Six Secrets to Successful January Decluttering

It is a new year so we can make a fresh start!  The classic new year’s resolution that we hear is, “I am going to get organized this year”.  As you know, Donna and I find that new year’s resolutions can set you up for failure so we would prefer to focus on the positive!  Maybe the above resolution can be revised to “I am going to start the process of getting organized this year”. This is a more attainable goal and anything you do moving in the direction of organization is a success.  Lots of our clients look to us and ask the question “Where do I start?” So we want to give you some ideas for getting started:

Secret #1

Motivate yourself.  Attitude is very important in this process.  Pick a room that you want to tackle. Imagine how you want the room to look.  What is your goal? Draw a picture of what you want the room to look like. Decide what tasks you want to accomplish in that room.  Everything you need to accomplish those tasks should be in this room. How will you feel when you are organized? For some of you that are visual, you may want to make a vision board that has pictures that represent how you want to feel in your space.  What will you do with your time when you get organized? Take some time to answer some of these questions. Post them somewhere you can see them everyday as motivation. You can post them on your bathroom mirror or in the room that you are transforming. It keeps the goal in front of you and motivates you to make steps toward this goal everyday.

Secret #2

Start somewhere.  It doesn’t really matter as long as you start.  If you are a logical person, start at the left and make your way across the room.  Start with the surfaces first, don’t start by pulling everything out of the drawers.  Grab garbage and recycling bags and start by gathering any garbage and recycling that you see first.  The most important thing is to START. Once you get started that is half the battle! Donna and I ALWAYS talk about using a timer.  We can start something if we know that we don’t have to stay at it for hours. Set your timer for 15 minutes and work hard and fast for that 15 minutes.  After the timer goes off, one of two things will happen – either you get over the hump of starting and you are ready to continue OR you accomplished enough for today and will try it again tomorrow.  The key is to start!!

Secret #3

Start with the area or room that frustrates you the most.  What area or room is used a lot? Where is the dumping ground in your home?  If you tackle this area first, you will quickly see the benefits and it will relieve some stress.  We often find the kitchen is a popular place to start. It is the room that is used the most and everything seems to be dumped in this space.  Sometimes our clients like to start in the storage areas or the “spare bedroom”. If new found space can be found in these storage areas, there is a place to put all the excess stuff from other rooms!  Pick the spot that is frustrating and tackle it first.

Secret #4

Focus on a little bit at a time.  You know we love lists so make a list of all the areas that you want to organize.  When you have completed the list – pick one room that you are going to focus on. Within that room, list all the specific tasks to complete.  Break down the large task into smaller tasks. For example, organize the bedroom is the overall task. The specific tasks could be: organize the closet, organize the dressers, organize my jewelry, etc.  Start tackling one task at a time.

Secret #5

Give yourself a deadline.  You need to schedule the time in your calendar and you need to give yourself a project completion date.  The most effective way of completing a room is to give a deadline for each task within that room, instead of a general date that the bedroom organization needs to be done.  For example, organize the closet by January 19^th, organize the children’s toys by January 30^th, etc.  Breaking tasks down into bite-sized pieces allows us to feel success during the process.

Secret #6

Reward yourself.  We need to break down our goal into bite-sized pieces.  Set up a reward system for each bite that is completed.   Mini rewards for mini pieces. Big reward for big goals accomplished.  For example, when I have the closet organized, I will spend 30 minutes reading my favourite book.  When the entire bedroom is organized, I will take myself out for lunch. Post your goals, deadlines and rewards where you can see them everyday.

Donna and I did a segment on CTV News at Noon about how to organize after the busy holiday season. If you are interested in watching this “Vintage Video” of the two of us, click below:

The battle is just getting started . . . so do it! 🙂

Our colleague Amanda Lundrigan from Tidy Memories Photo Organizing is super excited to announce her upcoming WORKSHOP! If organizing your print photos is on your list of new years resolutions or 2020 year goals, join her in January. You will be working hands-on with your photo collection while receiving guidance from Tidy Memories.  Date: Wednesday, January 15th Location: The Imperial Suites – Sunroom  214 Mill Street, New Hamburg, ON Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00pm Facebook Event Link:https://www.facebook.com/events/583519435746354/ If you would like to sign up for this workshop, please email Amanda at:  tidymemories@gmail.com