Simple Steps to Get You Organized for the New Year
With the new year upon us, let’s get back to basics. Getting organized is more than just a way to manage your stuff. Being organized impacts your entire life – your mood, your productivity, even your relationships. Contrary to what some people may think, being disorganized does not mean you are lazy. Nobody wakes up in the morning and decides to be disorganized or cluttered, but you do have a choice to do something about it.
The truth is that in the modern world, with the demands of work, family, technology, and our own health and well being, the pace of life is hectic, and it is difficult to find time to catch up and regroup. Only once you are able to catch your breath, prioritize your needs and survey the landscape can you start putting things in order. We always counsel our clients to pace themselves – don’t be overly ambitious. Start slowly by taking small steps. 
The ultimate list to help with getting organized: To help get you started, we’ve listed simple steps that will move you toward a more organized lifestyle and will help make your life run more smoothly.
- 1. Don’t create a frenzied morning for yourself.
Wake up ten minutes earlier
and give yourself some extra time to start the day a little easier.
- Go through your closet and remove the clothes that don’t fit or you don’t like anymore. Having those items out of the way will allow you to choose your outfit for the day quickly.
- Remember, answering the phone, or a text, is a choice! Not every call or text is urgent; in fact most aren’t very important at all. Don’t interrupt yourself in the middle of a task. Let the caller leave a message.
- Having everything in its place ultimately saves you money. You probably shop for items that you already own , you’ve just forgotten that you have them since they’re buried at home somewhere.
- Use online banking. You can pay bills, transfer funds and budget your finances within minutes from the comfort of your own home or office.
- Stick a grocery list to the fridge and take it with you shopping. That way, you won’t be scrambling to remember items you need to restock.
- Make photocopies of your important documents – your credit cards, driver’s license, health card, passport and SIN card. Keep them filed in a safe place.
- Do you have an unexpected extra five minutes? Clean out your purse or wallet. We’re sure the reason for keeping those receipts or notes has long passed.
- Don’t get caught scrambling on the morning of the first snowfall. Pull your boots, hats and gloves out of storage when you feel the season turning. (you’ve done that already, right?!)
Ahhh….a new year! And with it, the possibilities are endless and exciting! It’s a chance to reflect on the past year, take stock of what’s working, and assess what changes you’d like to make in the year ahead. If your goal is to become more organized this year, you are not alone. Real Simple Magazine tells us that 78% of people say ‘get organized’ as one of their top priorities for 2014. Do you crave the peace, calm and beauty that greater organization would offer you? There’s something undeniably satisfying about cleaning up and clearing out. When you endeavor to really take stock and let go, you do more than simply rid your space of clutter; you begin to see what you have with fresh eyes. And something else happens too. New spaces begin to open up, inviting you to move your life forward, one step, one decision at a time.Copyright © 2014 Organizing Lives ® All rights are reserved and no part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means unless expressly stated otherwise, or except with the written permission of Organizing Lives®. Enquires should be directed to: info@orgliv.mybusinesshub.ca