January marks the start of the new year—the perfect time for resolutions and new beginnings. For professional organizers, it’s known as Get Organized (GO) Month. If you’re tired of resolving to change your diet or hitting the gym every day, mix up your New Year’s resolutions with some organizing ideas. If you’re already thinking about getting better organized, but are feeling stuck on the specifics, we can help! Here are some of our GO Month suggestions for 2019:

• Recycle or digitize: Wondering what to do with the influx of holiday cards you receive every year? After enjoying the pictures and cards through the holiday season, you have our permission to recycle them (no need to trash paper products!). If you can’t bear the idea of letting go of those lovely images altogether, we recommend taking photos/scanning your favorites and saving them in a folder on your phone or laptop. If this process feels liberating, then continue doing this with other cards, photos, and memorabilia! If you feel overwhelmed by your collection, call in the professionals for some digitizing help.

• One in, one out: At TLD, we are big proponents of the “one in, one out rule.” The name is pretty self-explanatory—if you bring a new item into your home, then another item needs to go. This helps cut down on clutter, keeps you from feeling overwhelmed, and encourages you to slow down and make more deliberate choices. January is a great time to put this rule into effect because you likely have a house full of holiday gifts and new gadgets that can replace, not add to, your current collection!

• The hanger trick: We love this annual approach to organizing your closet. Put your clothes in the closet with the hangers reversed, so they point outwards. When you’ve worn an item, return it to your closet hanging it the normal way, pointing toward the back. At the end of the season or year, you’re able to see what clothes you’ve actually worn, and can donate or sell the unworn items.

• The 90/90 rule: We love The Minimalists, and they love this rule: Choose one of your possessions and ask yourself if you have used it in the last 90 days. If you haven’t, ask yourself if you will use it in the next 90 days. Be honest. If the answer is no, then it’s okay to let go. If 90 seems too scary, choose a different number (100, 120, 150, whatever). Do this with as many items as possible and see what gets used or brings you joy. This is a good way to figure out which of your possessions are serving your life, and which ones are just adding to the clutter.

• Organizing From the Inside Out: Not ready to dive in just yet? Start with some mental preparation, and outline your goals. Our favorite organizing book is called Organizing From the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern, and it provides all the basics you need to get mentally organized before you take the plunge to get physically organized.

Still feeling stuck? Give us a call, and we can help you get started on your 2019 organizing resolutions!