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1-Page Summary of One Year to An Organized Life
The One-Year Plan
If you want to organize your home, start with the current month and move through the year. You can do this by creating a collaged dream board. Don’t worry about being artistic; just cut out magazine pictures that represent how you’d like your house to look. This will help you stick with organizational projects because it’s easier to see what needs doing than if everything is written down or in one place.
Even if you don’t usually have a good system for keeping track of your belongings or can never find anything because it’s in disarray, it is possible to get organized. Every sorting project has three steps:
- ‘Eliminate’ – Return borrowed items, toss unneeded junk and put things back in their proper locations. The drinking glass in your bedroom belongs in the kitchen. ‘Categorize’ – As you go through things, start categorizing every item to save time. Put spices together so you know what you need to buy; create folders for each person in the household covering medical, financial, school and work concerns. ‘Organize’ – After cleaning and sorting, decide how to keep things in order. Take a break when needed; as new patterns are developed remember that when doing something for 21 days it becomes a habit. Start by making goals such as arriving at events on time or setting clear objectives with steps needed to reach them (set up calendar). Once everything is on your calendar clarify priorities and say no if necessary (don’t answer invitations right away). If avoiding a project already promised take deep breath & get it done!
January: The Kitchen
Kitchens are used for different purposes. Some people use their kitchens to entertain guests, while others use it as a place to cook food. It’s important to organize your kitchen so you can easily find things when you need them. If you want to get organized, start by getting rid of duplicates and unnecessary items in your kitchen (e.g., extra beer steins). Look at what’s causing clutter in certain areas of the kitchen and brainstorm ways that will help solve those problems (e.g., buying storage containers or reusing other items like books). If there is a problem area that needs fixing but no solution comes to mind, ask someone at the store for advice on how best to fix it (for example, using boxes with lids instead of plastic bags). Choose one new habit each month until everything is organized in your kitchen and you have easy access to everything without having too much stuff lying around everywhere.
February: The Bedroom
You should pick a new habit that relates to organizing your bedroom. One example would be putting away your clothes each night. You should also address any disorganized areas, such as deciding what to donate or move. You could even buy some furniture if you need it. Your bedroom might have a special-purpose zone, like an office or exercise area, which you can separate with rugs or by grouping the furniture into lines between zones.
Go through your closet and get rid of any clothes you haven’t worn in a year. Sort out items that are hanging, then ones on the shelf. Anything that doesn’t belong should be moved to another place where it will be used or donated if you won’t use it again. Put empty hangers into other closets so you can gain more space. Store hats, scarves and shoes in clear boxes with lids for easy access. Separate your clothes by category: business suits, sports apparel etc., then arrange each section by color using the same color order across all sections (e.g., reds at top). Get rid of wire hangers and plastic covers from cleaners since they’re not worth keeping around anymore; instead store them elsewhere or throw them away if there’s no room elsewhere. If you want to change how the room feels, paint the walls or some furniture pieces.
