starting with a declutter. It just makes sense and it’s such a satisfying way to start your organization plan. Clutter is fairly easy to get rid of and makes all the following steps more relaxing!
However, there are many levels of decluttering. Decluttering your closet is just as important as decluttering your mind, for example. But let’s take it one step at a time.
When it comes to your home, we already have a guide to decluttering the entire home. It goes room for room and it should be very useful to get you a head start!
You may also want to spend some time decluttering your computer. This goes for the email inbox, spam folder, random desktop files called “asdasd.txt… oh yeah, also clean your Downloads folder if you haven’t done so in a while.
And while going through your email, I highly recommend unsubscribing from random senders you have no interest in anymore. I did that recently and it really cleaned up the number of emails I got daily.
Create a routine
Routines are great because they make you more consistent. But a common mistake is to try and force yourself into a routine someone made for you – at least for me, that has never worked.
Everyone is different, so you have to be honest about what works for you. Otherwise, the routine will never stick!
There are a few things we have to be real about though. For one, you have to eat and drink water – as someone who used to have one meal a day for the longest time, trust me, it makes a huge difference.
This is simply because of the way our body works. It has its own routine that’s non-negotiable, and the more you comply with it, the better you will feel physically on a daily basis.
Outside of that though, there are many subjective additions to your routine. Some people like to wake up and immediately set out for a morning jog. Some people would rather have their first activity of the day to be a healthy snack while reading a book. Some people will swear that the first and most important thing is to make your bed.
It’s your routine, so make it your own! And if you have trouble adapting to new routines, I recommend making small changes at a time and giving them time to breathe. Changing everything all at once can be overwhelming!
Optimize your storage
One way to ensure you’re always organized is to give yourself tons of storage options. If you find yourself struggling with storage, there are many ways to optimize it and make more space without having to purchase anything.
And if you already completed the “declutter step, this should be a lot easier!
Take a good look at the space you have and let’s assume that you can’t purchase any more right now. With that in mind, follow these organizational tips:
- Learn to fold clothes in a way that takes less space
- Use containers you already own and use them to organize clothes and items
- Use under-bed storage options
- Declutter your kitchen to make more storage space
Cook meal preps
Meal preps were one of my new favorite things this past year. It’s a much more efficient and hassle-free way to handle cooking that once you start, you can’t go back.
The idea is to take one day of the week to prepare most of your meals for the rest of the week. Put them in small containers in the freezer and heat them up as necessary.
It’s amazing how useful this is. It saves you tons of time during the week and ensures you always have a meal ready during busy weeks – it’s perfect!
Work on your weaknesses
We all have our weaknesses. Some of us are hoarders, some of us can’t stick to a routine, some of us have too many shoes. When it comes to organization, no one is perfect.
This year, I believe we should recognize our weaknesses and work on them. Full disclosure, my big weakness is that I can’t wake up early to save my life. I don’t need to wake up super early every time, but waking up near midday is too much! I’ll start pushing my alarm an hour earlier every now and then to try and fix this.
So what is your big organization weakness? Comment below and we can help each other out!
Stick to one method for reminders
I always encourage people to use reminders. They’re practical and extremely useful, BUT they can become part of the mess if you’re not careful.
If you’re going to use reminders, I recommend you only use them in one place. So if you like to leave them by the fridge, awesome. If you prefer to have them all on your phone, that’s fine too. Just don’t spread them apart and have one reminder here, another one there, one in your agenda, one in your notepad, and so on. Try to keep everything together.
I really like reminder apps like Todoist, Any.Do, or Minimalist. There are hundreds of other options, so try them out to see which one you prefer and stick to it. The more you develop the habit of using them, the more reliable your reminders will become!
Do you want to start the year with a deep clean? Get free quotes from professional house cleaners in your area today!
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