For many, January brings a chapter of relative calm and the chance to finally get organized.
Regardless of whether you love or loathe new year’s resolutions, January is the perfect time to get ahead of the game on your organizational goals. Here are five things you can do right now to guarantee your most organized year yet.
Score bargains at post-holiday sales.
One of the most practical (and fun) ways to get organized this year is to scour the January sales. Most stores will have steep discounts on not only leftover holiday inventory, but on things like storage bins and cleaning supplies. The latter is marked down even further during the second part of January as the new year’s resolution sales dwindle, and Valentine’s Day stock is moved in.
However, you don’t have to wait until the end of the month to find an amazing deal. Now is a great time to stock up on quality discounted home goods, greeting cards, wrapping paper, office supplies, and hostess gifts. With luck, you might finally break the habit of having to stop at the store on the way to a dinner party.
Winter clean your home.
Many families find themselves automatically getting rid of certain belongings to make room for items acquired during the holidays. However, even if this isn’t your practice, January is a great time to purge your home of clutter. With the Marie Kondo craze at full tilt, you know you won’t be the only one trying to spark joy through tidying up.
Take a full inventory of your home and pack up everything your family no longer needs or uses: clothes, toys, appliances, and anything else that serves no purpose beyond taking up space. Then, donate it or sell to a local consignment shop.
If you really want to plan ahead, create an organization system for items that will make for easy donations year-round.
Organize and file your taxes.
While many think of April as tax time, the IRS typically starts accepting tax return filings in late January. Getting an early start on your taxes can save you months of stress later.
The deadline for employers to issue W2s is January 31st, but you don’t need to wait until then to get started on organizing your taxes. Plan to have all your tax documents in order by mid-January. That way, when you receive your employer’s documents, everything will be ready to go.
Create a new filing system.
If you want to be more organized, create a new organizational system for things like receipts, paperwork, and grocery lists. Now is the perfect time to research methods and invest in the products that will make your life run smoother.
For example, create a new file for your receipts. Reorganize your kids’ artwork. Download an app to help with grocery shopping. Remember those post-holiday and new year’s sales we talked about earlier? Be sure to take full advantage of those to help with this goal.
Schedule your family’s appointments for the year.
Another great way to get your year off to an organized start is to schedule your family’s appointments for the year—annual doctor’s appointments, dentist visits, haircuts, spa days, and so forth. Having these in place is a great way to stay organized and not worry about extraneous scheduling throughout the year.
If your doctor’s office or salon doesn’t let you schedule that far in advance, at the very least you can book your next appointment and/or book out as far as they will allow.
Giving your organization an overhaul can seem daunting, but with a few small steps, you can get started on your most organized year ever.
Happy New Year!
