How to Get Organized in 2020

It’s 2020 - The beginning of a new year and a new decade!  Now is the best time to make changes, improvements and kickstart new projects.  Often times, though, the hardest part of starting a project is deciding to begin. And that’s what we’re here to help you with taking that first step so you can actually BEGIN! Let’s make a promise to ourselves that 2020 will be the year we make a conscious effort to get organized so we can have a less cluttered and less stressful life. That sounds good, right? I mean who doesn’t want to live their best life?

“To begin, begin.”  - William Wordsworth

5 Tips to Start Getting Organized Now

Following simple and actionable steps will no doubt get you started on your journey to a more organized life. As professional organizers, we love an attainable goal with a well thought out plan and some inspiration mixed in.

Here are some tips to point you in the right direction of a more organized and rewarding year.

1.     Use a Daily Habit Tracker

What is habit tracking? It’s determining a big goal you want to achieve and then breaking that goal down into daily action items. It helps you measure your behaviors and track how consistent you are.  For example, if your goal is to read 12 books by the end of this year it would be appropriate to put “read 30 minutes” on your daily habit tracker. Or if you want to organize your entire master bedroom, you could put “organize one drawer” on your daily habit tracker.

When you go after and complete the small tasks, you gain more motivation and momentum to keep going.  By breaking down your big goals into daily smaller habits you will no doubt be headed for success and crush those big goals! You can download our free printable habit tracker here to help get you started.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keep you going”.

– Jim Rohn

2. Outsource Your To-Do List

If you’ve had a task (or a few) on your list for a while now and the thought of actually completing it overwhelms you, hiring someone to do it for you can be the best money you’ll ever spend.  Why start 2020 off doing something you truly don’t enjoy?  That’s time away from relaxing, enjoying your family, or partaking in hobbies that really light you up.  Whether it’s hiring someone to mow your lawn, organize your home, or train you in the gym you will get to your end goal MUCH faster with professional help!

If you are tired and stressed, or just don’t have time to do all the things, outsourcing is a great option for you…and your family!

“For everything we don’t like to do, there’s someone out there who’s really good, wants to do it and will enjoy it”. – Josh Kaufman

3. Do a Quick Daily Tidy

The keyword here is quick! You don’t need to spend too much time doing this.  In fact, you don’t want to plan on too much time because you will be less likely to stick with it, and as I said before it’s all about attainable goals.  Decide how much time you can dedicate each and every day to performing a quick tidy with no distractions. For some, it may be 15 minutes and for others, it may be an hour. Set a timer and do as much as you can until the timer goes off.  During this time, you can work on whatever you think needs to get done. Maybe it’s clearing the counters, loading the dishwasher, folding a load of laundry, or picking up the toys. You get the idea. Using a timer allows you to concentrate and stay on task without getting distracted with other things. It’s amazing how much you can get done when you have a time limit. When the timer ends, stop your tidy and move on with your day.

When your home is tidy, clutter-free and calm, your mind will follow suit. And a happy mind = a happy life.

4. Make a Weekly Meal Plan

Creating a weekly meal plan encourages you to plan ahead. You will need to do some work up front, but it really will free up the rest of your week for the more important things you need to get done.  Carve out some time one day a week to determine your meals, create a grocery list, and complete your shopping.  Bonus points if you cook and prep for the week too!

Whether you plan for a sandwich, gourmet meal, or a meal out with friends it’s important you plan for it ahead of time.  It will keep you accountable, inspire you to eat more intentionally, and save you time, money and energy. Just think about how great it will feel to start off the week having one less thing to worry about. You can even post your meal plan for all to see if you want more “me” time and less time answering the constant “what’s for dinner” questions.  A win-win for all!

"With anything in life, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. That applies to meal planning as well". - Silvia Veri

5. Take Your Time with Your Goals

If you have a really big goal this year, don’t feel like you need to hit the ground running and get everything done at once because that’s when the overwhelm sets in.  And, when you’re overwhelmed it’s harder to reach those goals and definitely less fun!

If your goal is to organize your whole home this year it may be too overwhelming and daunting to even know where to begin. Sit down, formulate a plan, and make a schedule that you know you can stick to. Even if you can only commit to one small space per week, at the end of the year you will have organized 52 spaces, which is amazing! Just remember that progress beats perfection every single time.

“Organization isn’t about perfection. It’s about efficiency, reducing stress and clutter, saving time and money and improving your overall quality of life”. – Christina Scalise

Getting organized is a great goal for this year and it truly can transform your mind and life well beyond just your home. Here’s to 2020! May it bring new goals, new successes and new happiness!