The New Year is traditionally a time when many people create goals and establish new routines, which can lead to a new mindset. This upcoming new year is indeed a great time to add home organization routines to your goals.
In this article, I’ll share 5 home organization tips and actions that you can complete this New Year. Not only will they allow you to reach your home organization goals for the new year, but they will also allow you to make meaningful changes that will turn your house into a place that brings you peace for years to come.
Let’s dive into these home organization tips for the New Year!
1. Declutter Your Living Spaces
Decluttering means to remove items that are unwanted or unnecessary from a given space. When an overwhelming account of items exist in one space, clutter occurs. Clutter is a major contributor to stress and anxiety, leads to decreased productivity and energy levels, among other negative effects.
Before decluttering your spaces take a walk and look at the spaces throughout your home. Identify areas that are cluttered, writing down items that are causing the clutter. For example, you may identify in the kitchen your counters are cluttered due to an abundance of appliances, cups, medicines, and food.
In your closets, you may have clutter due to an abundance of clothes, shoes, and accessories.
Once you have identified the spaces and items that need to be decluttered, ask yourself if the items that are creating clutter are being used, are needed, and most importantly do they bring you joy. If not, say goodbye to the items!
Say goodbye to the items by first deciding where they will go.
To complete this step, gather 4 boxes or bins and label them: Keep, donate, sell, and trash. Sort and place your items in the appropriate boxes or bins. Throw away things in the trash pile immediately and make a plan to donate or sell the items that fall into those two categories. Lastly, find a new “home” in your home for the items that you are planning to keep.
For example, my closet often becomes cluttered when my summer and winter clothes are both in my closet. To keep the clutter down in my closet, I now keep off-season clothes in a bin and store the bin in the garage. The garage becomes the new home for my off-season clothes. Underneath the bed is also a perfect location to store off-season clothes.
This new year be ruthless in your decluttering process. Remember, less is more and you will achieve your home organization goals in no time by being ruthless with this step.
2. Organize Your Living Space
After you have decluttered your spaces, you will have a newfound clarity and can start to organize the items that remain in your living spaces.
First, take inventory of your items. After identifying what you have, begin to group the items by placing similar items together.
Next, create zones for the items, identified areas in your home where the items will go. Make it a priority to give every item a home. When every item has a home, your spaces will have a sense of calm and order. Storage bins and containers often help maintain order and give items a home.
Tip:
Consider labeling your containers and bins to make it easier to find items and encourage everyone in your household to keep things in their new designated zones.
3. Create a schedule that outlines your cleaning and tidying routine
To maintain all the work that you have put into decluttering and organizing your home, create a home schedule that allows you to upkeep your living spaces. Below are some ideas that can you do nightly, weekly, and monthly that will allow you to keep your home tidy and clean. These are just ideas and depending on your needs and schedules, your schedule will look different.
- Daily- Clear surfaces and floors, throw away any trash, and clean the kitchen. Return every item to its home.
- Mid-Week- Complete 2-3 loads of laundry, vacuum if needed
- Weekly- Complete laundry, mop, vacuum, clean out your refrigerator, wash linen, dust, clean and wipe down cabinets
- Monthly-Clean baseboards, wash curtains, change filters, complete a monthly walk-through of your home where you purposely look for additional items to declutter. Set a goal, “This month I will remove and declutter 30 items from my home.”
Budgeting for Bliss has a M-F daily schedule that allows you to complete a few tasks each weekday with rest days on Saturday and Sunday.
4. Set Up a Home Maintenance Schedule
In addition to creating a tidying and cleaning routine, set up a home maintenance schedule. By creating a home maintenance schedule you are being proactive which will save you time, money, and stress. Many times we wait until our home appliances and systems stop working to address them which in reality occurs at times that don’t benefit anyone.
Make a list of home maintenance tasks that need to be done throughout your home this year. Checking smoke detectors, changing air filters, and inspecting plumbing and electrical systems are items that you will want to include on the list. These items don’t have to be completed at one time and can be spread throughout the year.
Tip:
Place reminders on your calendars, planners, or phones to receive alerts!
5. Create a Relaxing Bedroom Sanctuary
Lastly, as you declutter and organize your home, take a look at your bedroom and envision it as your ultimate relaxing retreat. By creating a relaxing bedroom, you’re setting the stage for restful nights and peaceful mornings. Ensuring that your bedroom is organized will inspire you to continue on your journey to transform your home.
Declutter and remove any unnecessary items that can make your bedroom feel chaotic. Don’t skip this step and be sure to declutter the top surfaces of your nightstands and dressers. Visual clutter is distracting and will not promote a peaceful retreat.
Also, take in consideration the furniture arrangement in your bedroom. Position your bed in the center of the room or against a wall that feels most calming to you. Soft neutrals for your bedding and decor will create a relaxing environment. I love to add a candle with a calming scent!
Final Thoughts
These 5 home organization tips for the New Year offer a simple yet effective guide for transforming your living spaces in the new year. Choose the home organization tips for the New Year that resonates with you the most, commit to taking action, and watch as your home becomes a more inviting and functional place.
How do you reset and organize your home for the new year?
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