Getting Organized in the New Year

Did you know that clutter and disorganization can impact your anxiety level, sleep and ability to focus? It’s true, and a cluttered home can even make us less productive at home and at work. For those that work from home, this can be even more important.

Human brains are designed to desire order. When we face consistent disorganization in our daily lives, whether in our calendars, our homes, our closets or our offices, it can reduce our memory function and impact our happiness. 

Marie Kondo, author of a New York Times bestseller and Netflix show, Tidying Up, says: “We should be choosing what we want to keep, not what we want to get rid of.”

If you’ve heard of Marie Kondo, you are likely familiar with the concept of discarding anything that does not spark joy in your life. This process allows you to look at each item and weigh what it brings to your life, and then choosing whether to keep it based on that awareness. Our caring team is here to share a few ideas to help you get started: 

Tackle Paperwork

‍It’s common for files to get out of order throughout the year. You might have mail piling up in one area, leftover Christmas cards on display, and paperwork in piles around your home or office. Gather everything into a common area, sort what needs to be kept into a file system and shred what you no longer need. Don’t have a shredder at home? You can shred paper at UPS and other local businesses. 

Home

‍Set a goal to focus on one area of your home at a time and clean out anything that is no longer serving you or your family. This is a great opportunity to throw out broken items, donate things that are still useful to a local thrift store or sell items that you’re no longer using. 

Clean Out your Vehicle

‍Next time you head out to your car, grab a garbage bag and some disinfectant wipes. It only takes a few minutes to clean out the garbage, collect the items that need to return to your home to be put away and wipe down all of the surfaces. 

Organize your Pantry

It’s important to periodically look through your pantry items to check for anything that has expired and needs to be replaced. This is also a great opportunity to donate any non-expired, shelf stable items your family isn’t using to a local food pantry. 

Meal Planning

Organizing a weekly menu can help free up energy and time by predetermining what’s for dinner. You can start small by planning a few meals at a time or focusing exclusively on prepping what you’ll have for dinner each evening. 

Budget

‍When it comes to financial planning, there’s never a bad time to start. 

While these ideas are helpful to brainstorm where you might get started or inspire you to think of other areas of life that you’d like to bring some fresh organization to. Before you get started, we have a few tips and tricks to help you be successful as you start your journey to organize the new year: 

Stick to the Basics

‍It can be overwhelming attempting to tackle everything all at once. We recommend making a list of the areas you would like to focus on, and then tackle them one at a time. Think through the biggest pain points you’re experiencing and consider starting with those. 

Establish a Plan of Action

Once you’ve set achievable goals, a plan of action will ensure you stay focused and productive. Tracking your progress as you go, through a visible checklist or digital list, can help you feel accomplished as you work toward completing the tasks.

Commit to a Timeline

One of the keys to success is to establish a schedule for when you’d like to complete the items on your list and then hold yourself accountable. This can be accomplished by sharing your goals with someone in your life, setting up a calendar with reminders to prod you along the way or creating a visible timeline somewhere in your home to keep you on track. 

Take Breaks

‍It’s important that you build in a period of rest. Some people find the Pomodoro Method effective at maintaining focus by taking short breaks between longer timeframes of productivity. 

Regardless of how you choose to start, remember that small actions can compound into a great impact.