In an issue of the Get Organized newsletter I wrote about the January 1 Effect – how you can get a gift of energy and motivation from the start of the new year.
Why not take advantage of this once-a-year psychological boost, and start the year well!
Here are 6 dos and don’ts for getting your ducks in a row and having a calm and ordered new year.
Get Organized For The New Year: 6 Dos And Don’ts
1. Don’t Shop As A Past-time.
Buy what you need, have what you love. Enjoy your stuff!
But don’t go looking for things just to distract yourself or pass the time. You’ll end up with clutter. And this is the year we let the clutter go. 
When you do shop, be smart about it – for instance, use GFC-smart strategies, batch birthday shopping, and have a ‘What-Not-To-Buy’ list.
2. Do Adopt OCI-OGO
Unless you’re setting up your first home, chances are you have way more of most things than you’ll ever need or use.
So every time you buy or get given something new, get rid of something old. I call it OCI-OGO: One Comes In, One Goes Out.
Use the principle for clothes, shoes, sports gear, books, DVDs, gadgets, towels, pots and pans, utensils, tools, jewelry, everything. Toss tatty things, donate the rest. Keep a donation basket and get the whole family to use it.
It’s a surefire way to stop clutter from growing.
3. Don’t ‘Clean Up’
Seriously, this is possible.
Instead, restore order as part of every task you complete. Do it for cooking, eating, dressing, doing crafts, paying bills, playing with the kids, reading a book, watching DVDs, everything!
If you get into the habit of tidying as you go, everything will take a little bit longer, or you’ll have to finish everything a little bit earlier.
But the upside is awesome: You’ll never, ever, have to ‘clean up’ again.
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4. Don’t Aim For Perfection When You Declutter, Organize Or Simplify
The thing about perfectionism is that it kills motivation. It makes everything feel like such hard work, and who wants to do that? Um, not moi.
Instead, step away from the whip and go for the simple version. You can always do more later.
By Under-engineering every organizing, decluttering, or simplifying task you attempt, you’ll have a far greater chance of (a) starting and (b) finishing.
And guess what – most likely you’ll achieve more than you ever did with perfectionism on your back. Which is very cool, and very motivating.
5. Do Declutter, Organize & Simplify In Little Chunks
I don’t know many people who enjoy decluttering, organizing or simplifying – but most of us love the way it feels to be organized, clutter-free and ordered.
The solution is to sneak in your organizing tasks, so they don’t hurt as much.
Regulars of this site will know that I recommend 30-minute chunks as a great way to avoid procrastination, feel motivated and get great results. It doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but in half an hour you can work wonders – such as de-toxing the car, decluttering your surfaces, or organizing the kids’ bedrooms.
Another idea is to use little blocks of time to do simple but powerful things that help you to be more organized.
6. Do Live Within Your Home’s Boundaries
Many people think their problem is that they’re too undisciplined to get organized. But the truth is usually that they have too much stuff for their space.
One answer is to get a bigger house; but there’s a better one: Make a commitment to only keep in your home those things that fit comfortably.
As well as helping you avoid clutter, the mindset of living within your home’s boundaries really simplifies decision making too: If you can’t fit it, you don’t buy it.
Have a Happy & Organized New Year!
Remember these do and don’ts and you’ll be making a great start to a calm and ordered year.
And I hope it’s a very happy one too!
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[Top image by pandabearphotography]
These are wonderful tips, Michelle! Thank you. I have tried really hard to make changes recently in terms of decluttering and organizing. It seemed so daunting to think of what to get rid of and where to put what we want to keep. But oddly, I suddenly became better at these tasks. It seems to take me much less time to tackle a space and organize it. I feel so happy that 2014 might finally be the year we start off with a completely organized home 🙂 Thank you for sharing so much with us and giving us effective tools to make our lives simpler 🙂
Tht would be the upside to moving…getting rid of everything you don’t want or need.
I spent a good part of my younger years wanting more and more “stuff.” Now I struggle to get back to a simple life and home. I have spent the past year just getting rid of stuff I don’t need and am still trying to part with more.
I know what you mean Diane. We get to a point where we realize that things not only don’t bring us happiness, but the clutter they create takes away from our contentment. Good luck!
Great organizing tips!
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great I am so excited! I am an Interior Design student in my 3rd year and love all her work- thanks
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We downsized considerably and I am enjoying less in a smaller space! It’s also been fun to get creative with new ways to store some things.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say they downsized and missed their stuff! Something about having less allows us to enjoy what we have more. 🙂
Thanks for the motivation! We’ve let our stuff build up for so long, this year’s challenge for me is to declutter by tossing out a garbage bag of ‘stuff’ every week. So far, so good. Still a long way to go.
That sounds like a fabulous goal, Charmaine! I hope you do it!!
@Lenore:
If you love using your good stuff everyday then you’re already a convert to this idea: Abandon ‘Everyday’ Versus ‘Guest’ Tableware
http://www.getorganizedwizard.com/blog/2009/08/simplify-your-life-quick-tip-abandon-everyday-versus-guest-tableware/.
M 🙂
Inspirational tips! Definitely Point 1 is the winner for me. “Buy what you need, have what you love. Enjoy your stuff!” I just loooove using my ‘good stuff’ everyday and highly recommend this practice to ensure everyday is special.
And I thought I was the only one who made future birthday/prezzie lists. Already bought January’s and February’s birthday presents and cards with Google Calendar reminders when to post.
I will try to organize.
I will TRY