Get More Organized in 2018 is the resolution that thousands [maybe millions] are making this week. Are you one of them? Do you desire to be more organized this year? There are many organizing tips that are offered at the beginning of a New Year, but The Proper Place is offering these essential simple tips to help get you focused and set up for realistic success and organization in 2018!
Tips to get you organized this year:
Be realistic in your goal
If you put “be more organized” on your New Year’s resolution list, you’re probably setting yourself up for failure. That goal is huge! That phrase is something that can never be checked off the list because, what does it really mean to “be more organized?” Create a realistic and specific guideline for what you really want to achieve in the world of organization this year. Such as: I want to better manage the mail/paper. I want to arrive on time to appointments. I want have a place for my kids’ school work/artwork as memories. I want to love my closet. I want to be more productive in the mornings. The list could go on. Know what’s important for you to “get more organized” and then you can create a plan to get you there.
Start now
Don’t wait until you’re done with a project or feeling motivated. Start where you are today. [even if you’ve already failed some of your resolution goals. start again!]
Choose one area to focus on at a time
Don’t tackle it all at once or you’ll be too overwhelmed to make long-term progress. Pick the area that affects your everyday life the most, and tackle that from beginning to end before starting in another room/area. If you don’t know where to start, I recommend you start with the junk drawer in your kitchen [we all have one!]. This may seem small, but your heart will leap with joy when you open it every day and know right where to find your scissors. The relief a small area brings to your life can motivate you to want to have that feeling in other areas.
Update the calendar
If you’re a paper person, be sure you’ve purchased a 2018 calendar that you enjoy looking at AND is easy to write on. Some of the glossy ones are not conducive to writing on with pencil, and since plans always change, pencils are necessary. If you’re a digital calendar person, keep on keeping on! Remember you can share most digital calendars with your family members or color code based on activity for easy reference. A popular family planning app is Cozi for those tech moms who want to go the extra mile. Put the standing dates [anniversary, b-days, events] on the calendar right away. And remember, the calendar is only as helpful if you put things on it.
Limit your lists
At the start of a new year we are spurred to make list and lists of things we want to accomplish, do, buy, quit, etc. We make lists to make our lives easier, but we can quickly become overwhelmed by too many lists! Limit your lists and keep them in one place, i.e. on the fridge, in your purse, on your phone. Have your daily working list and then your big umbrella list with the bigger dreams and plans for the week, month or year. Use paper or technology. Wunderlist is a simple app for the smart phone.
Determine what is organized enough
Many times we don’t start because we don’t think we can do it well enough. Well, if we strive for HGTV organized, we will never get there. We are all in different life stages and need to function in our homes differently. If you determine what is ‘organized enough’ for your current life stage, the goal will be much more attainable. And I can guarantee, once you are organized enough you will feel spurred on to a new level of energy and order!
Steady wins the race
Don’t binge organize and try to check “get organized” off the list in one shot. It’s like exercising – you didn’t get that waste line overnight, so it unfortunately won’t shrink with one intense workout. It takes time and discipline in DAILY choices to get spaces to a place of desired organization and to maintain the order. A few hours can get you a long way in one space for sure, but remember: Organization is a journey, not a destination.
What will your journey look like in 2018?
