Get Organized In 2018

Hey friends! Something kinda took over me last night. The ‘spiral’ happens quite quickly around here actually. You know, you start a project and it turns into something else.  In my quest to get organized for 2018, I am tackling all the spaces. All the cabinets. All the drawers. All the closets. All the rooms. Last night, as I was putting away my Christmas dishes, I realized that I have way too many platters and bowls that I never use! Cutesie seasonal items, old stuff, things that people have left and never collected no matter how much I tried to find the owners. So guess what? I pulled out everything and I only put back the things that I truly love and use. Everything else is sitting in a pile and will be headed to the local thrift shop tomorrow. It felt oh so good to get rid of things. Plus, my cabinets feel so organized! I also might have realized just how bad my Rae Dunn mug addiction is and well, sorry not sorry for that one!

Even if you aren’t an organized person or think that you aren’t, I promise that you can love the final result. There is something so freeing about getting rid of unused and unneeded items. You feel lighter and less weighed down.

I have made a couple of trips to Southern California to help my brother and sister-in-law get organized. A lot of getting organized is about cultivating good habits. I realize that this doesn’t come as easily to some people. Start small. We all have different levels of feeling organized. Sometimes we try to be as organized as others but we all have our own ‘best’.  Do your best and forget the rest. That’s not asking too much, right?

My top 3 things to keep myself organized.

• Always keep a to-do list. I have one going weekly and on Sunday, I start a new list carrying over from previous week,
• Always fold laundry in the laundry room. I keep a basket of the clean folded clothes and it is then it’s my youngest son’s chore to get it upstairs and distributed to it’s owner.
• Straighten the main rooms in your house before you go to bed. My family room and kitchen get a quick tidying before I flip the switch on the day and head to bed.

Sometimes we get attached to the notion of something, the sentiment, what it cost. Really think about what this means. Does it deserve the space in your home? Often times, physical clutter translates to mental or emotional clutter. Pinky swear. It’s a thing. How often does someone do a good clean out and say, “I feel worse now that my house is cleaner?” Yeah, never.

So let’s do some goal setting, shall we?

• Fill up your coffee cup + grab a snack
• Grab a notepad and pen.
• Write a list of things you’d like to accomplish around the house – be specific. ie: organize the guest room closet, paint the master bathroom, purge kids toys, etc. Remember, some projects will be small and take hardly any time, others might be all-consuming for awhile {sometimes those are the most rewarding though!}
• With each project, start three piles. One to donate, one to sell and one to keep. Pack up the donate stuff ASAP and get rid of it! Don’t let it sit in your garage or your car.
• Always clean down the space before you put things in their new and improved home. Get rid of that dust and muck.
• Step back and admire your hard work.
• Cross off your completed task on your list.
• Pick a new project.
• Repeat.

I will be sharing a series of inspirational posts about organizing in 2018. Inspiration really is everywhere! Plus, I will be sharing some of my own DIY projects. Follow along as I check off my own to do list. I will be working on simple projects and entire room overhauls.

Do you need help in creating better habits in the new year? Is there a certain space or project that you need guidance for? Comment here or send me an email, I might have some suggestions to get you started.

Happy 2018 to you! I hope your year is full of wonder. My little nuggets going into the new year are:  Dream big. Don’t be perfect, be consistent and focus more on less.