21 Tips to Get Organized in 2021

January is Get Organized (GO) Month, according to the National Association of Organizing and Productivity Professionals. You’ve probably spent more time at home over the last year than ever before, so it is a great time to refresh your space and tackle some decluttering projects.

Need inspiration? Check out this article from Redfin with 21 ideas to get organized in 2021. Be sure to read to the end to find my tip for how a cart can be an organizing tool!

Organizing the Family Room

If you are fortunate enough to have a family room, you know that it can easily get overwhelmed with stuff. This room usually serves multiple purposes. Here’s how to take your family room from chaotic to calm:

• Make a list of all the ways you use the room, and try to group activities into “zones.” You might have zones for watching TV, reading, building LEGOs, or playing games.

• Once the zones are defined, only put those items that go with that zone. Media goes in the TV zone, books in the reading zone, and games in the game area.

• Go zone by zone to figure out what belongs in the area. Grab a box and a trash bag, and start to pull out items that can be recycled and tossed. Set aside a bag or box for items to donate. Games your kids don’t play any more? Put in the donate pile. Old photo albums you’ve been meaning to add to, put in a box in a closet or other room. Piles of paper? Sort and recycle as much as you can.

• You may want to define a zone within a the room by using different rugs and furniture. Comfy chairs and a bookshelf in the reading zone. A small table for the LEGO area.

• How you use the family room will change over time. Get bins you really like (you’ll use them more) and that can be used to hold different items. Shelves and storage ottomans are always good options.

• Label your bins, and even your shelves, so everyone in the family knows where things go.

Every six months you’ll probably need to do a de-clutter of the family room. Weed out things your family doesn’t use and donate, get rid of any trash, and see what is piling up. It should be much easier to maintain the space once you’ve set up the zones and have the organization systems in place.

Reading corner

How to Clear the Corner Clutter?

Corners are magnets for clutter! Things seem to end up in the corners of our rooms, often in piles, bags, or boxes. If you really want to clear the clutter, take a look at what's hiding out in the corners.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Pick one corner to tackle. Set a timer for 30 minutes.
2. Pull everything out. Toss and recycle what you can.
3. Put items in categories, and put away what you can.
4. Consider each item and why it ended up in the corner. Does it not have a place to go? Or is the place it goes over stuffed? Does the item require an action? Is it in transition to go somewhere else (to be donated, to a friend, to a family member)?
5. Deal with each of the items. If they have to go into a space that is overstuffed, put it in the area and then schedule another time to declutter that space. You can also schedule time to follow up and make decisions or add the action items to your To Do list. If items are going out, put them near your door or in your car and resolve to pass them on within a week. 

Once you’ve been able to clear the clutter in your corners, enjoy your space! The room will feel more open and peaceful.

De-clutter & Donate: Give Books to More Than Words

It’s spring cleaning time! And time to purge some books you no longer need or want. Donate them to More Than Words for their annual Spring Clean Book Drive between April 27th – 29th. Located in Waltham, More Than Words accepts books, CDs, and DVDs.

Check out their website for more information on the book drive, and how the organization empowers local youth.