Although losing the holiday pounds is by far the most common Ney Year's resolution, getting rid of the clutter and getting organized are moving up on the list. Once the holiday decorations are back in the basement or attic, why not work with a clean slate to keep your home in order and save you time and money in your daily life?
Retailers have made getting organized a season all its own with aisles filled with storage bins, shelving units, calendars and paper shredders offering shoppers the tools they need to clean out the garage, the drawer, the office, or just to clean up their act while saving time and money.
Be mindful that while January may be a good time to begin getting organized, staying organized requires a comprehensive approach to the problem. If you are going to clean it up, make the more important resolution to keep it up - and this involves planning. Crash organizing doesn't work any better than crash dieting.
Begin at the beginning and really focus on what you want to accomplish. The first step in decluttering is to make a list of all your problems so that you can be objective about what you want to do, prioritize things and work on one thing at a time.
When it comes to clutter, paper is generally everyone's biggest problem. We've just got too much of it. Many communities offer recycling services as an environmentally friendly way to dispose of paper products. Confidential documents and credit card applications are best when shredded. You might even place the shredder near where the mail is opened to dispose of unwanted items immediately.
Another key to reducing clutter is knowing what you have. Taking stock of your possessions is a task that can help save you money. It will no longer be necessary to purchase redundant items that got lost in the shuffle. It's not unusual to uncover uncashed checks and unused gift cards, too. A more drastic way to save money is to actually downsize your home. People have realized that they need less space after they got rid of the clutter!
Of course, the biggest obstacle to getting organized is a lack of time. Simply commit to a three-hour window of getting organized. If time is very limited, the best strategy is to focus on the kitchen. You are going to save so much money on eating out if you are cooking at home. And since the kitchen is the hub of most homes, keeping it organized is the best way to keep everything else running smoothly.
Follow these five tips and see what a difference it will make in your life:
- Make a list of all your trouble spots or speed bumps.
- Choose one thing on that list and break it down into bite-sized pieces.
- Store things at the point of first use. Keep your steamer basket liners in the steamer so you won't have to search for them when needed.
- Label. If you are doing the organizing, no one else in the house understands the system. Labeling drawers or items helps people store things in the right place.
- Color code. Don't get carried away, but a little color coding can help, such as assigning kids colored shower caddies to hold their toiletries.
January is the time for new beginnings. Don't wait until Spring to clean - it will be too nice outdoors!
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