BETTER THAN RESOLUTIONS

So how are those New Year’s resolutions going?

How many did you make? Still working on any of them? 

I used to make resolutions until a couple of years ago. Based on all of the reading I did, I stopped making resolutions and started making goals instead. My goals fall into two categories, which I learned from Michael Hyatt, author of Your Best Year Ever – habit goals and achievement goals.

Habit Goals
I’ve built a whole morning routine from my habit goals over the past few years.

Habit goals are the ones that have no endpoint. They are potentially infinite or at least lifelong. For example, I meditate every day, work out, journal, and so on. There is no end to such practice; in fact, my intent truly is to do these for the rest of my life (or until I am shown something more meaningful or more effective).

Achievement Goals
Achievement goals are the ones that have a specific target: lose 20 pounds, redo the family room, increase sales by 20%. These goals often must be broken down to projects with many steps.

Some goals cross over. Decluttering the closet might be broken down to: this week, the top shelf; next week, the floor, and so on. Once the initial decluttering in the closet is complete (that’s some achievement!), it morphs into a habit of following a weekly system for keeping the closet neat.

Two of the most popular resolutions people make are getting organized and losing weight. Goals work better for both of these because they require an action plan, a map to get from Point A to Point B. Goals direct us to behaviors that can serve us indefinitely.

If organizing was part of your plan, here are some quick thoughts about getting started.

• Always begin with a big trash receptacle! Wherever your organizing efforts are happening, always have a handy place to pitch the stuff you decide to get rid of.
• Have a large box or bag handy for items to donate. As the container fills, make a trip to Goodwill, Person-to-Person, a consignment shop, or wherever the items can be well-used.
• Organize like with like. Can’t find all the sock mates? Designate a single sock collecting point and some of them will sort themselves out. (The others can be thrown out or donated to the sock puppet effort.) Collect coupons in a single place. Or golf balls, tennis balls, soaps, empty gift boxes, miniature ceramics. Over time, you will determine that you really do have more than a lifetime supply of some of these things. That gives you an opportunity to choose the best and jettison the rest.
• Collect all of your child’s things in one place, all the borrowed items in another. This lets you pass the buck! Pass on to others those items you aren’t or shouldn’t be responsible for and focus only on what is yours.

I have a lot to say about losing weight, too. But you can get that advice from other sources. (Or ask me when we see each other!)

Here’s another idea for a resolution: Delegate!

Nobody can lose weight for you (if this were possible, I would have tried it long ago). But lots of things can be delegated … so they get done.

Looking to delegate your organizing? Call us at 203-716-1242! We’re happy to support you in your 2020 effort to get it together.

Why would you do that?

• Because the task is overwhelming.
• Because you can’t figure out where to start.
• Because you just don’t have time.
• Because there’s a deadline you can’t meet (guests coming to use that extra bedroom which became an oversized storage closet?).
• Because…!

If you’ve resolved to get organized, it’s OK to take the easy way out and get someone else to do it. We can do the whole job, or just get you started. Another option: let’s work together to get organized and create a system for you to continue on your own. Let’s talk!