The Ultimate Guide To Organizing This New Year - Part 1
5 New Year “Intentions” To Help You Stay Organized
Wow! It’s crazy to think we're already two weeks into 2023. I don't know about you all, but this year for me is all about new beginnings. Last month I graduated from Queen’s University after a 4.5-year Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree and for the first time in my whole entire life, I don't have any academic obligations, exams, or deadlines. So, what a more perfect time than the first month of 2023 to start implementing healthy habits, routines and intentions. Around this time of year, many of us take the time to make “New Year's Resolutions” -or as I like to call them, “New Year's Intentions”- to implement positive changes in our lives for the new year.
One of the best “intentions” you can set for the new year is to be organized. I know it seems broad, but it not only is simple and allows for flexibility and adaptation, but it also encourages continuity and maintenance. From organizing various rooms and spaces in your home to organizing your goals, finances and schedules, this two-part blog series covers Organization-Specific New Years Intentions you can implement to be more organized in 2023, as well as a How-To Guide on Maintaining Your Organizational New Year's Intentions.
“Intentions” vs “Resolutions”
My preference for setting “intentions” compared to “resolutions” is that I view “resolutions” as something you want to fix about yourself or your lifestyle and consequently, tend to inspire negative thoughts about your current situation.
On the other hand, an “intention” is more focused on creating abundance in your life and does not imply something is wrong with the way you currently live, but instead, motivates you to live even better. It allows you to approach your goals with more compassion for yourself and puts less pressure on creating change and more inspiration to take action.
5 New Years Intentions To Help You Stay Organized
1)Start Small:
The first, and most important step when setting organizational new years intentions is to start small. The #1 problem people run into when setting organizational “resolutions” rather than “intentions” is that they’re thinking too big.
It's common for resolutions to be something like; “I’m going to get my home and office completely organized this year, and I will never misplace anything ever again.” This is not only unrealistic but it would take such a long time to complete that you would run out of steam before you even saw any results, let alone be motivated to maintain it.
To prevent this frustration, set realistic intentions and break them into smaller goals. For example, If your intention is to have a tidy office space, start by setting mini goals within that such as; clearing out desk drawers, test pens/markers, creating a filing system, etc. This way, you are able to work on many smaller tasks without getting overwhelmed, while working toward your intention.
2) Use One Calendar for Everything:
This includes reminders, vacations, school events, sports games, and anything else. It's extremely important that your calendar is portable, whether it’s in paper or digital form. That way, you can mark down appointments and other calendar-worthy events when you’re on the go.
Personally, I’m a sucker for the old fashion pen and paper method and have been using this Weekly & Monthly Academic, 8 1/2" x 11" Large planner from amazon for the past few years and am obsessed with it. I find this works best for me as it’s just me who needs a reminder of my schedule.
However, if you have a family in which everyone needs to know aspects of the schedule, I suggest using a digital calendar such as google calendar. This allows everyone in the family access to a full calendar, with the option to create and RVSP to events.
3) Establish Daily, Weekly and Monthly Routines:
Doing house chores doesn’t need to be overwhelming! Once you break down the tasks into daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal lists, you’ll see how little time it actually takes to keep your house clean. Household chore lists can help you iron out what needs cleaning and how often. Here is a sample list;
Daily: Make the bed, Clean kitchen countertops, Wash Dishes after every meal, Put things in their place, check the mail.
Weekly: Laundry (Clothes, Bed sheets, Towels), vacuum or sweep, clean out fridge and freezer, take out the trash, clean bathroom.
Monthly: Organize closet and drawers, Clean oven and dishwasher, Dust light fixtures and fan blades, wipe down light switched & door handles, Windex windows.
PRO TIP: Add these tasks to the shared calendar so you know when it's time to clean and for gentle reminders to other members of the family of what needs to get done around the house.
4) Organize Bills, Paperwork & Mail:
It’s not a shame to admit that we all have junk drawers to hide loose bills, papers, flyers etc, but in 2023 were saying goodbye to the junk drawer and saying hello to a filing system. By having a filing system you're not only able to group important documents and bills together for easy access, but it also frees up a whole drawer with useable space for other important items.
Don't allow papers, bills and mail to pile up by dedicating 5-10 minutes each day to opening your mail and filing any important paperwork. Make sure you’re also using e-billing wherever possible to reduce the inflow.
PRO TIP: If junk mail contributes to a lot of the paper clutter in your home, you can reduce the amount you get by registering for the Canadian Marketing Association’s Do Not Mail Service.
5) Get Help From a Professional:
If you are still feeling overwhelmed and have no idea where to even start, that's okay! Getting your home organized by a professional organizing company will make starting all the more easier when you learn the expertise of a professional who knows the best ways to help you accomplish your organizing goals.
At Popped Closet, we provide a practical organizing service that transforms your space and the way you live and work. We’ll help you get rid of the things you don’t use and find the right place for everything else so that you can live your life with more of the good stuff – purpose, wellness, and joy.
The Takeaway
It’s important to remember that this journey, is a long one and that conditions do not have to be perfect in order for you to make small progress. Focus instead on doing the right things more often, and forgive yourself when you fall short or slip up. Don’t give up if it’s not perfect – just recognize your mistakes and move past them. That’s where true progress comes from.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this blog series on How To: Maintain Your Organizational New Year's intentions.
Nikki Cannon