Start the New Year by setting a goal to get your home organized and clutter-free. While this may seem like a monumental task, it can be achieved by breaking down your goal by focusing on one room at a time. Choosing the first room to start with can also be a complicated decision – why not start with one of the rooms that always collects clutter: the toy room!

The first step is to gather all the toys in (and out) of the toy room. Go through everything and immediately take out anything that is broken. Decide if it can be fixed (does it just need new batteries?) or if it needs to be recycled or discarded. Anything that is old or unused but still in good shape can be set aside and donated when it is possible to do so.

Make sure there is enough storage space for what toys remain. Do more bins or shelves need to be purchased to make sure everything has a home? Using open shelving with see-through or clear bins and baskets means toys are easier to find during play time to avoid the need to empty out the entire toy chest to access one item. Try to use storage that is also easy for your children to grab and open – something lower to the ground and with drawers or bins that aren’t too heavy if they need to be moved.

Larger items like playhouses and sets can be harder to store, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a designated spot in the room or closet where they can be placed after they are used.

However, it is important to keep the number of toys you have manageable. While some extra storage may be needed to get everything organized, you don’t want to keep accumulating more and more toys and taking up more and more space.

Set a goal to regularly go through the toys and organize the room with your family to make sure the space stays manageable. This shouldn’t be a job just for one person. Everyone should be involved in the activity – especially the children! Make cleaning up after play time a new routine now so it continues throughout the rest of the year.

All toys should always go back to their designated spot after they are done being used. By making clean-up time a routine, you are already doing a lot to keep the space organized and maintained long-term.

Focusing on small and achievable goals not only makes you more successful but creates consistency. If we decide to accomplish something that is over-the-top and unrealistic, it becomes more difficult to maintain in the long run and likely won’t be successful. If an issue occurs and we fall off the plan, a smaller goal is easier to pick up again and keep going.

Persistence and consistency are key, because anything unattainable is difficult to pick up again. Realistic goals, like getting the toy room organized instead of the entire house, is a goal that you can easily achieve.

Are you living in the right space for your life right now?

As people age and their lives change (retirement, becoming empty-nesters), the space they are currently living in may not work for them anymore. Much of this has to do with the items and belongings in this space, how it is organized, and how big it is. As people transition into different stages in their life, it may be time for them to re-think their current situation and start making plans for the future.

Earlier in life (ages 20-40), people tend to accumulate a lot of “stuff.” Often, these are items that people eventually grow out of or no longer need – especially when it comes to children’s items, old sporting equipment, out-of-date clothing and accessories. While many people convince themselves they need to hang on to it “just in case” for many years, the reality is that you probably won’t be needing them anytime soon.

This is especially important to consider as people age and think about changing their space and down-sizing into a smaller home. Before reaching this stage, it is a good idea to start going through all the “stuff” that has been accumulated while people have the time, energy, and ability to dedicate to the task.

A good way for people to start this process is to ask themselves why they have been hanging on to all these belongings for so long – is it because of sentimental reasons, or a sense of obligation? Only keep items that are useful, and evoke feelings of love and value. If an item is no longer useful and isn’t bringing any joy or value into your life, then it isn’t worth hanging onto.

If people are supporting someone else in this process, whether it is aging parents, relatives or friends, it is important to try and complete this process with them sooner rather than later. Often, many of the items keep for sentimental reasons have interesting stories and history that can be forgotten or lost as they are stored with an assortment of other items and belongings. Taking the time to organize and declutter their belongings together can bring a greater understanding of their purpose and how they may be given a new life or purpose instead of being regulated to a storage room or garbage bin.

It may seem premature to undertake this process earlier in life, but why keep holding on to these items and pay for them to be packed up and moved or disposed of when they were never needed to begin with? Delaying the process with only make for a bigger headache later on – it is never to early to be prepared.

This process can be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to say goodbye to items that have been accumulated over a lifetime. The team at Calm Order can help individuals struggling with finding the right space and preparing for their changes in life through the entire organization process and beyond. Large projects like this don’t have to be undertaken alone – Calm Order is here to help!