When the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, a sense of a clean slate washes over us. We love planning resolutions for each new year to help refresh and refocus on priorities we may be neglecting. While resolutions come in all shapes and sizes, the idea of keeping a home clean and organized is always a great focus to have.

A clean, happy home translates into so many aspects of your life. It can save you time looking for things you may otherwise lose. A clean home helps you feel relaxed and less stressed. You may even find a new appreciation for your space when you maximize it and use storage to its full potential.

If an organized and clean home is on your list of goals for the new year, we’re sharing five tips to help keep you on track and focused. Whatever your resolutions, small steps towards your goal are always key.

Start Small

Like many resolutions in a new year, it’s important to start small and make small changes in your life that are actually sustainable. Going all out and changing everything overnight isn’t realistic for diets, exercise, or organization. Pick a small goal to focus on each week, month, or day of the week. By starting small, you can create new habits that stick and build upon each one.

Utilize a System

Whether it’s days of the week or a schedule everyone in your household can follow, use a system to help keep you organized and accountable. A system can be something as simple as a calendar on your fridge that you “X” off each day that you complete a task or reminder on your phone. The important part of using a system is staying accountable to your goals.

Set Goals

Setting goals really means give yourself benchmarks to work towards. If you don’t set goals, the effort you put in will be arbitrary and becomes much easier to stick with. Some realistic goals you may want to set could include vacuuming your living space once a week, hanging up any clothes you pulled out of your closet at the end of each day and donating things you don’t wear every six months.

Give Everything a Home to Live

Everything should have a place to live and get put away when you’re finished with it. From dishes and cleaning supplies to out-of-season clothing and holiday decor, find a place for these items to go and be sure to put them away when they aren’t being used.

Track your Progress and Celebrate Small Victories (no pun intended)

You’ve set your goals. You’re using a system to achieve them. Now what? Track your progress and celebrate your victories, both big and small. A great way to stay motivated and stick with your new habits is to use incentives. Incentives may be as simple as enjoying your first cup of morning coffee after wiping down your kitchen counters in the morning or purchasing a new piece of clothing each time you clean out your closet. Be your biggest cheerleader and try to stay excited about the progress you’re making!

Let us know if you try any of these tricks and what your resolutions are for this year! If you’re in need of any organizational help or have questions for our team, always feel free to reach out. Our experts are happy to help!