It’s no coincidence that the National Association of Professional Organizers has deemed January National Get Organized Month! If the thought of going through all of your closets, cupboards, cabinets and cellars has you breaking out in a cold sweat, don’t, uh, sweat it…..because you’re in luck! This week we’re going to give you some helpful tips and tricks on how to pull your living space together, not only to make 2015 more manageable, but also to assist others in improving their job prospects. Sounds totally unrelated? It’s not!
Relax, There’s No Need To Get Overwhelmed
Do you know the best way to eat an elephant? The answer is quite simple, really—one bite at a time!
Too often, people tend to get overwhelmed simply by overthinking the task at hand before they’ve even started. The key is to set small goals on a frequent basis with the understanding that your entire home or apartment is not going to get organized in a single day.
This is your project, which means you get to set realistic milestones for your progress. A good way to begin is to set a date when you plan to have all of your rooms cleaned and organized, then work backwards and select specific deadlines for each room.
What seems less daunting, spending a few hours to clean out your closet or taking a month to totally organize your house? It’s all about the baby steps, baby!
Decide What You Absolutely Must Keep
So you’ve created your self-imposed schedule, what now? Actually, for most of us, this is the fun part! It’s decision time; do you really need an item or can you live just as comfortably without it?
Let’s use your kitchen for an example. Remember last year, on a weekly basis, you would have to make room in your cabinets to store your pots and pans. How many times did you have to push aside that fondue set you received for Christmas during the Bush Administration (not George W., but his father)? And really, do you still need that trendy coffee press that was so cool when you first moved in now that you’ve converted to the simplicity of a Keurig machine?
Ok, so now you have two piles of kitchen supplies. The group you’re going to keep, simply put back neatly in an organized manner of your choosing. Now what do you do with the appliances and utensils you realize you’re never going to use again?
When In Doubt, Don’t Throw It Out! Donate To Horizon Goodwill
Why were you keeping that broken toaster again? We don’t know either, so in the garbage it goes, along with those cracked mugs and bent forks. But what about the aforementioned fondue set? Certainly someone who likes to have friends over for game night can use it, right?
Absolutely! It’s items like this that you should bring to your closest Horizon Goodwill store! When you donate your gently used household items to us, you’re not only helping yourself get organized, oh no, you’re helping your local community as well.
Approximately 90% of every product sold at our Horizon Goodwill retail stores goes towards our job training programs. This amazing service helps individuals with barriers to employment find meaningful work.
Once your kitchen is organized, it’s as simple as repeating the process in your bedroom, hall closet, even your living room. Just take a look at that overflowing bookshelf! Are you really going to re-read all of those Harlequin romance novels or those mystery books? After all, you already know the evil stepson committed the crime.
And we also accept DVDs, VHS tapes, compact discs—even vinyl records and the turntables that play them! In your cleaning did you stumble across an old computer that hasn’t been fired up since you purchased your new iPad? Horizon Goodwill accepts those as well. You can donate shoes, jewelry, toys—even your car! Plus, all of your donations are eligible for a tax deduction, which is pretty cool.
So there you have it! Doesn’t getting organized not only seem less challenging but also…well, a bit fun?
Let us know how your organization progress is coming along by posting in the comments sections below!