Many people treat decluttering during the New Year like it’s a big clean-up event. It is, in some ways. But most people don’t actually live that way, and there are many other simple methods of resetting in January so that you can start your year properly. Here are seven New Year decluttering habits that you need to know.
Set your donation exits on the calendar
The first thing you should do is to decide when you’re going to donate, not what you’re going to donate. The majority of charities return to their normal hours and pickup routes after the holidays, so it’ll be a lot easier for you to donate stuff now. You should put two dates on your calendar.
The first should be a drop-off day, and the second should be a pickup day. Make sure to keep a single bag near the door that you can add to throughout. The stuff has to go out when the donation day arrives, regardless of whether it’s ready or not.
Do a box-to-bin sweep while you break down holiday packaging
Take the time in early January to finally flatten those gift boxes and inserts you have lying around, along with the plastic shells. It’s much easier to deal with every piece of packaging the moment that you’ve broken it down. Put the boxes worthy of shipping into a small stack and place everything else into recycling or trash.
It’s better for you to keep only the things you’re actually going to reuse in the next month because it’ll stop your garages and closets from turning into long-term storage for empty boxes. That’s just messy.
Run a January 1 invisible clutter audit with your phone
Spend a few minutes on New Year’s Day taking pictures of the areas in your home that collect stuff. These could be counters or nightstands, perhaps even entry tables or bathroom sinks. You should then save and label these photos with the year that you took them.
Compare the real spaces to the photos throughout January and make sure to remove anything that made its way back to the clutter spaces. A clutter audit like this works because it shows you exactly what doesn’t belong there. You don’t need to guess or remember how the mess started.
Reset your paper piles using tax-season categories
January’s arrival often comes alongside a lot of paperwork from taxes and renewals. That’s why you should have a sorting system to match the seasons. Create three folders, one labeled “Action,” one labeled “File,” and one labeled “Tax.” The first folder should be for bills and forms.
Manuals and warranties, alongside personal records, should go into the File folder. The last folder is for W-2s, 1099s, donation receipts, and medical paperwork. Make sure to keep the folders together. You should also try to sort out any new documents the same day that they arrive because it’ll help you keep on top of things.
Create a one-minute outbox for every room
Forget about cleaning rooms. At least, for a bit. Put your attention towards making sure the exits are clear and put a small basket in the busiest areas, like the hallway or kitchen. You should then put an item that doesn’t belong in the room into the basket each time you leave the room.
Walk the basket around the house at least once a day, and put each misplaced item back where it goes. It’s a good idea to start this habit in January because that’s a time when your daily routines are already resetting. It’s relatively easy to start such a habit without it becoming another cleaning task.
Pick one closing-time reset and repeat it nightly
Every night should involve a small resetting habit that happens at the same time. It could be after dinner or right before you turn off the lights, whatever works for you. Limit the reset to one zone in your house, like clearing the counter or straightening the coffee table. Don’t forget to set a short timer while you’re doing it.
A habit like this will prevent your clutter from carrying over each day. It’ll also stop your evenings from becoming chores, making decluttering a lot easier throughout the day.
Start a one-in-one-out rule for new year organizers
It’s natural that you’ll have a bunch of new storage bins and drawer inserts in January. You’ll likely buy lots of planners and tools to fix your spaces, but you should make sure to follow the one-in-one-out rule while doing so. Nothing new can come in unless you take something similar out.
Buying a new bin means getting rid of the old one. Each new planner you buy should involve you throwing away the ones you have in storage. You may want to keep a note about each item on your phone so that you don’t accidentally buy the same thing twice.
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