Applying Home Organizing Principles to Create Efficient and Achievable Goals This Year

New year. New beginnings. Fresh starts. 

New Year's resolutions are a chance for a fresh outlook and a new mindset as we glide into a brand new 365 days. What will we do with our time? What will we accomplish? How do we even organize our thoughts to reach those goals? 

For decades, New Year’s resolutions have been a part of a new calendar year–this idea that we can start over. But, if we aren’t clear on where, why, what, and how we are ‘starting over,’ those resolutions can fall apart rapidly.

Why It’s Easy to Let New Year’s Resolutions Go To The Wayside

The short of it: you have to make it happen if you want it to happen. When I start thinking of goals for the new year–whether business, personal, or life goals–I have to reflect on the previous year. 

Where did I fall short? What could I have done differently? I hit X, but I didn’t truthfully hit Y + Z.

A lot goes through my mind when I consider the past, the present, and how to make the future happen. How do we align our has been with our going to so we have resolutions that stick all year long? The answer is simple: you need a plan in place. 

But first, it is time to pause and reflect on the previous year. 

Pause + Reflect: How My Personal Business Retreat Helped Me Align My Goals + Vision This Year

For the modern adult, life is busy. In my personal life, I juggle my business, family, caring for myself, and all the other life tasks in between. It can be hard to have a moment to reflect and gather my thoughts. So, I took three full days to break away from my life and focus on myself and my priorities. 

My business retreat wasn’t fancy–just a decent spot with a private room, good wifi, and all the coffee I could need close at hand while I spread out my thoughts on giant sticky pads. I realized I could not set realistic or motivating goals for the new year and for myself if I was not clear and honest about the previous year.

Time for a Brain Dump

I grabbed colorful writing materials and my giant sticky notes and got to work! When I brain dump, I need materials that are fun and inspirational. I carefully choose my medium and the materials, setting a positive atmosphere for the task.

Whichever way you like to dump your thoughts, go for it! A simple notebook and pen, whiteboard and markers, a bullet journal, or even the notes app on your phone. 

Materials make a difference in creating a fun and passionate environment to let your thoughts flow. 

Here are some ideas for your brain dump session after you’ve gathered your materials:

• Gather any notes, business meetings, training materials, and your own ideas

• Create a list of everything you want to achieve

• Make notes of everything you’ve accomplished so far that are relevant to those goals

Now, put it all down. Get it all out.

Time to Edit Your Thoughts

Once you have allowed yourself enough time to get all those thoughts, ideas, and everything out, you need to categorize and sort them. As you are doing this, it is time to decide what stays and what goes. 

Remember those BIG goals you had at the beginning before the brain dump? Keep those in mind as you edit your thoughts–do these ideas you have support that goal? If not, let it go. If your thoughts support your why, keep them and sort them into categories that make sense.

Create an Action Plan to Reach Your Goal(s)

Now you have all the right thoughts. You have all the tasks, ideas, and steps you need to reach your goals–you need to create an action plan. Break your large-scale goals into smaller, doable steps. 

If your action steps are for business goals, enlist your team to help create a to-do list and prioritize your takes. Delegate where you can. 

If your action steps are for a personal goal, an accountability buddy might be what you need. Find someone who will be your checks and balances as you make your way through your action plan toward your big goals. 

Designate a “Team” to Keep You on Track

Your team is not always a squad of on-call ladies ready to keep you on track. Although that is the system we have for Organized by Keli & Co and how we keep our Denver professional organizing business growing, we recognize that your team may look different. 

A team member may be a friend or family member with a similar goal to you that you use as accountability.

A team member may be you outsourcing daily nonsensical tasks, such as cleaning or laundry service. Now you can focus your mental energy on your big goals. 

A team member might not be a person at all. It might be a to-do list or management tool that helps you organize your action plan. Whether these are personal goals or business goals that utilize your entire team, these management tools are a great resource:

• Click Up

• Asana

• Trello

• Monday

Some people love a more old-fashioned approach to managing their tasks, with physical sticky notes or even the sticky notes app on their devices. Every facet of organizing is personal, so managing your tasks and thoughts is no different. 

Understand Your Triggers When You Need a Refresh

Sometimes, we may not be getting any closer to our goals. No matter how well we brain dumped or organized, delegated, or task managed–something may be off. Noticing your triggers and understanding when you are moving towards a goal and when you are not is critical. 

You need to know when it is time for a refresher session. Just as we refresh home organization for many clients, revisiting our thoughts and goals throughout the year is critical to reaching those goals.

Maybe, in three months, your goals have shifted. You are at a different place, and that one BIG goal you thought you were after has suddenly manifested into something else. If this happens, take another few days to stop, reassess, refresh, and move toward the goal that makes the most sense. 

Final Tips For Getting Mentally Organized This Year

Sometimes our surroundings aren’t the only spaces that need a good decluttering. Getting yourself mentally organized and making space for positive, influential thoughts is necessary for reaching goals in your personal and professional life. 

Some final thoughts I have to help you through your mental decluttering:

• We all have different personalities; we all get organized in our own way. Organize your thoughts and execute them in a way that makes sense to you.

• Determine what you really want and what you need to do to get it.

• Making small, actionable steps will help you execute your plan of action and reach your goal.

• You don’t have to DIY it yourself; you can ask for help organizing your thoughts and goals.

Have you talked to a professional organizer in Denver about how to get organized? Organized by Keli & Co offers signature services, like The Organized Life, to help you discover order and efficiency in all facets of your life. 

If you feel stuck or a goal feels overwhelmingly large, and you aren’t sure how to manifest the steps you need, it may be time to schedule your complimentary consultation with our team. 

Let’s help you achieve your BIG goals this year!