It is almost the end of 2019! Like every year, I feel this year flew by. But this year was a bit different for me compared to the previous years. I did not feel super organized even when, a lot of you might think, I was.
In the new year, I want to feel more balanced and organized. So, I decided to create these actionable tangible tasks, that you can do too, to be more organized and balanced from the beginning of the new year if you also struggled with it this year.
Things to do before the new year to feel ready and organized:
Declutter:
Declutter your space. By your space, I mean everything that you do in your day to day life. Create a space that is tidier and more organized. Declutter your home – clean out the closets, makeup drawers, under the sink cabinets that you have stuffed with everything you do not need, pantry, etc. You know you need to do it. DO NOT take that clutter with you beyond 2019.
Clean your refrigerator, throw away the food you know you are not going to use and if you have not even opened it yet, donate it if it’s not expired.
The most important thing is not just physical decluttering, but also social media decluttering. Declutter your social media. Focus on who you follow and how are those accounts making you feel on a daily basis. Unfollow accounts, and basically create a social space, which will motivate you.
Declutter your office desk. Throw away the files, papers, etc. that you are not using. Delete the emails and folders from your work laptop that you do not need. Create a workspace that will motivate you to achieve your goals. Write down the things you want to improve on in 2020, so when you go back to work in Jan 2020, it’s a fresh start.
Clean up your emails. Unsubscribe to the emails from the stores that you never shop at. Unsubscribe from the store emails that you spend a lot of money at, even when you do not want to because they keep sending you the coupons.
Create a physical space in your house to collect the receipts, bills, mails and make it a point to clear it out weekly as needed so that it is not cluttered again.
Give out any of your clothes that you want to give for cleaning, alteration, donation now. Do not wait and carry forward the burden of it in the next year.
Do a Brain Dump on a piece of paper:
I don’t just do it once a year, I do it when I feel like my mind is cluttered. So go to a quiet place in your house, take a piece of paper, and write down all the thoughts you have.
Things you want to achieve and things that have not worked out for you in the past year. Then, write down why those things have either worked for you or have not been in your favor. What would you like to change for the things that have not been in your favor? What steps will you take for it to improve?
I call this an end of year life audit. We do an end of year review on work, then why not do it for your personal life? Think about what are the things that you do on a daily/weekly basis that brings you happiness or satisfaction. Do you want to improve on the things that you know will make you feel better?
Write all of it down. Then write down the actionable steps that will help you achieve them and DO IT.
Create a monthly budgeting routine:
Budgeting is so important. Write down your financial goals. Discuss it with your partner if you are married or live together. Discuss your finances.
How much more you want to save? Where do you want to spend your money? Do you want to travel more? How are you going to do that while saving the money you want? If you have student loans or any other loans, review them. How are you going to get out of it faster, and how much you have already paid off?
We personally use mint and our own excel sheet to keep track of our finances. I am planning to do a blog post entirely on budgeting so there is more to come on that. Make sure you subscribe to my blog, so you do not miss any of my future posts.
Audit your Health:
When I say this, I do not mean to audit your health and criticize yourself for not having the perfect abs. I am saying it more in terms of mental and physical internal health.
Focus on the habits that make you feel better internally and externally. So for example, that may be taking a walk every day for 15 minutes. Eating healthy and plant-based as much as possible or for example, if you have always wanted to try yoga, make a plan on how will you get started on it.
The difference between you saying it and doing it is in the habits you form. So if you have always wanted to do Yoga, but find yourself not being consistent with it, don’t over-promise yourself to the point that you will fail.
Start with 2 days a week, and then slowly increase it as you form a habit. This is a difference between someone who goes to the gym just in January and someone who works out throughout the year.
So FOCUS on your HEALTH, take a look at your habits and how you can improve on it to feel better and more balanced internally.
Create a list of recipes you want to try next year:
I feel like we all have those recipes that we always wanted to try and cook but we never do it. We just save it on our Pinterest and forget about it. Once you declutter your fridge and your cabinets, make a list of recipes you want to cook.
Create a list of things that are easy to cook, for those times when you feel lost on what to have for dinner. Along with it, create a list of the recipes that you want to try to cook, for when you have the time.
I am personally cleaning up my house right now, deep cleaning it to make it work for me and my husband. Creating a positive and decluttered space and mind will make me ready for the new year.
I do not make goals like a lot of other people, but at the end of each year, I do audit my life and the past year and make a manifesto of how I want my life to look like physically, mentally, work and career-wise in the coming year.
These simple things will help you to be more organized and ready for the new year. Trust me, you might not want to do this but once you do it, you will feel a lot better.
What are some of the things you do to get you prepared and ready for the new year? I would love to know. If you do not follow me on Instagram, I would love for you to join me there so that we can stay connected 🙂
