Most of us have great intentions at the beginning of the year to get organised, but then life happens and before you know it, it’s all a mess again and you’re struggling to keep up.
You may think that doing your admin and sorting out your clutter are among the least inspiring ways to kick off the new year, but you will feel differently once it’s done. Making a habit of organising our lives is part of the foundation of self-mastery that catapults us to a higher level of performance in all areas of life.
Get on top of your work, household and social life by implementing these five systems to help you keep a clear view of what’s happening and where things are.
- Sit down with your calendar
Whether you go digital or paper-based, fall in love with your calendar this year. Take some time and start with filling in birthdays, anniversaries, family weddings and important school term dates. If you haven’t planned your 2023 holidays yet, start to work them out now so that you can budget, plan and book! Use your calendar daily, not just for reminders but for setting weekly and daily goals, making to-do lists, pre-planning, budgeting and tracking. Having a clear view of your year’s happenings will give you a solid idea of what’s coming up without the fear of forgetting something important.
- Have a Marie Kondo moment
It sounds simple but decluttering and tidying up changes your home life and your outlook. Start discarding the stuff you don’t need by sorting according to categories such as clothes first, then books, papers and mementos. In true Marie Kondo style, get rid of everything that does not bring joy. Once you have decluttered, reorganise and tidy all your storage spaces. You will feel so much better next time you open that cupboard or drawer and it’s neat and tidy.
- Get your important documents safe and organised
Instead of having your personal documents shoved into a drawer somewhere or poorly filed in a folder you can never find, try going for a digital option. Gather your birth certificate, marriage certificate and your current, signed and witnessed Last Will and Testament and policy information and look into digital storage options that have a high safety rating. We love the Heritage Vault, which allows you to organise your financials, personal documents, lists of assets and detailed instructions to your loved ones into 13 easy to populate categories of data. Also store your digital passwords so that your loved ones can access any password protected documents and accounts that are sent to you via email, should the need arise.
- Complete or delete unfinished projects
Take an inventory of everything you are dragging in from last year. Are there DIY projects half-done? Is there a pile of documents waiting for you to sort out? Identify what has to be accomplished such as renewing drivers license or passport, schedule these priorities in your calendar and get them done. If there are projects you haven’t yet started and you’ve lost your zeal, let them go now and find a different solution such as engaging a handyman.
- Take control of your digital life
Clutter happens easily in the digital realm too! Every day we’re dealing with passwords and a multitude of digital assets across our inboxes to our social media profiles and cryptocurrency accounts. It’s worth taking the time to clean up your inbox, drafts and spam. Delete outdated files from your hard drives and clean up your digital images.
