Get your clean on!

If, as is true for so many others, your New Year’s resolution to “be more organized” fell by the wayside, here’s a second chance! You can focus on spring cleaning to help restore order to your home. If the task seems impossible, use these tips to help pave the road to organized living.

Don’t try to do it all at once! It can be overwhelming if you try to tackle too much at once. Start with one room and completely finish it before starting another. If you run around from room to room, at the end of the day you will have nothing completed and 152 started-but-unfinished tasks!

Enlist underage help. With the exception of purging toys, have the children help you. They can be a “runner” and put things in the rooms where the items really belong. Give them simple tasks that they can complete alone, such as picking up all the shoes and putting them away or sorting laundry. A lot of praise goes a long way too, so do not be shy with the “great job” compliments!

Sort it out. While you are cleaning a room, make piles to help you sort. For example, if you are cleaning the living room, make a stack of things that go to your room, your kid’s room, garage sale, etc. When the room is sorted, start taking the piles to their destination.

Make a list. If you are a “busy bee” who does tend to run all over, make a list to help you stay focused. Be descriptive on your list so that you will know exactly what you are supposed to be doing. It is almost therapeutic to be able to triumphantly mark a task off your list!

You will survive this! There is something about the spring weather that encourages you to get busy. However, if you do not succeed, there is always a chance to redeem yourself with a New Year’s resolution!