5 New Year's Resolutions to Help You Get Organised
These simple habits and routines will help set you up for a successfully organised 2018
Instead of making New Year’s resolutions that are unattainable, and which you’ll forget after a week, how about making resolutions that are easy to uphold and will lead to a better quality of life at home? These simple ideas are not overwhelming, and will make your 2018 so much more organised. Follow these 5 guidelines to set up your year right.
1. If it will take less than two minutes to do, do it now
Procrastination is the biggest killer of organisation. Disorganisation is nothing more than delayed decisions, so if you would like to be more organised in 2018 you need to reduce how much you procrastinate.
Procrastination is the biggest killer of organisation. Disorganisation is nothing more than delayed decisions, so if you would like to be more organised in 2018 you need to reduce how much you procrastinate.
My favourite way to encourage organisation and keep procrastination at bay is to follow the saying ‘If it will take less than two minutes to do, do it now’. This simple motto drives much of my motivation for housework and keeping my home tidy.
When I see something discarded on the floor, for example, and it’s easier in the short term to walk right over it, I remind myself that it will take less than two minutes to put away, so I pick it up and return it to its home. When I see a dish rack that needs unstacking, I remind my children that it will take them less than two minutes to unstack it.
Keeping an organised home isn’t about doing a big tidy-up once a week, it’s the culmination of small intentional decisions made each day to return items to where they belong, and make decisions to stay on top of clutter.
Got a Spare 60 Mins? Choose from 3 Satisfying Decluttering Jobs
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2. Open your mail
Each day our letterboxes bring both important mail and junk mail into our homes. It’s so easy to just dump everything on the kitchen bench to deal with later, however, a great habit that will help you have a more organised year is to deal with all paperwork as soon as it enters your home. Throw unwanted junk mail straight into the recycling bin. Enter invitations and appointments straight into your calendar before throwing them out.
Each day our letterboxes bring both important mail and junk mail into our homes. It’s so easy to just dump everything on the kitchen bench to deal with later, however, a great habit that will help you have a more organised year is to deal with all paperwork as soon as it enters your home. Throw unwanted junk mail straight into the recycling bin. Enter invitations and appointments straight into your calendar before throwing them out.
And with mail, I suggest opening it immediately and disposing of the envelope and any advertising material inside. Keep only pieces of paper that require follow up. If you can pay a bill straight away, do it and move on.
3. Carefully consider new items
A great tip to keep your home decluttered and your family organised this year is to be conscious of the new items you bring into your home. When you’re thinking of buying anything new, ask yourself ‘Do I have something in my home that already performs this function?’
A great tip to keep your home decluttered and your family organised this year is to be conscious of the new items you bring into your home. When you’re thinking of buying anything new, ask yourself ‘Do I have something in my home that already performs this function?’
If the answer is yes, but you’re still set on getting a new gadget, tech item or appliance, donate the old one straight away so you don’t have two of the same kind of thing just taking up space.
4. Remember, one in one out
Continue that great habit so that each time you bring anything new into your home, you let one thing from the same category go. This stops you gathering clutter over time, without being conscious of it ever building up. This will go a long way toward keeping your home organised this year.
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Continue that great habit so that each time you bring anything new into your home, you let one thing from the same category go. This stops you gathering clutter over time, without being conscious of it ever building up. This will go a long way toward keeping your home organised this year.
Browse organisation stories on Houzz
New item of clothing? Donate a piece from your wardrobe to a charity shop, or see if a friend or family member would like it. Kids getting a new toy? Ask them to pick out another that they no longer play with and donate that to a child in need. The same goes for new books, games and anything else you can think of.
5. Use rubbish-collection day well
Most councils will pick up household rubbish once a week or once a fortnight, so use this opportunity wisely to help rid your home of unwanted clutter. Spend five minutes of the night before your collection day walking around with a garbage bag, gathering up stuff that has accumulated around the house and can be thrown out.
Most councils will pick up household rubbish once a week or once a fortnight, so use this opportunity wisely to help rid your home of unwanted clutter. Spend five minutes of the night before your collection day walking around with a garbage bag, gathering up stuff that has accumulated around the house and can be thrown out.
As well as emptying all household bins, having just one extra bag of rubbish leave your house each week will significantly help you keep clutter at bay.
Tell us
Share your New Year’s resolutions about how to be more organised in the Comments. We are keen to hear them and support you in your goals. And if you found this story helpful, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share your thoughts below.
More
Find a professional home organiser on Houzz
Share your New Year’s resolutions about how to be more organised in the Comments. We are keen to hear them and support you in your goals. And if you found this story helpful, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share your thoughts below.
More
Find a professional home organiser on Houzz
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