This advice is great any year, but especially in 2020. If there’s something in your life that is serving you, take a moment to recognize it and celebrate it. Then, find ways to keep it going.

But what if something that’s working is fixin’ to break?

That’s the situation I found myself in as I started thinking about the approaching cold weather. Two daily rituals have been keeping me grounded during this time of social distance: my morning walks with Colbie and hanging out on the deck for meals and happy hours with Jay and the kids, when they’re around.

Yes, Jay and I sat outside for lunch, dinner (sometimes breakfast) and beverages nearly every day since spring. It’s been wonderful, so I found myself dreading the oncoming winter months for fear of having to give up these daily sanity savers.

I needed a plan to save these two rituals for as long as possible.

For the morning walks, I rearranged my schedule to compensate for less daylight. This was as simple as flip-flopping my walks and breakfast so I could leave the house a bit later and not walk in the dark. I’ll also be doing some shopping to stock up on outerwear so I can walk in comfort no matter the temperature, rain or shine.

To extend deck weather into the colder months, we invested in some new items and repurposed others. First, we moved the outdoor table and chairs on our deck to make room for the four Adirondack chairs that were taking up residence under the deck.

Next, Jay ordered a propane gas fire pit and I picked up some blankets to snuggle up with by the fire. I roll the blankets, stash them in a bucket, and keep them right by the sliding glass door that leads to the deck.

I also set up a little S’mores station on a tray for easy transporting to the great outdoors. And I have to say…we love it!

If you’re looking for a simple way to extend your time outdoors, or a reason to start going outside this fall, I highly recommend this fire pit. Unlike a wood-burning fire, it’s safer to use on a deck. And you can turn it off and on and up and down to suit your needs. This means even if we don’t have a full evening to spend outside, we can sneak in a few minutes of relaxation any night of the week.

We’ve already had some chilly nights here and our new fire pit has brought a whole new level of joy to the deck. It has also helped me put aside my trepidation about the colder temperatures. I won’t be surprised if we spend time out here through the holidays. I’ll keep you posted.

If spending time outside isn’t your thing, I invite you to take stock of what is working well for you right now. Do you need to take any steps to make sure this activity continues to work going forward?

Remember, don’t fix it if it isn’t broken…but if it’s fixin’ to break, it’s time to start fixing.

I’d love to hear from you! What are you doing to stay sane during these days of isolation? Is there anything that could use a little tweak so it keeps working for you as cold weather approaches? Let me know in the comments!

Aby

The post If it’s not broken, don’t fix it appeared first on simplify 101.

Are you staring down a completely overwhelming organizing project or a never-ending to-do list? If so, keep reading. Just ahead is a simple way to tackle all of your big and overwhelming projects 30 minutes at a time. (That already feels better, doesn’t it?)

Here’s the back story.

The other morning my husband shared an idea that motivates him to check more items off of his ever-growing to-do list. The idea was inspired by the ESPN documentary series 30 For 30. Jay’s remake of this idea is 30 Under 30 (which isn’t to be confused with a list Forbes puts together each year.)

So what’s Jay’s 30 under 30 idea? He simply creates a list of 30 projects that will take under 30 minutes to get done. These are easy-win projects he can knock out in some spare minutes after work or on the weekends.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I was intrigued by this idea. Sadly though, my to-do list is full of organizing projects and other to-dos that will take more than 30 minutes a piece to finish. But I’m also a huge fan of chunking down big projects so I can make progress in smaller slices of time.

Here are some examples of how this could work for your organizing to-do list.

First, pull out a piece of paper and put “30 Under 30” at the top.

Then, number from one to thirty.

Next, think about an area in your home that you want or need to organize and bite size it. Instead of adding, “Organize Closet” to your list, break your closet down into smaller sections that you could work on 30 minutes or less at a time. For example, you could break your list down by garment type (pants, skirts, dresses, shirts, sweaters, jackets, shoes, etc.) or by storage location within your closet (top hanging rack, bottom hanging rack, top shelf, bottom shelf and shoe rack on the floor.) If those chunks feel too small, group a couple together. If they feel too big, break them down further, i.e. left-side top hanging rack and right-side top hanging rack.

The idea here isn’t to figure out exactly how long everything will take and break out precisely into 30 minute chunks. You’re looking for chunks that will take less than 30 minutes. How much less is up to you. By doing this, you’ll create a list of tasks that feel manageable. Next time you have 30 minutes free, you can make progress on a project that matters to you. Not only will that 30-minute time investment net you a check mark on your list, you’ll also be motivated to find another 30 minutes to get yourself another one!

What happens if you don’t finish in 30 minutes? Well, you may just find yourself compelled to keep going. And if not, then you pick up where you left off next time, feeling satisfied that you’re 30 minutes closer to the finish line.

Okay friends, gotta run. I have a list to make!

Aby

The post Create a 30 Under 30 (To-do) List appeared first on simplify 101.

Gosh, isn’t that the truth? But sometimes keeping up simply isn’t an option. There’s just too much coming at you and too many must-do tasks on your to-do list to actually keep up. Other times, however, keeping up is just a whole bunch of tiny choices everyday. Choices like:

• Going through today’s mail and doing the associated tasks, like scheduling bills for payment and filing away the coupons. (Clearly, I haven’t been making that choice as of late, haha.)
• Doing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen as soon as you’re done eating dinner.
• Tidying up surface clutter before bed each night. This includes tasks like hanging up clean clothes, putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket, and putting away other items you took out and used today.

The good thing about getting behind, like I am right now, is that it reminds me how much more pleasant life is when I’m a bit more on top of things. Life ebbs and flows, and the messy times when we’ve fallen behind are part of that ebb and flow. This means if you’ve fallen behind it is not an opportunity to beat yourself up! Instead, use it as an opportunity to reset your home and your habits by incorporating a 15 minute tidying into the end of your day. Waking up to a home free of surface clutter is a wonderful gift to give yourself. And, as an added bonus, you’ll see the tangible benefits of keeping up instead of catching up.

Happy organizing!

The post Organizing Tip: Keeping Up is Easier than Catching Up appeared first on simplify 101.

This past weekend, the temperature hovered in the upper 80s, and humidity felt just as high. I thought to myself, “It’s a perfect weekend to switch over my closet for fall!” After all, even though the thermometer is confused, it is October, which means cooler weather will be here any day now. (A girl can hope, anyway.)

Want to know my secrets for a simple seasonal switch out? Here you go. These are the same steps I used to organize my closet for fall.

1. Pull items out of your closet and onto your bed. First, I removed my spring and summer clothing from my closet, taking out anything that felt too summery in terms of colors, fabric, or style. These were items I knew I wasn’t putting into rotation anymore because even though it’s still warm out, I’ve been reaching for items that look more fallish.
2. Edit. Next, focusing on one garment type at a time, I removed items from my closet with an eye for editing. I donated items I didn’t wear during the past season. Part of having an organized closet is filling it with items you truly love and wear. If it didn’t work in the past six months, it’s very unlikely to work next year. Also, I tried things on! When you organize your closet, only fill it with pieces that fit and flatter, items you’ll be excited to put on. If your size fluctuates, only keep items that you will love wearing when you get back into a size you’re keeping, but move those items into storage. Free up your closet space for items that fit your body right now. This is the only way to get a really good feel for what your daily options are for getting dressed and it’s the best way to determine the holes in your wardrobe that need to be filled with a shopping trip.
3. Put away. After editing, I returned the keepers back into my closet. At this stage, put items that fit and are in-season now (regardless of what the thermometer says) back into your closet, sorting like garments together – skirts with skirts, dresses with dresses, tops with tops, etc. Put donatables in a donation bag and put out of season items into a stack on your bed.
4. Bring your seasonal items out of storage. This is the fun part. I like to pretend I’m out shopping, at a trunk sale, for example. As I pull clothing out of your storage container, I pay attention to which items delight me? I ask: Which things are you happy to see? Which items would you buy again from your trunk sale? Put these items into a keep pile.
5. Edit again. As I took items out of the storage bins, I tried them on. If an item doesn’t fit and it isn’t worth working your way back into, let it go! Also let go of those items that you really weren’t happy to see as you pulled them out of storage, as well as those that just don’t fit your sense of style any longer or are past their prime.
6. Put away the keepers. Everything that made it through the litmus test went back it my closet, organized like the first round. Place your out-of-season keepers in the storage containers you just emptied. Keep those items that you’re working your way into size-wise separate from other items so they’ll be easy to find when you hit your goal weight.
7. Take stock. As I go through this process, it becomes clear which items I have plenty of (plain colored dresses and black pants) and which items need a refresh or replacement (non-neutral cardigans, booties and boots, a nice pair of jeans, winter coat / jacket). Make a list of items you want and need and then move onto the next step.
8. Peruse Pinterest. Before shopping for the season, I always shop on Pinterest first. Perusing Pinterest for outfit ideas will help you figure out basic items you need to purchase to fill out your wardrobe as well as ideas on new ways to wear items already in your closet. One way I find using Pinterst particularly helpful is by studying the outfit formulas. Realizing that I need to dress in at least two layers to not get frostbite at work helps me find outfit ideas that work for me. Then, I translate those outfits into formulas. For example, some of my favorite formulas for fall are dress + cardigan + tights + booties and dress + blanket scarf + tights + boots. When I discovered this, it helped me prioritize that top layer while out shopping.
9. Shop! Remember to take your list and stick to it. When you do, you’ll find you love your organized closet and everything in it. Getting dressed will truly be a breeze.
10. Edit as you go. Finally, to maintain order for the full season ahead, make it a habit to edit as you go. Place a laundry basket or storage bin into your closet and use it to collect items you continually pass up when getting dressed. You’ve just created a self-maintaining closet! What could be better than that?

Are you ready to do your seasonal switch out? What tips do you have for making the process more fun — and productive? I can’t wait to hear!

Happy organizing!

Aby

The post How to Organize Your Closet: Tips for the Seasonal Switch Out appeared first on simplify 101.

She’d pull out this phrase of wisdom when I was going through a tough spot and just wanted to be on the other side of it. I can’t wait until spring break or I can’t wait until this semester is over, would ultimately be met with stop wishing your life away.

While I think mom’s main aim was to get me to stop complaining, now that I’m older I think she was onto something. If I’m constantly wishing for the next thing, I’m in essence wishing my life away. What’s more, I’m missing out on the good stuff that’s happening right now in the midst of whatever it is I want to get through.

Which brings me back to Instagram. As I was scrolling through my feed last week, it seemed as if every other post was someone wishing winter away. Now I know winter is long, and dark, and cold, but there’s a lot to love about it, too. I’ve always been pretty tolerant of winter, having grown up in Michigan. Cold weather just feels like home. But this year, I’m enjoying winter even more thanks in part, to The Little Book of Hygge. I got this book for Christmas and read it the same day. (I loved it that much!) It’s loaded with Danish secrets to happy living. Now if the Danish can find a way to be happy in the winter, well, that’s pretty inspiring. Certainly the rest of us can find a way to enjoy winter instead of wishing it away. Right?

If you’re finding it hard to get through winter, and find yourself wishing a piece of your life away in the process, pick up a copy of the book. Or give these ideas a try and start enjoying winter now.

Light up the darkness. For me, the darkness of winter is the biggest challenge. It’s hard to get home from work and walk into cold,  dark house. This year as we were putting away our Christmas decorations we decided to keep the lighted garland on the mantle. It’s amazing what a difference this has made. Instead of walking into a completely dark home, the lighted mantle greets me each night when I get home. If your Christmas lights are already put away, tuck this idea into your back pocket for next year, and instead, pull out a bunch of candles and light them every chance you get.

Go outside, especially if it’s sunny. I love bundling up on a cold day and going for a run. Sounds crazy, but I’m really only cold for the first few minutes. After that, it’s just great to be outside, breathing in the crisp, fresh air. If you aren’t a runner, no worries, you’re not off the hook. Winter walks outside are great too, especially after a fresh snow. Just pull on the layers, wooly socks and warm boots, and see how your perspective on winter changes simply by getting outside.

Or, enjoy the excuse to stay inside and relax. Schedules tend to slow down this time of year. Take advantage if it by giving yourself permission to slow down and do something really relaxing like reading a book, playing a board game with your family, or taking a nap. When summer comes there will be a million things you want to do outside, so the luxury of downtime will be a lot harder to come by. Which leads me to my next idea.

Tackle your to-do list. Why wait until spring to do your spring cleaning and organizing? If you jump on these tasks now when spring comes these tasks won’t be calling you to stay inside. Plus, active tasks like organizing and cleaning get you moving, which will warm you up. A win-win, right?

Get together with friends. If winter feels isolating, make it a point to get together with those you care about. Don’t overcomplicate it, just go for a casual potluck or dinner out. Or do what I did a couple of January’s ago and start a Bunco group. (Or book club, craft group, cooking club, etc.)

Create warmth. For me, the hardest part about winter is feeling cold nearly all the time, whether I’m inside or out. What’s my fix? When I’m done warming up by checking things off my to-do list, a crackling fire in the fireplace, wooly socks, a fuzzy blank or a hot cup of tea is sure-fire way to chase the chill away.

So there you have it, six simple ideas to help you stop wishing winter was over already. What ideas do you have to add to the list? Thanks for sharing!

Aby

The post 6 Tips to Enjoy Winter appeared first on simplify 101.

Do I have that right?

If so, you’re not alone. Allstate even has a TV spot about broken resolutions.

This past week I’ve given a lot of thought as to why this happens. My enthusiasm has started to wane a bit, too, because my plan hasn’t been going…well…as planned. Last week I had a stomach virus. And in the last few weeks we’ve had unexpected car repairs (on more than one car, ugh) and now one of those cars is completely dead. Double ugh.

The stomach virus meant that just as I was getting my new weekly routine up and running, it came to a screeching halt. And the money I had earmarked for a new couch? Well that went to car repairs, so the couch will have to wait.

It’s this darn real-world stuff that can make it tricky to stay the course on our goals and resolutions! After all, we’re only two weeks in, and already we see that our plan isn’t perfect. It would be so easy to say “this goal and resolution stuff doesn’t work,” wouldn’t it?

But let’s not do that. Instead, let’s think about what’s really going on. Here’s what I think it is. When we dream about creating change in our lives, it’s done from a place of no constraints. This is good because those lack of boundaries help us get to the core of what we really want. But, as soon as we go from planning to doing, the real world becomes a very big part of the equation, even if, we’ve created a pretty realistic plan. But these bumps in the road don’t mean we should stop.

Instead, when things don’t go as planned, make a new plan and keep moving forward.

Here’s my new plan:

• Focus on free or nearly-free house projects until budget can be freed up for a new couch. (I can get excited about that because it gets me back to thinking about possibilities instead of focusing on the obstacles.)
• Pick up where I left off on my weekly routine.
• Remember my intention. This last one is really key. If your intention for the year is meaningful to you, if it’s truly important, then reconnecting with it will reignite your fire. Give it a try, and see what happens.

How about you? How are things going on your New Year’s goals and resolutions? Are you still feeling excited and enthused, or have you hit a few speed bumps, too? Thanks for sharing!

Aby

P.S. I also wanted to share some exciting news. I was featured in the Secrets of Getting Organized in the Sanity Savers roundtable on paper pileups. I know that paper clutter is a huge source of stress for many of us, so if tackling it is one of your 2018 resolutions, pick up a copy! This gorgeous BHG publication is on sale now through March 25th at newsstands and bookstores nationwide, as well as in grocery stores, home centers, big box retailers, drugstores, discount chains, as well as chain and independent booksellers – pretty much everywhere, haha!

The post Losing motivation on your resolutions? Try this. appeared first on simplify 101.

What’s worse, if you don’t recognize that the true issue is unrealistic expectations about time, you may begin to apply negative labels to yourself such as I’m lazy or I never achieve my goals. And that feels awful. It’s no wonder we all want to throw in the towel on our resolutions in less than a week’s time!

So what’s the solution? Becoming intentional about time. The key to getting anything done is effective time management. In other words, you invest your time in projects and tasks that matter, those that enable you to live your intention. But, it’s essential that your time management plan is also realistic, rooted in an understanding about what is possible to get done in the time available. If this sounds like the solution to your getting-things-done dilemmas, here’s a five step process to help you get started.

Step 1: Know your intentions.
The first step is to become clear about your intentions for your time. What do you want to do? What activities fill your life with purpose and meaning? What do you need to do? We all have must-do tasks like laundry and grocery shopping that have to be taken into consideration. So start by creating a list of how you want and need to spend your time.

Step 2:  Organize and Prioritize.  
Once you have a feel for how you want and need to spend your time, it’s time to get organized by dividing your list into recurring tasks and one-time projects.

In my last blog post, A Fresh Approach to New Year’s Resolutions, I shared my 2018 intention is to feel good and be happy so I can help others live a better life. This intention led me to create three buckets of tasks and projects, centered around physical health, mental health and connection with others. I organized my list by category (physical health, mental health and connection with others) and then identified each task as a daily practice, weekly task or one-time project.

Here’s are some examples:

Physical Health

Intention: Be intentional about what I put into my body and notice how things make me feel.

Weekly Tasks:

• Meal Planning that focuses on healthy, low-cal meals, more fruits and veggies, healthier lunches, healthy snacks for work, and eating more dinners at home.
• Grocery shopping. Of course, a meal plan is useless if we don’t go to the store.

Daily Task:

• Cook healthy meals for dinner.

Intention: Move More

Weekly Tasks:

• Run 10 miles per week
• Yoga or Strength Training 1 to 2 times per week

Intention: Become intentional about getting good sleep by creating and following a night-time routine. So far my nighttime routine consists of the three mental health practices outlined below.

Mental Health Practices:

Daily Tasks:

• Gratitude journal
• Meditation
• Journaling

Mental Health Projects
These projects will support my intention to eliminate mental clutter by addressing stressors that are in my control. Here’s an example. My home is currently less organized than I’d like and it needs some decorating updates. As a result, my home is currently a mental distraction so in 2018 my intention is to create a cozy, clutter-free home that supports my vision of me. To get started, I created two lists of priority projects. The first list includes free projects, and the second includes projects that will require a financial investment. I also have a list of weekly tasks that will help me create and maintain a cozy, clutter-free home. Here are my lists:

Weekly Tasks:

• Cleaning
• Laundry

Money Projects (top 3 priorities):

• New flooring and paint in the great room
• New furniture in the great room
• Deck

Free Projects (top 6 priorities):

• Organize / declutter laundry room
• Organize cabinet in kitchen
• Organize basement storage room
• Organize basement craft closet
• Organize coat closet / memorabilia
• Organize garage

Connection with Others (Overall top priority):
Within connection with others, my overall intention is to nurture my relationships with others. This is a bit less task focused, however, from a time management perspective, it’s important to earmark time for others. For example, I’ve carved out Friday nights to spend time with Jay and / or friends and Sunday nights are for family dinners.

Your buckets and tasks may look completely different than mine, and that’s fine. The main goal is to organize your tasks and projects by what you want / need to do on a daily basis, weekly basis and less frequently such as on a one-time basis. As you’re organizing your tasks, think about what’s most important to you. Prioritizing your tasks and projects will help you make decisions when you run into time conflicts and have two different activities vying for the same slice of time.

Step 3: Create a Plan
Once you have your tasks categorized, identify your available time slots and assign tasks to them. Here’s how.

Identify your available time:
Remember that whole thing about being realistic with how much you can get done? Well that starts by identifying how much time you have available. If you work full time out of the home, for example, your available time is likely evenings after work and weekends (plus any paid time off). If you’re a work-at-home mom with young kids, then there are huge chunks of time that aren’t yours. They’re spent taking care of your kiddos, whether that’s feeding them, getting them dressed, playing, driving them to activities, etc. With those thoughts in mind, identify as best as possible the time that you have available for your tasks and projects. Maybe it’s naptime or after the little ones are in bed.

Assign time slots for various tasks:
Once you know your available time, start assigning the priority tasks and projects to chunks of time. Here’s an example.

MY PLAN
So as to not be redundant and bore you to tears, everyday my plan includes three mental health practices: gratitude journaling, meditation,  and journaling plus making a healthy dinner. Here’s how the rest of it shakes out.

Monday

• Yoga

Tuesday

• Run
• Paperwork / financial tasks

Wednesday

• Grocery list and work out OR connect with friends

Thursday

• Grocery shop
• Run

Friday

• Connect with others OR prep for any big projects

Saturday

• Clean
• Run
• Project Day

Sunday

• Write
• Laundry
• Connect
• Run (if didn’t run on Saturday)
• Family dinner

Step 4: Try It On For Size
Okay friends, this is where it helps to be a cheerleader instead of a critic. Stuff will come up! Your plan won’t work perfectly, and that’s okay! This is where knowing your priorities is really helpful. For me, my number one priority this year is connecting with others. It’s the “why” behind my intention to feel good. So, if something comes up that gives me the opportunity to connect with someone or help someone, I’m happy to let my plan fall by the wayside. (This happened at least once last week and prevented me from running on Thursday which means I won’t get my ten miles in this week. That’s okay. Next week is a new week!)

So try on your plan with a mindset of curiosity. Which pieces of the plan will work? Which things will need to be shifted around? What did I forget to include in my plan? And then, move on to step 5.

Step 5: Tweak Your Plan
As you see what’s working and what’s not working, tweak your plan. You may find that you have less control over your weeknights than you anticipated when you made your plan, so you might find it productive to shift some tasks to the weekends. You may find that you have less mental energy on weeknights than you realized so you might decide to move tasks like house cleaning or laundry to the weeknights, and move tasks that require mental energy like paperwork or financial tasks to the weekend.

Keep tweaking things until you find a plan that works for you and allows you to be intentional about your time.

Alright – that was a long post! Let me know what questions you have.

The post Time Management Tips: How to Be Intentional About Time appeared first on simplify 101.

Why is this year different? It’s a combination of a few things.

• I have a BIG birthday approaching this year…like a freight train. I want to meet that birthday feeling happy and excited, with the right mindset to begin the next decade of my life.

• I have been missing blogging and connecting with others through simplify 101. Now is a great time to make a fresh start on the blog. I have something new I want to share, and a renewed excitement for writing.

• I want something different in 2018 than I had in 2017. Yes, that’s what all New Year’s resolutions are about, but I have heightened awareness that change in a new year doesn’t happen just because a we put on party hats and blow horns at midnight. We don’t wake up on New Year’s Day feeling any different than the day before, just like we don’t wake up feeling any different on our birthday. In both cases, things are only one day different than they were the day before.

There’s no radical transformation that happens when the calendar changes to a new year. Instead, change in the new year happens because we create it. We intend for something different and then take action to make it happen. What’s more, change happens when we stay focused and tenacious even after the excitement of the shiny new year fades.

So what’s different about my approach this year than other years? Aside from the above, this year, instead of starting with a list of dreams or even goals, I started with an intention. It’s about how what I want things to be like in 2018. This seems like a subtle shift, but what it did was allowed me to connect with the bigger reason behind my goals and resolutions. Instead of feeling like a to-do list, the tasks and activities I identified feel directly tied to a higher purpose, my 2018 intention.

Here’s a glimpse of the process I used.

Last Friday I took time to sit down and plan 2018 by answering the question, how do I want things to be in 2018. I sat down next to my new Glass Dry Erase Board (it’s so new it isn’t even hung on the wall yet) and connected my heart to my hand. I jotted down everything that came to mind and when the dry-erase board got full, I snapped a photo with my phone so I could let the ideas keep flowing. I was amazed at how effortless the process was for me. My plan for the year was out of my heart in an hour’s time, which caused me to declare that hour as my most productive hour of 2017!

I started by figuring out my intention for the year by answering at a high level how I want things to be in 2018. Then, I added on a why. Here’s what came out:

In 2018 I intend to feel good and be happy so I can help others live a better life.

When I wrote that on the dry-erase board, I teared up a little bit. It felt that right. This really encapsulates how I want things to be different in 2018. I am taking responsibility for how I feel both physically and emotionally, and then using that energy to help others.

From there I focused on three pillars that will help me live my intention in 2018: physical health, mental health, and connection with others. For the first two pillars, physical health and mental health, I came up with three priority practices that will help me feel good and be happy. Some of these are daily practices and some are weekly. I also identified sources of mental clutter — distractions that are getting in the way of living my intention — and I brainstormed solutions. These solutions became a list of tasks and projects that will help me feel better and be happier. (I’ll share more on this in a later post, but as an example, my house is currently a source of mental clutter. It doesn’t represent who I feel I am. It feels heavy, too much stuff, the wrong stuff, etc. I intend to simplify and upscale in 2018.)

The last pillar is connection with others. What I know for sure is that when I feel better and I’m happier, I’m a better mom, wife, friend, and employee. And I hope, a better and more frequent blogger. That is my intention for 2018. And I invite you to join me. That can be as simple as reading along, sharing your thoughts in the comments, or identifying your own in intention and pillars for 2018. This will be a new journey. It will be a process of discovery. And I don’t have it all figured out just yet. But I’m really excited to see what what we create in the year ahead.

Happy New Year!

Aby

The post A Fresh Approach to New Year’s Resolutions appeared first on simplify 101.

Here are two questions to ask before buying containers:

1. What do I need to store? If you can’t specifically answer this question while standing in the container isle, then you’re not ready to buy just yet. Instead, go home and do some decluttering. Let go of items you no longer use, need or love. In the process you may find that you empty some perfectly good storage containers for the items you do need to store. Or you may find that you can clearly identify homeless items that truly could benefit from a storage container.
2. Where will I put the container? Once you have identified specific items that need to be stored, next think about where it makes sense to keep them. Do you have similar items already stored somewhere in your home? Perhaps you have some new Holiday decorations that are in need of a home. Is there space for them (and the storage bin you’ve been eyeballing) on a shelf in your basement next to your other holiday decorations? Identifying the primary storage such as the shelf, cabinet, or closet where your items and new container will live is a critical step in creating an organized space. It will help you ensure you buy a container that fits the contents you need to store as well as the location where the container will live.

Without asking these questions first, containers can actually add to your clutter instead of helping you be more organized. But with these two questions tucked in your back pocket, containers can be a handy tool in your organizing toolkit.

Happy organizing!

The post Why Containers Won’t Make You Organized appeared first on simplify 101.

Make a list of goals. Start by writing a quick list of what you want. Don’t worry if your list feels more like a to-do list at the start. Getting those mundane tasks out of your head will help you get to the heart of what you really want — your true goals. It can help when setting goals to think about the various areas of your life such as relationships, health and fitness, home, career, finances, etc. Having goals that represent various areas of your life will also help you create balance in your life.

Figure out what’s blocking you. If you’re struggling to come up with a list of goals, brainstorm what’s standing in your way. Perhaps you’re feeling overwhelmed by an already too long to-do list, or maybe the clutter in your home makes it feel impossible to move forward on anything. Once you have a feel for what is standing in your way, make clearing this block your very first goal.

Dedicate time to make progress. Once you have a feel for the fresh start you want to make, think about the cadence of your weekly schedule. Where are blocks of time when you can work on your goals? If you have a 9 to 5 that’s more like a 7 to 7, then weekends may be the best place to find dedicated time to work on your goals. Get as specific as possible, such as scheduling time on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for a workout and Saturday mornings for making progress on your decluttering goal. Be realistic about your schedule and the actual time you have. Schedule your most important goals first, knowing you can come back to your list once some of your goals have been accomplished. Creating a realistic game plan that prioritizes your most important goals will help you maintain your motivation going forward.

Bite size the big goals. Another way to stay motivated is to bite size your big goals. For example, if you want to organize your whole house, bite size this into specific rooms, and then areas within that room. By focusing solely on one small area of your home at a time, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and get a greater sense of accomplishment as you check your smaller goals off your list.

Establish check-in points. Pull out your calendar and schedule specific blocks of time to check in on your goals. Think of these check-ins as opportunities to take stock of the progress you’ve made and then reassess. During these check-ins, do a gut check. Do you still feel energized and excited about your goals? If not, consider diverting your attention to other goals for a period of time so you feel reenergized and motivated to keep going!

Celebrate your victories. Finally, celebrate your victories big and small throughout the year. This step is one of the best ways to stay motivated as you continue moving forward.

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