We make promises to ourselves every year. “Things will be different this time! I swear I’m actually going to stick to my goals.” But how often do you actually follow through on your new year’s resolution?
If your 2023 resolution is to declutter your home, here are some tips and tricks – not just for making it easier to clean and organize, but to make sure you actually get it done.
Don’t do it all at once
The quickest way to failure is over-commitment. If you promise that you’re going to tackle your entire home decluttering project at once, it’ll probably result in feeling overwhelmed, especially if it’s something you’ve wanted to do in the past. It doesn’t feel good to let yourself down.
It’s tough to make time for massive projects. But it’s easier to carve out a few hours in your schedule to chip away at your goals. Set small, reasonable milestones that you can achieve over time.
Don’t: Say “I’m going to make my entire house spotless.”
Do: Say “I’m going to organize my kitchen this Saturday.”
You’re more likely to accomplish something and you might even feel a nice dopamine rush every time you check a mini goal off the list.
Take inventory
Go through your belongings and start by putting them into broad categories. For example, if you’re organizing your bathroom, you might have categories like this:
- Toiletries
- Skincare products
- Hair care products
- Medicine
- Travel supplies
- Makeup
- Towels
Pull everything off the shelves and out of the drawers. Wipe down every surface, then check the dates on any perishables and toss expired items.
FYI: Did you know that hair care and makeup products have a limited shelf life? If you see one of these on the label, it indicates the number of months the product is good after opening.
Assign a ‘zone’ for each category. Medicine might go on one shelf, while hair products go together in a drawer.
Plan where everything will go
Junk piles and junk drawers happen because we always seem to end up with items that have no set ‘home’. If you plan in advance where everything will go, that junk pile or drawer will get smaller and smaller until even your half-used pens and receipts have a set place.
It’s much easier to do this with small items. Don’t forget to toss, recycle, or donate anything you don’t need.
But what about furniture pieces you aren’t ready to get rid of, or seasonal clothing and sporting/outdoor equipment? You can’t exactly put those in a junk drawer.
If there isn’t enough space at home, you can look into an offsite storage unit to keep these things. Not only does it feel extra satisfying to quickly open up more space by removing larger items, but it means you can hold onto grandma’s antique dresser without losing valuable square footage in your living room.
Clutter be gone: you’re finally going to complete your new year’s resolution in 2023. Break it down into manageable tasks, take things step by step, give yourself time and grace, and you’ll be relaxing in your big, clean space before you know it.