What are your resolutions for 2012 regarding organization?
Do you need to purge?
Simplify?
Containerize? (thanks to OrgJunkie for this term - Laura is fab!)
Stop procrastinating?
Compromise with housemates or loved ones?
My resolution this year for organizing is.. to keep taking baby steps. I actually don't think of organization as a journey, because like housework it isn't something with an end goal where everything just stops. Life moves on and your needs change; your furniture or your house changes; children grow up; styles even change (if that is important to you at least once a decade, lol). I do think of organization as a way to make things more functional, to make daily life easier, and to get to the goal of where 90% or more of my efforts go towards maintenance, with 10% or less of my organizing time going to changes or improvements.
When we moved into this house five years ago, it was an unmarked canvas. It was huge on space, but tiny on storage. We made a five-year plan for the house, to turn it into what we wanted it to be. Today, I can tell you that we didn't meet all of our goals, and we added new ones after finishing tons of them. Some of our goals changed as by the time we got the them, our needs had changed. But our home today reflects the work we've put into it, the changes in our lives, and the functionality we desire.
My next post will talk more about our previous five year plan and what I'm putting on the next one. The last one dealt with transitions (old home to new, young children to tweens, etc); the next will focus on tightening things up and adding the finishing touches.
No matter where you are in your journey - don't get overwhelmed. It's so easy to do, and then stall out because you are either sickened or depressed at what you THINK is a lack of progress. Take a deep breath, take some time out for yourself, and remind yourself of what you have accomplished, no matter how small or how large. Before you feel crushed by lists of things to do in 2012, think of what you did in 2011.. and smile :) Because you're here to enjoy it!
I definitely need to purge. I did some of that with some paperwork this afternoon--but it was just a small bite out of a big pile. I'll keep at it though. I've been googling "organizing" to get my self motivated---which is how I found your site. Thanks for the inspiration. Now I need to find out about "containerizing" : )
ReplyDeleteBest to you in this new year.