Do you ever feel like your junk drawer contains too much junk? Do you put something away, only to forget where you left it? You’re not alone. In fact, according to Go Skills, becoming more organized is the third most common New Year’s Resolutions. Unfortunately, the idea of organizing your entire home can be an overwhelming and daunting task. Here are four ways to get you started:

1. Start out small
   

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   One common mistake that aspiring organizers make is believing everything needs to be done immediately. They start the job with high enthusiasm, but quickly burn out after realizing that the task is more extensive than they initially expected. Unless you live in a 300 square foot tiny house, you likely won’t get everything organized in an hour’s time. Rather than setting yourself up with outrageous expectations. Instead consider starting with one area or room, dedicating 15 to 20 minutes of time. Once you get started, you will either start seeing progress and want to keep going or feel accomplished enough to wait until the following day.

2. Purge

   Use all of the boxes you collected over the holiday season to sort through all of your possessions. Necessary boxes may include: keep, toss, store elsewhere, sell or donate.

   All of the box names may be self-explanatory, but you may be wondering where you can donate all of the items that you no longer want or need. You may be surprised to learn that several charities depend on your donated items to carry out their missions. We’ve compiled a list of the following items and corresponding organizations, with some help from The Spruce:

   Clothing – Goodwill Charities, Salvation Army International or St. Vincent’s
   Cell phones – Cell Phones for Soldiers
   Eyeglasses – Your local Lions club or directly to the Eyeglass Recycling Center
   Books – Your local library or Operation Paperback
   Tools – Habitat for Humanity or other construction-focused charity

   By cleaning out and decluttering your home, you can also help an organization that is close to your heart – talk about a win-win!

3. Give everything a home

   “A place for everything and everything in its place.” -Benjamin Franklin

   The best way to find everything you’ve been looking for is to ensure all of the items in your home have a place of their own. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Come up with a strategy where you envision all of the activities that will take place in each room and find a storage solution that will work for all of the necessary items. This task will be one of the biggest challenges, but again, start with one room at a time. See more tips for finding a place for everything.

4. Commit to a routine

   Finally, if you plan to dedicate time to organizing your home, then you probably want your results to last. Whether you decide to spend 10 minutes each evening putting miscellaneous items away or to spend the first part of your weekend decluttering, find a routine that fits your lifestyle. Wouldn’t it be exciting to pick a different New Year’s Resolution in 2020 because you already accomplished this one?

Remember, home organization is a marathon, not a sprint! Do you plan on making organization a priority in 2019? We’d love to hear in the comments below.

Happy organizing from Lions Pride!