Get Organized in 2012:
7 Resolutions for a Saner Year

organizing tips, organizing resolutions for 2012, new ways to organize, getting organized

New Ways To Get Organized in 2012. A New Year offers a fresh chance to reinvent ourselves and organize our home and our lives for the better.

We've just come through the sound and fury of the holidays - and our homes, nerves and bank accounts reflect it.

These 7 resolutions will rejuvenate you, and help organize your home and your wallet. The best part? They all build on each other.

Resolution 1: Downsize, Darling!

Consider this post-holidays rule: or every new item (bathrobe, earrings, slippers) that arrives, three things have to say adios. Call it the one-for-three rule.

Before anyone puts away presents, he or she must fill a minimum of three bags for donation to a charity.

Now move on to your holiday stuff. Any decorations you didn't use this year? Chances are you won't use it next year, either. Place these in the donation pile.

Go through drawers and closets to weed out items you haven't used lately. Yes, you want to keep a few cozy T-shirts and jeans for Saturday sports or painting with the kids. But you don't need two dozen. Donation pile.

And that collection of hotel shampoos that you've been working on for the last decade? You don't need them all (if you did, they wouldn't be there.) Donate these to your neighborhood shelter or your favorite charity.

Resolution 2: Divide, Conquer and Label.

Label every box or bag you stash or store this year. When you take down the tree and decorations, label each box before it heads into a year of storage.

Next, find a corner or area in the garage, basement or attic for storing these boxes. Apply the same strategy throughout the house, starting with closets and drawers, and ending with neatly labeled storage boxes from each.

Resolution 3: A Neater, Cleaner Home.

Now that you've decluttered, organized and downsized, cleaning should be a breeze. Often, clutter is what really makes cleaning hard.

Start your new cleaning routine by setting aside an hour or so several days a week to tackle essential tasks. For example: Laundry is Monday nights; bathrooms are Saturday morning; trash is Sunday nights, etc. This ensures nothing is overlooked. It also spreads the work out into more manageable chunks of time throughout the week.

Resolution 4: 2012 Will Be the Year for Simpler, Saner lives.

We not only ricochet through the house as we organize - it often seems ricochet through life just as madly.

Breakfasts are a free-for-all-mad-dash most mornings. Dinners are endangered. Homework goes on into the wee hours of the night. We didn't grow up like this. What happened?!

We unwittingly veer into the fast lane of family life and can get stuck there if we don't take the driver's seat instead of going along for the ride.

This is fixable in 2012. Here's how to start:

Allow everyone in the family a maximum of three sports, activities or hobbies, not to exceed three commitments each (practices, meetings, etc.) per week. If you have more than two kids, the limit might be two hobbies.

Now look at your own hobbies and interests. A little tougher. Parents not only have hobbies they love to do, but also commitments they should do (PTA, volleyball team booster club, team parent.)

Save at least two time slots per week for something you love to do. Limit volunteering to two more slots.

2012 is the year to learn to say 'No' -- and mean it.

Finally, make your outings more efficient by grouping errands geographically. Write down all the places you have to drive each week (basketball, volleyball, preschool) and then write down all the errands you have to do each week (groceries, dry cleaning, gas). Then assign at least one errand to each outing so you can accomplish a minimum of two things with each trip.

Resolution 5: Save Money.

If you faithfully adhere to resolutions 1 and 4, this resolution will wonderfully take care of itself. After all, we've been spending money on things we don't really need and on too many expensive extracurricular activities for the kids. Pare down the essentials list and you're halfway home.

For the other half, list all the bills that have a fixed amount paid monthly, such as the mortgage or rent, health insurance, car payment, tuition, etc.

Now list necessary expenses with fluctuating costs: gas bills, electric bills, phone bills, groceries. Set a budget for each and cut back on usage when and where you can.

Finally, list luxury expenses: golfing fees, lessons, clothes, Starbucks, movies, dining, etc. Set a budget for each.

Include the kids in the process for this one. Tell them how much is budget for family entertainment and let each kid vote on how at least part of the money should be spent.

Resolution 6: Take Care of Yourself.

The above resolutions are about helping take care of yourself, of course. After all, if your home is clean, efficient and organized, your time and money are well-managed, you are taking care of yourself.

And remember those time slots? Don't cut corners her. Your slot could be as extravagant as an occasional day at the spa or as simple as taking a long soak in the bathtub. You choose - but do it!

Resolution 7: Be the Best You Can Be.

If you have accomplished resolutions 1 through 6, this one too takes care of itself. If you find time to be good to yourself, you will find the time, energy and patience to be good to your loved ones. One just flows from the other.

But you can't go directly to Resolution No. 7, unfortunately. These resolutions are like building blocks. If the bottom layer is unstable, you can't build on top of it.

So take a deep breath and resolve to start anew with No. 1. Don't expect to finish the resolutions in a day, week or even a month. This is a continuous process that will provide ample rewards in the year ahead. Happy 2012!