 First, set your priorities. What do you hope to achieve this year? How
would you like to spend your time? What does a perfect day look like in
your mind's eye? Use this vision to help yourself set some specific goals
for your day, month, year, or longer.
Make sure your goals are SMART (thanks to Harold Taylor for introducing
me to this concept!) Your goals should be Specific, Measurable,
Action-oriented, Realistic, and Timely. "This year I'll improve my health",
while an admirable sentiment, is not a SMART goal. Related SMART goals
might look like this:
aOn January 10th I will begin weekly swimming classes at the local recreation
centre.
aI will walk the dog for at least 1/2 an hour twice a week.
aI will plan my meals for the week using Canada's Food Guide.
aWednesday evening will be family time - I will schedule this in my planner
every week. In pen!
These goals are specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic and
timely. And following this action plan will result in the dream of
improving your health.
If your overall goal is to clear out your clutter, start small. Break it
down into manageable pieces. For example, this weekend clear out one closet,
one file drawer, or one set of kitchen cupboards. Live with that change for
a bit and then continue.
Remember that living an organized life involves
changing your systems and habits. Promise yourself that you will spend five
minutes every evening picking up in your house, or five minutes before you
leave work tidying your desk - those few minutes on a regular basis will
help you maintain your new system.
Keep the vision of a clutter-free space
in your head. When I decided that my whole home needed to be more organized
I found that maintaining at least one room in my house as a peaceful,
clutter-free haven was hugely inspiring. I could go into that room, enjoy
the peace and be motivated to get another space into that kind of shape.
In reaching your organizing goals, here are some of the basic rules to keep
in mind:
astore it close to where you use it
akeep frequently used things in easy to reach places
astore like things together
aput things away when you're finished using them
ause containers to make things easier to manage
arecycle things you no longer use
amaintain your systems
I hope these general tips inspire you to organize another piece of your life
in 2002!
Here's an inspirational thought from one of our clients:
"Committing to an organized life is like a declaration to the universe
that you intend success for yourself."
Thanks F.B., I couldn't have said it better myself!
If you have any suggestions for future tip pages, please email Laurene at
organizeme@rogers.com. |
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Happy New Year!
Laurene Livesey Park
Want more great tips? Check our Newsletter archives:
(please note that these are old pages - not all links from them are current)
February 2001: Time for hobbies, space for photos.
March 2001: Family organizing tips.
May 2001: Seasonal clothes switch tips.
Summer 2001: Simplify your life!
Fall 2001: Manage your family's paper.
Christmas 2001: Celebrate an organized Christmas.
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