10 Tips for the New Year!

To begin the New Year with a nice, clean, fresh start, here are 10 Tips that you can get do right away. Which one should you do first? Start with the one that will benefit you the most! Remember that each and every organizing step counts toward the overall goal of simplifying your life.

1. Get a New Calendar
Keep a monthly calendar in the kitchen, the office, and even in the bathroom to keep track of a habit change like your weight or sleep. Visual calendars give you perspective, while digital calendars keep you on track.

2. Create New Folders for Receipts, Credit Cards, and Banking for the New Year
The easiest way to get ready for doing your taxes during tax season each year is to have all of your receipts nicely and neatly organized. Move out all of your receipts from the past year so that there is no risk at all of the new receipts blending in with those from the prior year. This includes digital computer folders and all of the paper file folders in your desk.

3. Clear Out Your Email In-Box
Sweep your email inbox until it is sparkling clean by creating a folder labeled with the past year and moving everything into it. Create a fresh start and screen for yourself by doing this!

4. Clean Up Your Desktop Clutter with a List
Put everything away, return things to others, and leave only a Master List of work to do on the top. You will be more productive and coworkers will be pleasantly surprised by your streamlined work.

5. Wrap Up the Holidays Neatly
Put away all of your decorations AND rewrite your final gift list to put inside the front pocket of your Simplify Your Holiday Season book for next year. You know I will ask if you can retrieve last year’s gift list! When I do, you can say, yes! If you do not have a copy of my book yet, add it to your cart here: Simplify Your Holiday Season Planning Book.

6. Set Your Finances in Order
Balance your checkbook, review your online accounts, and set up a monthly savings plan to save even more than last year.

7. Clean Out Your Closet
Keep what you like and pass on what you’re not wearing. You need to look your best to bring out your best work and excess closet clutter slows you down.

8. Set Goals Towards Improving Your Life
Jot down 3 Goals for each of the next 3 months on the top of your work calendar and 3 for your personal life on the top margin of your digital or monthly calendar. You’ll move to success in the areas you intentionally set goals.

9. Think of Something New You’d Like to Do
Sign up for a new online course, organize your office, or plan one new strategic habit change. Change and creativity are good for your well being.

10. Say Goodbye to Last Year
A New Year, New You only happens when you leave an old routine behind to make room for something new. What “old” will you be dropping from your life and what will be the “new?”