Wow, we are already a few days into December! Where did 2015 go?? As soon as Thanksgiving weekend came to an end, I felt a strong sense of wanting to get things done before January. Why? Because the January mindset includes resolutions, goals and wanting to tackle projects that have been on the back burner for so long. Just typing that sentence and reading it back gives me a tad bit of anxiety and mass confusion. I want to go into the new year organized and with a plan already in place. That’s why my motto for this month is…

Image from Live Happy Creative Stock

Now when you hear the word declutter, you may think I’m only talking about household junk. I’m actually referring to many factors of life! There a quite a few things in my life I’d like to declutter before the new year. Now I am not a professional organizer by any means, but I believe in writing down goals holding each other accountable. I’m posting this blog to not only help myself stay on track but to help any readers who have their plates piling up with no end in sight. Don’t save it for your New Year’s resolution. Tackle as many things as you can this month! 

Here’s a great list to grab ideas from. Some of these items pertain to me (not all of them, thank goodness) and some may be on your list (or should be, but I’m not judging)! 

Home

• Closets
  • Full disclosure: We moved in almost 2 years ago and still have a few unpacked boxes!
  • Do you still have a suitcase full of clothes from your last vacation? Either wash those clothes or put them away!
  • Recycle shoeboxes
• Kitchen
  • Cabinets: If it’s expired, throw it OUT. Now!
  • Refrigerator: See above
  • Drawers: Like me, I bet you a have drawer that could probably be cleaned out in 5 minutes if you’d take the time to do it haha!
• Garage
• Car/Trunk
• Attic

Online

• Social Media
  • Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… you name it. I’m sure there are a ton of people and/or brands you want to unfollow. Just take a few minutes to scroll down your feed and if someone makes you want to shout “She doesn’t even go here!” (she/here referring to this person providing entertainment/inspiration/education in your life your life), unfollow!
•  Email
  • Download the Unroll.Me app and thank me later. It’s Tinder for email subscriptions! The app gives you the option to swipe left on all unwanted email subscriptions and it. is. FUN!
  •  If you haven’t already, organize your emails into folders/subfolders. 

Phone

• Unused apps
• Phone numbers (You know where I’m going with this. You haven’t talked to that person since 2012…)
• Photos! Every time I try to snap a quick picture of Koa, my phone tells me I don’t have enough memory! Doh! Time to move some photos & videos to my computer!

Business/Work

• Workflow (the only bullet I’m including because it is an umbrella)
  • (Picture me grabbing your cheeks) Stop being all over the place when it comes to your small business or full-time job! Workflow! Lists! Calendars! I shouldn’t have to go into detail about this. You KNOW what to do and you know it will keep you on track. Prevent yourself from missing deadlines.  EXCEED your client/boss’s expectations. What projects do you want to get done? Lay them out on a timeline.
  • Fellow small business owners, I love 17hats! I’ve blogged more about how this online system has changed my business here. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me!
  • You don’t have to complete all of your business projects this month (unless you are approaching a deadline). Just be sure to outline and plan it all out.

Filing System

• Hard File System
  • Previous tax returns, social security cards, birth certificates, HUDs (for homeowners). Do you know where all of that stuff is? Shoot, I just realized I may or may not know where our marriage license is HAHAHA!
•  Electronic File System
  • How organized are your folders on your computer? Tighten up!
    • Get those receipts, contracts, etc. in order. Tax time will be here before you know it!
    • Images! File by event, date or whatever makes sense to you. We were actually looking for our wedding photos a few weeks ago on the computer and it took a while to find them!
    • Delete unused documents and programs

Calendar

• Holiday party invites are coming through. Family is visiting. Local events are popping up! Look at the month of December at a glance and fill in all the fun stuff. I’ve done a great job with scheduling the past few weeks. Our little family has spent a ton of time together and I’m loving every bit of it!
• Don’t be afraid to say no when getting invitations to functions you don’t want to attend or when you are feeling overwhelmed.

Bank Account

• Subscriptions
  • We have Netflix but have not watched it in MONTHS. Yiiiikes! This is a gentle reminder that we need to use it or cancel! I haven’t decided yet. I like my unlimited access to One Tree Hill… (#TeamPeyton)
• Excessive expenses (Starbucks, eating out for lunch every day, etc). If you know your resolution for next year is to cut down on these things, start cutting down little by little!

Your Mind

My Mom always tells me that when I was little, I’d say my mind was “always thinking”. That is true to this day! My mind can go a mile a minute. Let’s all schedule some time to relax and unwind! Give yourself some “me time” and of course, plenty of time with people you love.

Okay, I could go on for days but I do NOT want to overwhelm anyone haha! I feel like this is a good list to work with. If some of these apply to you, prioritize the most important and calculate how long each task will take you. Throw it on your calendar and do it! If ALL of these apply to you (and you’ve thought of more things to add), then may the odds be ever in your favor! Haha! Either way, we got this 🙂

What’s on your list to declutter in December? Leave a comment and let me know!