New Year Plan to Get Organized

With the holidays over, the pain of having to take down decorations is upon us. If you’re hoping that you can fit another storage bin on your garage shelf without it breaking, it’s time to declutter.

Productivity experts recommend tackling organization with a strategy; set a schedule and set reminders for yourself. To make the task easier, spread out the work.

Below is a New Year plan to help you achieve your organization goals for the year, month by month.

January- It’s okay if you didn’t like one or more of the gifts you got this year, but what’s not okay is keeping everything when you know it will never get used. Donate, return, or toss unwanted items, or toss older versions to make room for the new.

February- It’s time to dump all the things you kept because you “might need them in the future.” If you haven’t revisited them in a year, chances are you won’t revisit them ever. This includes: old love letters, greeting cards, photos, and business cards from people you no longer correspond with. (You can scan sentimental items into your computer to save them without taking up physical space in your home.)

March- Prepare your gardening tools for spring. Throw out all expired seeds, broken flower pots, and torn gardening gloves.

April- Shred the files of papers and receipts you kept for tax purposes (after you file your taxes). Also, start going through old sports and outdoor equipment. Donate items your family doesn’t use or have outgrown, such as bicycles and baseball gloves.

May- Before it gets too warm, go through old boxes in the attic or basement. Toss out any items may be broken or damaged from being stored.

June- Evaluate the condition of travel gear for vacation season. Luggage and camping gear can take up a lot of space, so if you plan to replace these, try repurposing them or donate to a local thrift store.

July- Survey your closet for spring and summer clothes. The ones you haven’t worn yet this season should be donated now so that others can wear them while it’s warm.  Also, do an inventory of school supplies. Old markers, pens, and glue sticks may be dried up. Toss these, then make a list of what you need to buy for the new school year.

August- Go through the kids' schoolwork that you have been saving. Only keep the best examples of their work and take photos of anything that may be taking up space. Displaying their artwork will help decrease the need for storing it, too.

September- Now that the kids are back in school, you can focus on getting your private spaces organized. Purge old supplies from your home office and take stock of what you need for new projects. Consider purchasing storage bins and file cabinets for increased organization.

October- Get ready for lots of food as the holiday season approaches by organizing your kitchen, starting with the pantry. Check expiration dates and toss expired items, chipped plates, bowls, and any rusted/bent cutlery.

November- Weed through old holiday decorations as you begin to buy new ones. Donate the old ones you aren’t as fond of.

December- Take the warm clothes you don’t wear to a charity. Someone else could surely use that old, never-been-worn sweater in the cold!