A New year is a great time to make changes in our lives. It gives us a chance to evaluate what’s working and what we would like to do differently.
Along with the desire to change, we also need clarity about our goals and how we’re going to achieve them. We may feel great on New Year’s Eve when we reel off our resolutions, but then the morning comes and we haven’t decided how to make them happen. Often they get left by the wayside and never come to fruition.
To avoid that happening, there are several steps to follow. These will give you the structure you need to make your changes a reality.
Once you have identified your goal (for example a tidy and organised home) define what that means for you. A clear bedroom floor, clutter free hallway or organised wardrobe, or all of the above. Once you have defined what you would like to achieve, you can start taking steps to make it happen.
Visualise your outcome. Spend 10 minutes visualising how you would like your home to look and feel. For example, you may see a tidy home office that you can then decorate, or a kitchen with clear surfaces that allow you to enjoy cooking .How do you want to feel when you open the front door? Calm, in control, together- imagine feeling like this and seeing your home reflecting it back to you.
Plan how you’re going to get there. Break it down in to small tasks such as: decluttering a kitchen drawer, organising the papers on your desk, recycling old magazines. Set yourself a time limit (15mins for a quick draw, 45 mins for sorting through paperwork). Put a timer on and focus on the task without distraction. Taking the first step towards your bigger goals, happens in increments. Once you get going the motivation will come.
Schedule it- unless we specifically make a time to declutter, there will always be ‘more important’ things we can do.. Plan the next month with decluttering sessions (as short as 45 mins a week on Saturdays). Define the goal of each session. When you have a reminder set, it’s a signal to begin.
Give yourself a reward- knowing you have a treat at the end of the session (a nice coffee, chocolate) will help motivate you. Another reward system is to make a chart with the tasks you would like to complete. When you finish a session, tick off the completed tasks. This sounds very simple but it’s very effective. To achieve long term goals we need short term rewards. We get a little hit of dopamine when we finish something and cross it off our lists.
Accountability is a helpful tool. If we do our best when we’re held accountable, then find a supportive but firm friend. Knowing we have someone to report back to, will often be the push we need to get it done. You could also give yourself a deadline such as having friends over for dinner. A goal will help you to focus, because you know you have something to look forward to.
You can apply these steps to almost any goal you want to achieve:
-Define your goal in detail.
-Visualise the results and how you want to feel.
-Plan- break down the goal into manageable tasks.
-Schedule the tasks.
-Create a reward system and accountability partner.
I hope this blog is useful and helps you move forward. Remember, it’s not lack of will power that’s stopping you from achieving goals- it’s lack of a good plan and ways to implement it.
I hope that 2025 is the year that you make your goals and dreams a reality.
If you would like professional help to get going with your new year decluttering, contact me for a free consultation:
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