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New Year’s Resolution: Getting Organized

Anthony Cuomo • November 25, 2014

As 2013 winds down and we anticipate the start of 2014, our minds naturally turn to new year’s resolutions. These promises that we make to ourselves each year might run the gamut from losing weight, to quitting smoking, exercising more often, or even sticking to a budget. One common resolution that homeowners often make is to get organized. Getting organized is a very broad resolution and an easy one to neglect due to feeling overwhelmed. The key to resolution success is to be more specific. Here are a few specific organization-related promises that you could try to keep:

Keep your paperwork organized
This is a biggie in many households, because if you look at the average stack of “stuff” left laying around on a counter or end table, it will likely be paper! One good way to make a dent in the amount of paper floating around your home is to strive to handle each piece just once. Open your mail over the recycling bin so you can tear up and toss all of those credit card preapproval notices and other junk mail. Set up automatic payments with your creditors and for your utilities. If your kids bring home permission slips for a field trip, sign them immediately and stick them right back in their backpacks. Math papers and reading logs can go on the fridge or in the recycling bin; if you’re feeling nostalgic, you could keep some of the best ones in a large envelope or even send them off to the grandparents to enjoy (and recycle when they’re done). Have a dedicated place for “to-do” lists, such as on the refrigerator or on a bulletin board.

Keep your kitchen organized
Having a good clean-up routine in your kitchen is paramount. Make sure that everything, from teacups to small appliances, has a place in your kitchen and isn’t just stored on the counter. If you don’t have room for everything, then you’ll either need to add storage or start purging what you have that is taking up so much room. Once everything is put away, decide on a maintenance strategy: You might want to wipe down the outsides of the cabinets every week and vacuum out the insides every month, for example. Be sure to clean out your refrigerator every week to avoid having moldy science projects taking up residence. Look into organizers for your pantry if the shelves aren’t neat and tidy. You can use clear plastic bins or slide-out shelving, or you could have organizers installed.

Keep your laundry situation organized
Are you or your children constantly rummaging in the dryer for a pair of socks? Do you have a basket filled to the brim with items that need to be mended or treated for stains? If so, you need a better system. If your kids are old enough, assign each person a basket for their own dirty laundry, and teach them how to use the washing machine and dryer. Give each family member a day of the week, and that is when they should do their laundry, from start to finish. Choose an additional day to handle towels, sheets and stains. Keep a stain stick within easy reach so that everyone can treat their own. If you prefer to handle laundry yourself, you might try starting a load every morning before you leave the house, transferring it to the dryer as soon as you get home, and folding and putting away directly after dinner. As organization guru The Flylady says, “a load of laundry per day helps keep chaos away!”

There are many areas of your home that could stand to be more organized. Choose the one (or at most, two) that bother you the most, and strive to keep those neat and tidy for your new year’s resolution. Once you have that habit set in stone, you can go ahead and add another one.

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