Get a Head Start on a Fresh Start!

It’s holiday time, and that means New Year’s Resolutions are right around the corner. It’s a new decade and a new opportunity. Let’s celebrate by getting a head start on a fresh start!

The New Year season is the biggest time of year for the organizing business. People want to get organized as much as they want to eat better, stop smoking, and start exercising. (That is why I was inspired to have so much fun with the weight loss metaphor in our Clutter Diet® online organizing program.)

Resolutions are just like any other effort at personal change… to be successful long term, you need to have a very clear vision for what you want and a very strong reason for sustaining the effort.

Start first with a larger vision—what are your big goals? Going back to school? Changing jobs? Starting a business? Getting out of debt? Write those down.

Now think about each area of your home and life and write down how organizing it can support you in these goals. Here are some examples to help you:

• An organized closet would mean I can get dressed faster with less stress in the mornings and maybe even look better, shop better, and save money not buying duplicate items.
• An organized office would mean I can get more done, be more productive, feel less stress, improve my credit rating, get my taxes done sooner, gain access to my information more easily, and finally write that novel.
• An organized garage would mean I can drive in to get out of the rain and cold, protect my vehicle investment, and feel better about my house when I leave and return every day.
• An organized bedroom would mean I can sleep better, relax more easily without distractions, and wake each day feeling good about my space.
• An organized kitchen would mean that I can cook more easily at home, I can save money, and my family can eat more healthfully.
• An organized bathroom would mean I can get ready faster in the mornings in a cleaner environment, saving me time and starting my day with ease.

When you focus on your larger goals first, you can see how organizing then fits into the bigger picture and why it benefits you. Each day when it’s time to do a project, do some planning, or maintain your space, you’ll be more motivated and more likely to do it if you understand how the benefits ultimately help you.

This holiday season spend some of your time off envisioning and planning for the new decade to come. Happy Holidays and a Happy Organized New Year!

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(This is an edited version of the December article I wrote for Connections for Women, a great site that I contribute to monthly. Click here to read the full version on their site.)