How to Stay Organized in the New Year

Happy New Year! I’m still recovering from our New Year’s Eve Party, but I hope that everyone else had a fantastic New Year’s celebration and is ready to kick off a brand new year!

New Year’s is traditionally the time when we make a whole list of resolutions and promises to better ourselves…only to realize come December that we didn’t do anything (we’ve all been there).

But there are a few small ways you can improve in the New Year without making major resolutions. One of the most important is getting organized- whether it be getting ready for a new semester, starting a new job, or just reorganizing your closet, January 1st is a perfect excuse to freshen up and de-clutter.

• First, de-clutter. Clean out your closet, your drawers, your cabinets. Even if you don’t throw a ton of stuff away, just reorganizing and making sure that everything has a place (and that it all fits in that place!) will make you feel more cleaned-up and less cluttered. 
• Set goals. I don’t necessarily mean ‘lose 10 pounds’ or ‘stop-doing-such-and-such’ kind of goals, but those are fine too! I mean more broad, open goals, like completing a big project at work or reconnecting with an old friend, or planning a trip with your group of best friends. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a goal that changes you completely as a person, but it can be something you have always wanted to do. 
• Make a 101 in 1001 list. Mackenzie Horan of Design Darling published her list in 2014 and has inspired lots of other girls to make a list of 101 things to accomplish in 1001. If you are nervous about holding yourself accountable for goals, publish your list and watch yourself slowly start to cross things off!
• Prep for the new semester or work year. If you are starting a new semester of school or it’s just another week back at work, get ready. Buy a new planner, get fresh school supplies, reorganize your desk and toss out anything you don’t need any more. 
• STAY organized. This is the most important part. You can clean out your closet, reorganize all your makeup, and get your desk nice and clean, but if by January 2nd it’s a disaster again, you will be just as stressed out as you were before. Find a system that works for you and stick to it. Whether it is keeping to-do lists, cleaning out your junk drawer once a month, or unsubscribing from all those junk email lists, do something that makes you feel organized and stick with it!

I wish there was some magical trick I could share to make your life so much easier this year. I am naturally super organized and I love for everything to have its place, but even if you’re not that way, try a few of these and hopefully 2016 will be your best year yet!