Getting organized for the new year

It’s the New Year, and many of my clients and friends have made resolutions to Get Organized!  In fact, “getting organized” is one of the top resolutions made by most people for the New Year.  But how exactly do you get organized?  It is so much easier said than done!
First, and most importantly, you need to decide WHY you want to get organized – and then make that reason a real motivator.

• Are you constantly running late because you can’t find your keys, wallet or phone?
• Are you spending extra money because you buy duplicates of things you know you already have but can’t locate?
• Do you run up late fees on credit cards because you forget to pay the bills?
• Are you buried in too much “stuff” that you know you don’t really need but feel compelled to buy – and keep – “just because”?
• Is being disorganized making you less productive at work, or making your business less profitable?

Identifying your main reason for getting organized is a key part of making yourself stick to a plan.
There are some simple, basic steps you can take to get started on the path to organization.  But just like training yourself to reach a goal in physical fitness (such as losing a few pounds), it takes daily effort to reach your organizational goals.  For example, you can’t organize a room or other space just once and expect it to remain that way without regular maintenance.  You will need to build new habits in order to do consistently whatever needs to be done to stay organized.
Here are 6 easy ways to get started:

• Have a landing zone for your incoming mail and process it at least twice a week.  Make sure there is a large recycling bin close by for all the junk mail!
• Think before you print!  Extra printed paper accounts for a great deal of the clutter that can quickly take over your desk.  Save as a PDF whenever possible.
• Use the “one in, one out” rule.  For every new item you bring into your house, something else has to leave.  Keep a donation box or bag handy to put it in.
• Wait 24 hours before purchasing something online – leave it in your shopping cart and come back to it the next day.  If you still really want it, then try to picture exactly where it will fit in your home.  Only then should you hit “Buy.”
• “Clean as you go.”  This is probably the best piece of advice my mother has ever given me:  the simple idea that if you put something away as soon as you are done using it, you can avoid letting the mess (and your stress level) pile up.  It really only takes a few seconds to put one dish in the dishwasher, hang up one item of clothing, or file one piece of paper – and it’s so much easier than spending hours cleaning an entire room, or looking for something that’s hidden within a huge pile of papers.
• Each night before you go to bed, make a list of the three most important things you want to accomplish the following day.  Then, when the next day comes, make sure you do them!

By following even just one or two of these easy rules on a regular basis, you’ll be on your way to living a more organized and stress-free life!