How can I get organized this year?
Photo by ifindkarma 
I am a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. Last year, my resolution was to buy less-and I’m proud to say that I lived up to it. In addition to buying less, I also made a conscious effort to get rid of unnecessary items around the house. Alas, despite the reduced amount of clutter, the disorder that remains is vexing. Everyone has their own methods of getting organized, which is cool, but I’ll admit that some systems work better for me than others. I’ll also admit to being a little OCD about being organized (I live by The List), which is why I find clutter and chaos so frustrating. Here are my three favorite tips on how to get organized:
Tip 1: My mother has always said, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” I find it much easier to file paperwork if there is a file drawer, to shelve books when there is adequate shelf space, and to put clothes away when there is a place to put them. If you’re not into getting rid of stuff, having the right kind of storage is critical. Personally, I’m a big fan of modular storage; but really, this is a case of finding storage solutions that you can get excited about. (I love places like Storables and The Container Store, but IKEA has some interesting storage units, too.)
Tip 2: Look at what is cluttering your house with a critical eye. How much extra paper have you accumulated? Every time I clean, I find a metric ton of paper. After I moved, I realized how many softcover novels I had. Now, some of them are favorites that I’ll revisit, but most of them are not really the types of books that I’ll reread. Our softcover policy now is that once we’ve read it, it either gets traded in at the used bookstore, or it gets donated to the library.
Tip 3: Stick with it. Once you have everything organized and in its place, don’t get too comfortable. Stay on your system by filing paperwork as it comes in, and putting things away immediately (instead of dropping them on a table). Another gem from my mother is, “A mess you don’t make is a mess you don’t have to clean up.”
What are you doing to get organized this year?
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Check out Flylady.com – she can be a life saver – with a sense of humor. Good Luck.
good staring good luck
First when a bill is due right down the date on your calender. Sign up for e-statements when it comes to bills and statements then go through all your files one month at a time a day and you may spend 30 minutes seeing what you need and what you don’t. Finally you should not put off doing anything such as making your bed, doing the laundry or if you want to try something new, check it out before you do it see if it is something you believe will benefit you or if it will be a hassel.
Good Luck
I have to second that Flylady.com is the way to go.
Not only does she get you organized. She gets rid
of the stress you feel because you are not. Teaches
people tp be prepared and lets you let go of that I am
always behind feeling. Hope this helps and Good luck.
P.S. one more tip I have used for a long time
set your timer for 15 20 30 minutes per room and once the beeper beeps move on to the next room
sooner than later you will see that the cleaning gets easier and there is More time for organizing.
I have a problem with entirely too much stuff. Especially if the thing you can’t throw give away or store neatly away. I counted at least a dozen Bibles, so I ask can we get rid of this one or that one “No this was given to Tiffany when she was baptized” or this one is the daily bible”, or my grandmother gave me that one.” I’m not Bible burner, but would liked to dispose of at least half of them.
My mother used to say that as well, but she also said, “if it’s in your hand, don’t put it down until it’s where it belongs. Two seconds to put something away saves hours of sorting through a mess.” I might add that it also saves a lot of frustration. I’m able to keep to what my mom taught me most of the time, but when I don’t, I can still hear her voice saying it to me.
I’ve no idea what I’m doing. I always find that it is difficult for teens to find organizational programs and solutions online!
Ooh, I love organization
Well, if you have bills that come in try getting them to come through e-mail it saves paper and mess. Try getting some boxes(like the one in ur pic) and place them in your drawers or closet or on a table and put a lable on them and keep all your things specically in the right one. That saves time and less effort to find the things u need. Donating ur books was a good idea! If you have other things which you can sell/donate/recycle. Then you should do that.
I am so glad you posted this. I am opposite of you in the fact that I am anti new years resolutions, but have found myself making that exact same one. A lifelong renter, I bought my first house in November and am moving in about a week and a half. I really need to get serious about becoming and staying organized. I’m hoping that as I get settled that I stay diligent in creating a place for everything.
Thanks for the tips and I will definitely be checking out that website your readers have suggested!
I have a book shelf and its full I have books on topn of other books I finally come to realized I’ll never read them all . It was quite easy to get rid of old clothes but my books are like family .I’ll bet I spent more for books than clothes , my eyes have gotten bad thru the years so I dont read like I use to . dang its hard to think about but something has to go.
As for being physically being organized at home, boxes and shelves do the trick for me.
But I like to keep my life organized with multiple journals. I have a diary-like journal for ranting about my daily life, a wushu journal dedicated to my progress in martial arts training, a recipe journal for cooking and baking, and a student planner journal for school. And of course, I keep the journals organized by neatly stacking them on my desk or bookshelf.
I clean out and clear out twice a year..it feels good to give, so others can enjoy what has given me joy..So pass it on..
This is one of my biggest problems. It is driving me crazy. Two years ago I decided to start clearing the junk and organizing. I spent three months doing just that, every weekend I organized junk.
I got so sick of going through things and trying to find ways to arrange it all. In a small house there just isnt any storage, so it seems the only way to organize is not to have anything. I ended with an entire room turned into a closet, and still had tons of stuff with no “place” to go.
I can’t get my clothes in the closets that are only 3 feet wide, or find places for my collectibles, books, photos, christmas decor etc. Things I can’t throw out.
Over the intervening two years the clutter just multiplied and came back to haunt me. I now have an even bigger mess than ever before.
Very discouraging and depressing.
The best way to improve is little by little any decision you make must not require a lot of effort on your part. Otherwise you will get tied of trying.
Everyone has great comments and ideas. Thank you!
I would also like to recommend an awesome book for de-cluttering your life: “It’s All Too Much”, by Peter Walsh. It is an eye-opener, very practical and humorous. My library has it; perhaps yours does, too.
Happy, Organized New Year, everyone!
I’ve been going through closets, drawers etc. Everything that I’m NOT using goes to FREECYCLE.ORG it’s great there’s no lugging things to the car and driving to Goodwill or anything like that.. You simply find an area or two near you and POST an OFFER.. Generally, if the items are good or people are “seeking/wanting” your particular throwaways they will pick it up the same day! I’ve gotten rid of used furniture, clothing, kitchen items and childrens toys this way! I’ve also met some really nice people that have helped me out in a pinch as well ! For example: though my children are older I still get samples/coupons for formula I give whatever my girlfriend can use to her and FREECYCLE the rest. I gave one FC member enough formula for FREE to last her at least 6 months and in turn she gave me the formula my gf uses for 6 months…. That’s quite a money-saver! So, check it out!
I agree by what you wrote. Everythings must be organized and must be placed to the correct ones to save times and energy when we will reuse it. Your writing just remind me to clean my old book shelf as it is full with various ones. They come starting the time I was senior high school until the some papers I brought from the place I worked 3 yrs ago. Thank’s ….
I’ll third Flylady.com! It’s been a lifesaver for our house. Just 15 minutes at a time.
I am a student and as I have a lot of possesions that are still increasing I need to organize alot as well. I keep my room clean at all times and I have organized my stuff in such a way that I can find it in even in the dark.
Tips for staying organized:
1) Plan everything before doing it.
2) Organize wardrobes,shelves even digital data.
3) If you have alot of devices like players, USB’s and Cameras, then sync everything with your PC.This saves time and keeps everything upto date.
4) Clean your home/room every week.
5) Try to finish everything before time.
6) Another useful tip is wake up early.This might seem simple but people who wake up late are ussually disorganized.
Staying organized is very helpful.You will always be ahead of others if you stay organized.However being organized is something that comes naturally and is very useful in alomost everything.
It is also important to set goals so you have a sense of direction and something to work towards.And always use your time proplerly i.e. be productive.this is important for everyone especially teens like me. The more you do now, the less you have to do later.
Shop at IKEA.
There are plenty of things to organize with there.
I recently moved and it was an eye opening experience. I had things fairly organized but didn’t realize how much I had. I will little to no recreational shopping anymore and plan to donate, sell and trash a good deal of my load.
Ugh…I just reorganized my whole house. It’s amazing what you can get done with two weeks’ vacation from work!
Many of the above posts suggest buying storage boxes and organizers. There are many of us, however, who can’t afford these (especially in the quantities that are needed). I have found that paper boxes make an excellent replacement (boxes for paper, not made out of paper). They’re sturdy, have built-in handles, and by pure coincidence are almost exactly 1 foot x 2 feet, so they’ll fit in almost any spot. These boxes are left behind in the copy rooms here at work, and are entirely free, so they’re a great option for me.
In my most recent re-org, my primary concern was having easy access to everything, while keeping low-use items (such as Christmas decorations) out of the way. I started by looking at what I had that needed to be put away. I then spent several days contemplating what should be in which location (I only have three closets, so the planning process wasn’t too difficult). I was then able to jump into the project with a good understanding of what needed to get done, and some assumptions about what needed to go where. It took two days to get it done, but I have now actually sorted every item in every drawer and on every shelf in my house. The high-use items are put in their place but readily accessible, and the low-use items are entirely out of the way.
Phew!
i like this
all the best we all start the year with new year resolutions.
I BELIVE THAT THE CHILDREN OF ANGUILLA SHOULD BE SUPPORTED IN FREE BOOKS FOR SCHOOL BECAUSE SOME CHIILDREN ARE NOT RICH AND SOME ARE NOT WELL SUPPORTED
MAKE A DROWER TO PUT DIFFORENT THINGS LIKE TECH., PAPERS, TO-DO, TURN-IN, MAKE-UP AND A JUNK ONE. I LOVE TO ORGANIZE!