The school semester is coming to a close, friends are traveling home for the holidays, and you are huddled in the fetal position in the middle of your living room. You are completely overwhelmed by the subtle takeover your home has staged while you were too busy taking finals and going Christmas shopping.
The new year is a time for rebirth, renewal, and rejuvenation. However, while the year on the calendar changes in the passing of a minute, getting your life together is going to take a wee bit more time.
I’ve broken down the process of preparing for the new year, both physically and mentally, into ten easy steps. It is time to take back your life, get yourself together, and emerge on New Years Day ready to take on anything.
1. Take charge of your closet with a closet cleanout.
If you are anything like me, your closet likely represents the earthly version of a black hole. When you get to the point that you have more clothes than you know how to properly match into coordinating outfits then it is definitely time for a wardrobe overhaul.
Begin by removing every single item from the closet, including any movable storage containers. Wipe down the walls and floorboards, then vacuum the floorspace of the closet. Now that you have a physically clean closet you can begin the cleansing process.
Only allow clothing that you absolutely love back in. Everything else? Kick it to the curb. This will allow you to look and feel your best on a daily basis.
When we consistently wear pieces that we do not like they only bring our self-esteem down. It is better in the long run to have fewer clothes but love each piece, than to have a closet full of items we can't stand to wear.
Try selling your spare pieces on websites like Mercari or Letgo. You could also take them by Plato’s Closet for some extra spending money to replace what you have purged. Or if none of those options work for you, always consider donating your clothing pieces rather than tossing them in the trash.
Repeat this process in any other cluttered area of your home. This could include storage closets, nightstands, or under bed storage boxes. You will be surprised, frightened, or both, by how much a single person can accumulate in one year.
2. Give your home a deep clean.
I’m not talking the normal weekly cleaning routine you rush through mid-semester. I am talking the equivalent of a spa day for your living space. Scrub, spritz, and shine your way to a glistening, refreshed home.
3. Take a look at the people you surround yourself with and purge those who are negative clouds around your life.
This is probably, without a doubt, the most difficult item on this list. It is difficult to simply get rid of someone who is a part of your life. And while it may not be a quick process it is one that you should begin putting into action.
You have no room in your life for toxic people who will only continue to bring you down. If you cannot entirely eliminate some of these less than desirable companions, then begin to limit the time you spend around them. Trust me, you will thank yourself for this.
4. Develop reasonable New Years Resolutions.
Maybe you have one hundred items on your list, maybe you have five, but no matter the number, make sure that your New Year's Resolutions are measurable and attainable. There is nothing more disheartening than reaching the end of the year only to realize that you have accomplished nothing you were hoping to do at the beginning of the year.
Give yourself a way to track these resolutions and give yourself a deadline to hit specific goals pertaining to them. For example, set a goal to “Read fifty books by December 31st, 2018”, rather than a resolution to, “Read a lot.”
5. Set up a planner for the coming year.
There’s nothing worse than getting a quarter of the way through the first semester of the year and realizing your life is already falling to shambles. Purchase a planner well before the first day of the new year and begin to plug in important dates that you need to remember ahead of time.
Develop a routine to use the planner and take it with you everywhere. Planners are lifesavers, even if you feel a bit like an overinvolved PTA parent with too much time on their hands when you use it. At least you are organized, and ahead of the game.
6. Develop and Morning and Evening Routine (If you do not already have one in place).
Humans thrive on routines and conversely, people tend to dislike change. Developing a morning routine and an evening routine is a key to making your life a breeze. You can set yourself on autopilot for all of those day-to-day tasks that you sometimes leave out without thinking.
Developing a routine is not only a great way to get into the routine of breezing through mundane tasks that have to be done, it is also a great way to be in the habit of maintaining your healthcare habits even during busy periods of the year.
7. Purge unneeded files from your phone and computer.
We can all admit that whether it is pictures, unused applications on our phones, or a cluster of half-written documents, somewhere within our electronic devices there is a mess that can be tidied up. Dedicate a couple hours to your phone and laptop, or whatever other devices you use, and give them a cleanout. Delete anything that is unneeded and install any software updates that you haven’t yet.
By completing these nine to-the-point tasks you can approach January 1st with a confidence and a positivity you had no idea you previously possessed. 2017 has been a rough year, let’s take on 2018 and make it fabulous!
