How to Reflect, Review, and Reboot for the New Year

January 2, 2025 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Planning & Goals, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources Leave a Comment

As the new year begins, it’s the perfect time to pause, reflect, and reboot for the New Year with renewed organizational habits. Could your time management be improved? Does your home need decluttering?

No matter your organizational goals or habits, there’s always value in reviewing what worked well — and what didn’t. You can build on those successes by understanding the systems and strategies that supported you and continue improving. On the flip side, you can set intentions for improvement in the coming year by acknowledging the areas that fell short. All this reflection has you in good company!

Organization is one of the top New Year’s resolutions, goals, and intention-setting practices for the new year (every year). Because of this, many of us (organizers) in the trade refer to January as GO (Get Organized) Month. For anyone new here, hello and welcome! I have been a member of the National Association for Organizing and Productivity Professionals (NAPO) since I began my business in 2011. So, I’ve seen my share of New Year’s organizing resolutions! If the steps below don’t feel like enough, please reach out for support from a friend or a professional organizer like me!

Let’s dive into this process to help you Reboot for the New Year.

Step 1: Celebrate Your Wins

We’re quick to focus on what didn’t go well, but reflecting on what did is just as important. Take out a notebook or open a fresh document and ask yourself the following:

What organizational strategies or tools consistently worked for you this year?
- Did a specific planner, app, or routine help keep you on track?
When did you feel most in control of your schedule and environment?
- Perhaps you decluttered a tidy space or implemented a morning routine that set the tone for productive days.
What habits brought you joy or reduced stress?
- Maybe meal prepping on Sundays made weeknights less chaotic, or setting reminders for self-care helped you stay balanced.

Remember—be kind to yourself! We’re looking for progress, not perfection. Small improvements are something to celebrate because we can build on their knowledge. For example, maybe you hung a hook for your keys, and now you always know where to find them, whereas you used to scramble to find them daily. How can we apply that principle to other spaces?

But before we move to the next step, please take a moment to appreciate the effort you put into your successes. These wins will serve as the foundation for building even better systems.

Step 2: Acknowledge Your Challenges

Now, it’s time to turn to the areas that didn’t go as planned. Remember, this isn’t about self-criticism—it’s about growth. Reflect on these questions:

What organizational habits or tools didn’t serve you well?
- Maybe you bought a planner you barely used or tried an app that didn’t fit your style.
When did you feel overwhelmed or disorganized?
- Were there specific times of the year or types of tasks that felt particularly challenging?
What habits or systems added stress instead of alleviating it?
- Perhaps you overcommitted to too many responsibilities or struggled to maintain a tidy workspace.

Be honest and compassionate with yourself. Identifying these areas isn’t about finding fault; it’s about pinpointing opportunities for improvement.

Step 3: Consider the Lessons

With your wins and challenges laid out, look for patterns and insights. Consider these:

What made the successful strategies work?
- If your meal prep habit stuck, was it because you kept it simple or enjoyed the results?
What hindered the less successful systems?
- If you didn’t use a planner, was it too complex, or did you forget to keep it handy?
How can you adjust your approach moving forward?
- You might want to try a different app, simplify your routines, or involve others in your organizational efforts.

This analysis will help refine your systems, ensuring they align with your lifestyle and needs.

Step 4: Set Intentions for the Year Ahead

With clarity on what worked and what didn’t, you’re ready to set intentions for the coming year. Intentions differ from resolutions; they’re more about guiding principles than rigid goals. Here are some examples:

For Time Management:
- “I intend to honor my schedule while leaving room for flexibility.”
For Physical Organization:
- “I intend to maintain a clutter-free workspace that inspires productivity.”
For Emotional Well-being:
- “I intend to prioritize systems that reduce stress and create balance in my life.”

Write down your intentions and keep them somewhere visible. They will serve as gentle reminders of the direction you want to take.

Remember to start small and be realistic. You can always add more later. Building momentum feels much better than falling short of your lofty intentions.

Step 5: Create a Plan of Action

Intentions are powerful but even more effective when paired with action steps.

For each intention, brainstorm practical ways to bring it to life. For example:

If you intend to “streamline my morning routine,” you might:
- Lay out clothes the night before.
- Prep breakfast ingredients ahead of time.
- Use an app to organize your daily priorities.
If you intend to “stay on top of household tasks,” you could:
- Implement a simple weekly cleaning schedule.
- Delegate chores to family members.
- Set up automatic reminders for recurring tasks.

Start small, focusing on one or two intentions at a time, and build from there.

Step 6: Celebrate Progress Along the Way

Finally, remember that lasting change takes time and doesn’t happen overnight when trying to improve habits we’ve had for decades!

As you implement your new systems and habits, celebrate your progress, no matter how small. Each step forward is a win, and recognizing that will keep you motivated.

Cheers to the New Year!

Reflecting on your organizational habits is an empowering process. It’s an opportunity to learn about yourself, acknowledge your strengths, and address areas for growth with compassion and intention. As you review your past year and set your sights on the next, remember that the goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress.

Here’s to a more organized, joyful, and fulfilling year ahead!

Simple Ways to Get Organized for the Holidays: A Stress-Free Guide

November 14, 2024 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

It’s the same story every year…as the holiday season approaches, we dream of cozy evenings by the fireplace, quality time with family, and flawless festive events. But then, November and December arrive, and suddenly, we’re thrown into a tailspin of planning, prep, and stress! There has to be a better way, right? Try a few simple ways to get organized for the holidays.

Quick Pre-Holiday Decluttering

It’s hard to organize anything without decluttering first, but who has that time during the holidays? That’s why a quick declutter is essential!

Here’s what I recommend:

Grab a trash bag for garbage and a box for donations.
Go from room to room and grab anything you know can go.
Get the family involved if possible!
Remind your family that to make space for new items, it’s time to let go of some old ones.

It’s also important to remember to declutter as you begin getting out your holiday decorations. When you can see everything in one place, it’s easier to realize that you may have more than you need. You may also notice a few items you no longer love, and this is a perfect time to donate them or let them go.

Organizing Holiday Decor

After you’ve done a quick declutter, it’s time to get out the holiday decorations! If you’re like most of my clients (before we worked together), you haul out the boxes each year and grumble about the tangled jumble of items. Maybe you’ll swear that this is the year you’ll get them organized. Then, January rolls around, and you’re in a rush, so everything gets dumped back in the boxes.

When organizing holiday decor, start by categorizing items into groups like lights, ornaments, wreaths, and garlands. Store each category in clear, labeled bins for easy identification, and consider using divided containers or padding for fragile items.

Take an extra few minutes to untangle and neatly wrap lights and garlands before storing them, saving time and reducing frustration next year. Label each box by location (living room tree ornaments, outdoor lights, etc.) to make next year’s setup a breeze. Well-organized holiday decor simplifies decorating and preserves items so they last for seasons to come.

Take an extra few minutes to untangle and neatly wrap lights and garlands before storing them, saving time and reducing frustration next year. See my post [insert title here and hyperlink] for a more detailed approach to organizing your decorations.

Create a Holiday Command Center

When the holidays arrive, our brains are overloaded because we have a variety of schedules to juggle, tasks to complete, errands to run, and lists to keep track of. No wonder we begin missing details, and our stress level goes up.

Creating one space where you keep all the information improves your chances of maintaining everything. Choose something that works for your family, whether a digital hub, a three-ring binder, or a small corner of your kitchen.

After choosing a space for your holiday command center, use it to keep essential lists, reminders, and schedules so everything you need is in one central location. Keeping track of holiday tasks, such as shopping lists, baking schedules, and party plans, becomes much easier when they’re all visible in one place.

Organized Gift Giving

A significant contributor to holiday stress is keeping everything in your head. When you’re setting up your holiday command center, be sure to include a place for tracking gifts. Create a spreadsheet to note who’s receiving what, costs, and if the gift needs to be purchased, wrapped, or mailed. This helps you avoid forgetting anyone or accidentally double-gifting.

It’s also helpful to set up a dedicated gift-wrapping area and stock it with essentials like wrapping paper, tape, scissors, gift tags, and ribbon. Keeping everything together saves time and prevents the dreaded search for missing tape or scissors right when needed.

Make a Holiday Bucket List with the Family

It’s always disappointing when the holidays are over, and you suddenly remember a favorite movie you forgot to watch or a community event you missed. Spend ten minutes during dinner asking the whole family for input on a family holiday bucket list and write it all down.

Remember to divide roles and responsibilities so they don’t all fall on your shoulders. Asking kids to look up events and add them to the calendar helps them begin learning these skills while taking some pressure off you!

This ensures making the most of the holiday season and helps organize plans so everyone knows what to expect.

Don’t Forget Your Holiday Self-Care

Psychologists recommend making time for relaxation and self-care to manage stress levels and maintain mental well-being during the holidays. Remember to schedule small moments for yourself, such as coffee breaks, short walks, or quiet reading time. Taking a few minutes each day to recharge can help prevent burnout during this busy season.

Wrapping Up

The holidays are joyful and less stressful with thoughtful planning and organized systems. From setting up a command center to tracking gifts and creating a self-care routine, these organizational strategies can help you quickly tackle the holiday season. Remember, the goal isn’t perfection — it’s to create a holiday season that feels meaningful and joyful.

Even with these tips, you may need extra support. I love helping you get organized and prepared for the holidays! Contact me for a quick chat to learn how it works. If we’re a good fit, we can schedule your first session before the holidays arrive!

Happy Pre-Holiday Organizing!

Optimizing Your Home Office or Study for a Productive Back-to-School

August 26, 2024 by Heather Filed Under: Kids & Family Organizing, Organize, Paper management, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources 2 Comments

Keeping an organized home office or study area is hard when you’re tight on space. When papers are everywhere, you can never find something when needed, and the piles on your desk can be exasperating and overwhelming! Below, I’ve outlined seven steps to maximizing space in your home office or study area for a productive Back-to-School season.

Have a productive Back-to-School season in seven easy steps

1. Assess Your Space

Before rearranging furniture or buying new items, take a step back and assess your current space. The most common mistake people make when they try to get organized is running to the store and buying all the cute containers and systems before sorting through things. (That’s understandable because we see it everywhere these days!)

First, identify what’s essential and what’s not. You’ll need to sort through everything that’s in the space already. This might involve going through your books, papers, and office supplies to determine what you actually use and need.

2. Declutter

Decluttering is a crucial step in maximizing space. As you sort through each pile, stack of paper, or box of clutter, use boxes or bags to create categories like trash, recycle, keep, and donate.

I recommend eliminating as much paper as you can. With more and more online information, we no longer need as much paper as we used to. Be sure to shred anything with sensitive information.

The bottom line? Remove items that no longer serve a purpose or can be stored elsewhere.

~ Expert Tip ~ Stay Focused!
It’s easy to get off track when you come across things that belong elsewhere in your home. Instead of walking around and getting distracted in other rooms, keep a box nearby labeled “Elsewhere” or “Other Rooms” and place things that don’t belong inside. This helps you remember to take care of it later but keeps you focused on the space.

3. Consider Your Preferences

Do you like everything tucked away and streamlined? Or do you need to see certain things for fear of “out of sight, out of mind” problems?

It’s important to consider how you operate before you set up any space. There’s no ONE way to organize! (Darn, right?!)

What works for one person might be the wrong approach for another, so you must consider what works best for you and your habits.

4. Create Zones

Whether you have an entire room or a small corner to work with, it’s important to create zones in your space.

Room Zones

If your home office or study area serves multiple purposes, such as working, studying, and relaxing, it is important to create distinct zones for each activity. This helps your brain transition between tasks and makes the space more functional. You can use rugs, furniture, or dividers to create different spaces in the room.

Category Zones

Within your workspace, you’ll need detailed categories depending on your needs. Think in categories like:

Office Supplies
Craft or Art Supplies
Active/To Do Papers or Activities
Archive Information (Documents to file or reference. Remember, only keep what you’ll use!)
Reference Information

Once you’ve established your zones, you can use containers to keep them within their categories.

A quick note about paper!

Paper management organization is a huge topic about which I’ve written multiple blog posts; you can find them here. After you’ve recycled or shredded what you can, set up a simple filing system—label categories based on how you would look for items when needed.

5. Use Your Space Efficiently

Sometimes, seeing what is missing in one’s home is difficult, but I often see underutilized space when working with clients.

Hanging shelves on walls, installing furniture that stores things efficiently, and hanging lights from above are just a few ways to save space if you’re working with a small area.

6. Consider Environmental Factors

It’s also important to consider environmental factors that impact your productivity.

How is the lighting? Does your space have any natural light? Could you move your desk closer to a window?
How is the airflow and air quality in your space? Do you need a fan, space heater, or air purifier?
Does the space represent you? Consider adding plants, candles, or decor to help you feel at ease in the space.

7. Maintain Organization, Tips for Staying Organized:

Once you’ve maximized your space, maintaining the work you’ve done is just as important. A clutter-free workspace feels great and improves productivity!

Daily Tidy-Up: Spend a few minutes tidying up your space at the end of each day. This prevents clutter from accumulating and prepares your space for the next day.
Use Containers: Drawer dividers, file organizers, and cable management solutions can help keep everything in its place. Labeling items also makes it easier to find what you need quickly.
Regularly Reassess: Every few months, take some time to reassess your space. As your needs change, so might your setup. Don’t be afraid to rearrange or reconfigure your space!

For more ideas and support for back-to-school organizing, you can find additional posts about tidying up for back-to-school and meal prep here.

______________

Maximizing space in your home office or study area is about making intentional choices that work for YOU.

By decluttering, creating zones, and using your space efficiently, you can make a space that supports your work or studies and inspires and motivates you. Good luck!

If you’re short on time and need help getting organized, contact me to learn how it works.

Until next time, Happy Organizing!

The Mental Health Impact of Clutter

May 16, 2024 by Heather Filed Under: Health, Organize, Organizing Projects, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

Improve Your Mental Health – The Link Between Clutter, Stress, and Anxiety

Have you ever looked around your home and felt frustrated by the impact of clutter on your life? After all, stacks of paper on the counter, never-ending piles of laundry, and stuff covering every surface can feel overwhelming!

Certainly, you’re not alone. Clutter has become a major problem in our culture, and it’s even taking a toll on our emotional and mental health. You’ve felt it before, right? What impact can clutter around you have on your mind and well-being?

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so I thought this would be the perfect time to discuss clutter’s impact on our mental health — and how organization can help!

“High stress prevents us from organizing our homes, but the clutter itself can also lead to stress.”

-NATALIE CHRISTINE DATTILO, PHD

The Impact of Clutter

It’s not just your friendly neighborhood organizer (Hi!🙋‍♀️) who says clutter has an impact on your mental health — research shows it, too. Studies have found that when someone perceives their home as cluttered, their cortisol levels increase. What’s cortisol? The stress hormone.

The key word, however, is ‘perceive’. Clutter weighs on people differently. To some, a stack of paper on the kitchen counter is organized. To others, it’s a taunting pile of agitation.

Understanding how you relate to clutter is the first step in identifying its impact on your mental health.

5-Step Solution to Clutter

Once you better understand your clutter’s impact on your well-being, it’s time to decide what to do about it. This varies for everyone, but there are a few universal steps I’d suggest you take.

Find Your Biggest Stressor

As we’re talking about mental health, I suggest pinpointing the space in your home that stresses you the most. Find the low-hanging fruit that will impact your daily life, like the entryway you go in and out of each day or the dining room table that’s always covered.
Start Small

Though you might find your overflowing garage or basement your most stressful space, those are huge projects. Instead, choose a smaller space that will allow you to see results immediately. Examples include a kitchen drawer, bedroom nightstand, or single shelf.
Set a Timer

You’d be amazed by how much better you feel after 15 minutes of decluttering. If you find you have more stamina, feel free to keep going. But remember that progress is better than perfect! (Because Perfect isn’t real:()
Sort Your Stuff

Starting in your small space, go through the items and decide what can be kept, tossed, donated, or recycled. Even in a small space, you’ll be amazed by how much you can go, and you’ll quickly feel a little lighter.
System Set-up

Systems sound big and complicated, but they can be simple, too! Hanging your keys on the same hook every single day is a system. Putting your shoes in the same spot when you get home is a system. Once you’ve sorted the items in your small space, put them back in a way that works for your habits. Think about how you use the space and decide whether items belong there. If they do, contain them in a way that can help you find them when you need them next.

Support and Resources

As with anything that feels overwhelming, it can help tremendously to have someone at your side along the way. I would love to support you through your organizing journey, but I understand there’s a time and place for everything. I’m here when you’re ready to declutter and organize. I’ve got other organizing posts about clutter and decluttering, so please also check those out.

Some professional organizers specialize in chronic disorganization, frequently related to neurodivergence. If you struggle with ADHD, hoarding, or other challenges, you may find the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) a helpful resource.

If you or a loved one needs additional mental health support or services, please visit the National Institute of Mental Health website for the resources listed.

Moving, Lists and Inventory

July 17, 2023 by Heather Filed Under: Move Management, Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources 2 Comments

When it comes to moving, lists and inventory are essential tools. After over ten years of helping clients with move management and moving several times over the last ten years, I have included some helpful tips to keep your move progressing while minimizing your being overwhelmed.

No matter your circumstances, you are likely to pack a few things on your own, and a good moving company can help you calculate the number of boxes you will have based on your home, number of rooms, and household members. For example, when we moved locally to SC two years ago, we had approximately ninety boxes for two people.

Create a move strategy:

My move management strategy includes breaking up packing into categories.
This is a great strategy for DIY moves or if you are selling your home and must declutter for staging.
Pack photographs, home accessories, linens, fine china, unnecessary kitchen items, and some clothing (out of season).
Purge, donate, sell….repeat:)
Pack a little bit at a time rather than try to cram it all into the last week or so. This will vary based on your schedule and circumstances.
Create a dedicated packing area (keep supplies here). This can be a corner of a room, the garage, or a storage unit.
Pace yourself and try tp pack 2-4 boxes a day (5 days a week). Doing this lets you at least partially calculate how long it will take to fully pack.
A moving company will have you packed in a day or two.

Create a comprehensive move portfolio:

Have a dedicated spot for all your moving-related paperwork (contracts, inventory, notes, etc).
As you pack, keep track of more details, and don’t try to remember everything.
Your list can be digital or on paper.
No detail is too small. For example, if you are temporarily storing things, note where the key or combination code is.
Note where your very important papers are. Keep track of these during your move, especially if you have any temporary housing between locations. This is often the case for remodels, new construction, or long-distance moves.

Create a moving inventory:

Number each box and add it to the list
A short description of the contents of each box, making special notes of valuable (sentimental or monetary) items or general contents by Category ex. Lampshades, pillows, linens, china, clothes etc.
Label the box with the DESTINATION room location
Work alongside packers (if you’ve hired a moving company) to be sure boxes are labeled accurately (even if they don’t have a description, you can add a number and room)

With this system, you will have a very good idea of what’s in each box and where it goes. As a bonus, this inventory can serve insurance purposes if needed.

Moving Monday::Where to Begin with Packing (hkpowerstudio.wordpress.com)