Organize Your Life Right

I'm tired of New Year's Resolutions blogs telling you what you should do to organize but never HOW to accomplish this. Organization is not a one-and-done task for all of 2018. The steps to organize your life aren't that simple, but hopefully I can make them less hard. A big part is taking the time to self-reflect.

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Organization is an investment. It saves you time, gives you confidence in your space, decreases anxiety, and boosts your mood even at a subconscious level. Sometimes you do have to spend money to make it happen. This article guides you through organizing all aspects of your life, so it is a bit long. I will provide a table of contents below in case you need to jump around.

1. New Year's Resolution
2. Your Bedroom
3. Work Space(s)
4. Your Wardrobe
5. Toiletries
6. Computer & Smartphone

New Year's Resolutions

Yeah, it is not January 1st; however, that shouldn't stop you. You've had several days to reflect on what you want out of 2018. 

1) Create three primary goals that you wish to work on throughout the entire year.
This is where you can be basic and say "get healthier," but list out three ways you plan on achieving this goal.
2) Divide out your year by months or seasons (you choose!) and list out one main and one secondary goal for each section.
You need to create markers that are achievable and motivational. They can work up to your primary goals of the year or anything you want. This second step is important so you progress throughout the year.

Want to journal your goals? I like Amazon's The Path Planner ($17.67).
If you prefer bullet journaling, try Amazon's Leuchtturm1917 ($19.95) that has high quality binding and cover to last all year.

Your Bedroom

​You've read bedroom organization blogs before. You know what to do: tackle small areas, purge every pile, and resort by color and/or category. Here are tips for you to complete your task.

• Sometimes clearing an area entirely by moving items to another space or room lets you be able to think in peace.
• Regularly clean the area you're working on, such as lightly running a vacuum through. If you let it build up, it actually causes stress that makes you want to quit early.
• Buy containers that are true solutions. Yes, you can buy too many, so save receipts.

Here are some products that I love to use to maximize space in my bedroom.
Underbed Storage - Great space to tuck away crafts, memory boxes, non-season clothes/excess shoes, and more. It is a bit hard to access than regular drawers, so do not add your usual go-to items.
​Stacking Modular Drawers - You can add dividers within or choose the appropriate size to make sure you use every bit of space. Plus they look so modern chic!

Work Space

Clutter, too bright of colors, and clashing patterns subconsciously cause anxiety. Clear areas and blank spaces will aid you in deep thought and purposeful day dreams. 

Most people make the mistake of buying classic office items that they don't need. If you don't really use colored markers, no need to buy every color and cup to display your barely used collection. Really consider your inventory and day-to-day needs. 

​If you're somebody who lets clutter build, like a pile of receipts or materials that need to be filed away, plan 30 minutes out of your week to do those tasks. The same goes for the e-file build up on your computer's hard drive. If a project is finished, archive and delete what you can.

Your Wardrobe

Most closets have one hanging rod and a top shelf, which creates a lot of unused vertical space. You have two options: 1) invest in a closet solution that incorporates the proper shelving, drawers, and hanging areas for your needs, or 2) buy items that fill the gaps. There is no right answer.

If you are seeking the first option, this is when I highly recommend doing your research. I always think of the saying: if you're going to do something, do it right. I recommend The Container Store because their elfa line is made of epoxy bonded steel, and they have good customer service and design team. 

If you are leaning more towards option two...

Consider your budget. If you are in the stages of travel where you know you will make a big move in the future or you aren't ready to settle down in a house, buying items that are cheaper with a short lifespan are OK. Just make sure it is an item that will make you happy. If you open up your closet and only see a junky item, it will only kickstart a bad mood to your day.

Think about yourself! Will this item organize you because you like to make use of cubbies? Do you operate better with drawers? 

Toiletries

​There are three steps to make an impact on your space.
1) Clear out the area while purging items.
2) Wipe down the area well with a moist paper towel and vacuum. 
3) Put items back but take a final look to try to purge some more.

How do you know when you should throw an item away?

• The item has expired. (Learn more by clicking here.)
• The item is messy, whether it has poor packaging or the solution gets on everything.
• You have 5+, such as travel-sized shampoos.
• You haven't thought about this product in at least 6 months.
• You recall it not living up to your expectations. Life's too short to not be a 10!

Take the time to review the products you're keeping. Build up often occurs because you will buy something at the store "just in case you need it" since you can't remember your inventory. 

Make any deep, hard-to-reach cabinet space more accessible with a Lazy Susan. Areas under the sink have lots of vertical space, so consider a tiered system. Just remember to organize items by priority. Your everyday hair brush doesn't need to be in a lidded container. If you straighten your hair daily, realize that you won't unplug, wrap, and store it after each use.

Computer & Smartphone

People often forget their e-life when they think 'Spring cleaning,' but we spend about half of our day working and socializing on these devices. 

Computers

• Tackle a folder each day. The 'Downloads' folder is way easier to clean out then 'Photos,' so start there for a boost. Try to avoid sorting through a 'Recents' folder that mixes everything and doesn't majorly display the source. That's how I deleted 100 hours of gameplay...
• Regarding photos, create main folders that reads 'Vacations,' etc. and then add subfolders within. That way, in case you have to expand the use of your laptop with work or personal projects, you have minimal clutter.
• Review your music. Do you have duplicate audio files? Or do you really find the need to store all this music if you have a Spotify or Apple Music subscription? It's hard to let go of things, but if you barely use iTunes, shrink that library.
• Make your desktop pretty! Not just adding cute wallpaper, delete the icons. Your computer runs slower when it has to work harder to constantly display all of these clickable items.
• Get help! There are softwares you can download that scan for viruses and clean up excess material. I love using CleanMyMac 3 for my laptop (#notsponsored).
• Consider investing in storage. You can buy space with iCloud, but that isn't an entirely secure platform. Perhaps consider a USB stick or external memory drive. 

Smartphones

• Move your vacation and family pictures to your desktop/laptop. These memories need to be prioritize. If you drop your phone in a puddle, you will lose them all.
• Purge some selfies! Be real with yourself. You look the same in 80% of them and don't want to do a #repost. You should only keep 20 selfies at hand that make good profile pictures. But, if you're that self absorbed, check out this memory drive that plugs into an iPhone's charging port.
• Get in the habit of e-purging on your phone monthly. You have built up memes, screenshots, and more in your Camera Roll. Apps have been downloaded and lost their charm. One-time text messages from strangers don't need to linger.
• Sanitize your phone! You bring your pet device into airports, bathrooms, airport bathrooms...you need to run an alcohol wipe over it regularly.

Want More?

Have questions or suggestions? Be sure to leave them in the comments to help others.