5 Ways To End The Year Organized

Before the start of a New Year, it’s important to reflect and review back on the things you’ve accomplished. Did you achieve what you desired? What did you learn new? After reflecting on the past, it’s time to look towards the future! What goals do you have set? What things do you want to work on in the new year? Thinking about all of this can be overwhelming without a list if you have multiple things to do right? Definitely! So, what do you do? Although each person is different, here are a few great ways to end the year organized and ready to take on new goals as the New Year begins.

1)   Declutter & Donate

I came up with a suggestion to my family that we should do a house declutter and a thrift store run. This will be a great way to not only get rid of clothes and appliances we no longer need, but it can go to another person or family that actually needs it! Do you have a pair of pants that no longer fit right? Do you have an old table or bookshelf that it collecting dust in your storage room? Get rid of them! Being in a clutter-free space helps the mind to relax and think clearer, so it’s important to do seasonal declutters as often as possible.

2)   Shred Old Documents

Do you have old receipts or paperwork from services you had done in the past, but no longer need to keep stored away? Do you have copies of forms and documents from work or school that managed to become collected in your file cabinet or storage bins? Time to go! If you know the documents will not be things you will need to use later, why hold on to them? What better time than the end of the year to clear out unwanted files and documents from your home right? If you have a shredder, take some time out of your day to get rid of all that paper and if you don’t have a shredder, be sure to rip up those old papers and recycle them.

3)   Clear Out Your Email Accounts

The average person has at-least 2 email accounts. Some people like myself have 4-5 email accounts due to work and school plus personal ones. This can be a headache!! I make it a practice to clean out my inbox’s as much as possible, but when you are a person who is very busy, sometimes it’s hard to make time to do something as simple as delete old emails. Schedule some time before the New Year to clear out all of your inboxes! You will be amazed at how relieved you feel when you clear them out and see nothing but your beautiful email background picture. To go an extra step, if you have Gmail, select in the top right corner the wheel icon, select Settings, select the Labels tab and then scroll down to the Create New Label button. From there, you can create some new labels where you can place items in their designated folders to stay even more organized. You can also find the Create New Label tab on the left-hand side, down at the bottom of the Gmail home screen.

By taking these easy steps, you’re on your way to an empty and organized inbox before you know it!

4)   Buy A New Calendar

You’re probably staring at a calendar that has only December left on your wall, if you have one, at this point. The obvious thing to do will be to go out to your local Walmart, Target, or Dollar Store, and pick up a new wall calendar. Why is a wall calendar better? It’s simple, it’s a visual you see every single day depending on where you place it and its big! A phone calendar is helpful, but there is nothing like a big visual of what you need to do daily that is easy to use and requires no association with your phone! I’m sure you can agree that as people, sometimes we utilize are phones way too much. Give your phone a break, your wall will love you for this, I promise! If you don't use wall calendars, I would highly recommend picking up one and giving them a try.

5)   Create A New List Of Goals

Before the year begins, as you’re reflecting on what you accomplished this year, start coming up with goals you have going into the new one. Do you want to eat healthier? Write a book? Find a Mentor? Join a non-profit? Whatever your goals are, be sure to WRITE THEM DOWN! If possible, write them down in multiple places so that you have constant reminders. One of my favorite things to create at either the end of the year or the first few days of the New Year, is a Vision Board. This is a great visual to help you keep track of the goals and desires you have for yourself as you go through a new year! You can put anything from quotes, to pictures, or even flowers on it. Get creative! This is your list of goals, so make it fun, and most importantly, make it realistic. The worst thing you can do is set yourself up with goals that you may not be able to accomplish any time soon. Take your time and be honest with yourself as you are creating your list of goals. Always set yourself up for Success!

Remember, whatever it is that you already do to keep organized, KEEP DOING THOSE THINGS! Take those habits and new ones into the new year, to continue to have a structure throughout your day to day life. Be sure to share ideas with your family and friends too, so that everyone can end the year organized! The more organized you are, the more at ease your mind will be.

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