Get it together: Plan ahead, be realistic for a calmer, more organized 2023

Jan. 6—It's a week into the new year. So ... how's the organizing going? Plenty of people resolve to get better organized in the new year. And, yes, it can often feel overwhelming. We asked certified professional organizer Linda Birkinbine to share some of her favorite tips and tasks for January — to start the year off right. Here are six of them:

—Maintain a calendar. "I know it's 'old-fashioned,' but I'm still a fan of the big desk pad paper calendar.

"Write down events you already know about — weddings, graduations, vacations, doctor appointments, etc. I love seeing weeks/months/year 'at a glance' to see how plans affect each other. I take a photo of the calendar months to 'carry' it with me," said Birkinbine, who runs a local business called Keep It Organized.

If a digital calendar works best for you, consider a shareable one. Cozi is a popular app, she added.

She also recommends making regularly scheduled appointments as far in advance as possible — dog grooming, haircuts, etc.

"You won't be scrambling for an appointment last minute," she said.

—Go through holiday cards. Take note of new addresses, cut off fronts of cards to decorate inexpensive plain brown gift bags or to use as gift tags next year.

Also post-holiday: Record gifts you gave and received. "I use the Notes app on my phone and you can print it. The list provides clues to what they like for next year and will help writing thank-you notes.

"If you are a regifter, put notes on gifts so you don't regift them to those who gave it to you," she said.

—Set up new 2023 financial files. Start organizing 2022 files for taxes. April 15 will be here before we know it. For 2023 papers, if filing isn't your favorite, just have a box to toss paid bills/receipts into. At least they will all be in one place.

—Set yourself up for success. Don't overschedule or you'll get discouraged.

"Get a spiral notebook — or in your digital calendar or digital notes, etc. — and write today's date at the top of a new, unused page. Write down the things you have to do. Don't forget to include activities of daily living — sleeping; personal grooming; exercise; work; shopping; meal prep and cleanup; communications (email, social media); going through mail," Birkinbine said.

We have these great aspirations but we forget that we also have these mundane things we have to do every day, she said. Set aside time for those as well as any additional tasks you can reasonably accomplish during the day.

—Eliminate or deal with distractions. "You know what they are: the TV, the radio, your phone, the voice in your head telling you that you have to do something a certain way and impeding you from making progress ... It's hard enough to keep up going forward, let alone handle the backlog of 'stuff' in our lives — whether it's physical or mental or time clutter."

—Be realistic. "There's no one way to organize or manage your life and stuff. The keys are to find ways that work for you physically and how your brain works," Birkinbine said.

If necessary, get help from a therapist — who can help you deal with your disorganization if it's chronic and if it's getting into the way of you living your life — and/or from a professional organizer. "Many people just need to set up routines," she said.

A few other tips to consider:

—Start small. Tackle one drawer or cupboard at a time — not all at once. Take a daunting task such as cleaning out the basement an hour at a time. The results will surprise you.

—On a similar note, we're reminded of this approach to day-to-day living for the entire family from longtime cleaning expert/author Don Aslett:

"If you open it, close it. If you turn it on, turn it off. If you unlock it, lock it. If you borrow it, return it. If you're done with it, put it back. If you make a mess, clean it up. If you don't know where it goes, ask!" (If you want to attach a copy of this reminder to your refrigerator for all to see, we won't stop you.)

—If you have a large decorating or landscaping project you want completed later this year, start planning now. It takes time to get estimates, select and order materials, etc.

—Gather things together now for the next neighborhood garage sale. Summer will be here before you know it. Your well-organized calendar will remind you of that.

___

(c)2023 The Buffalo News (Buffalo, N.Y.)

Visit The Buffalo News (Buffalo, N.Y.) at www.buffalonews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.