January is National “GO” Month, So Let’s Get Organized, Hudson Valley!

Cassie O’Connor, owner of Busy Bee Organization and Design, Inc., is here with us today to give some tips on organizing your home for the New Year!

January is National “GO” Month, so let’s get organized! As a Professional Organizer I am excited to share with you these 5 Pro Tips for organizing your home in 2020!

1 – Start Small

Facing your clutter can seem overwhelming. Be realistic by starting your organization journey with a single drawer or shelf. Take all of the contents and quickly place them into one pile. After creating the pile, sort the items into like categories. Pare down the items that may be duplicates, broken, rarely used, or undesired. Lastly put the remaining categorized items away together. Voila! You did it!

2 – Put Things Away

Get in the habit of putting things away as soon as you are done using them, rather than doing it later. This is a quick way to maintain your organizational goals. A tip to make this habit easier is never leaving a room with empty hands. Everything has a place and it should live in that place.

3 – Don’t Hang on to “Someday” Items

Most people fall prey to the notion of hanging onto items that could be used someday. It could be clothing for a future version of yourself, sporting or exercise equipment for the leisure time you hope to gain, or childhood toys and clothing intended for your future children. The danger of saving items for your “someday” life is that you’re not living today. Someone else could benefit from your items right now! So donate or sell your “someday” items ASAP!

4 – Make Decluttering a Quick 15 Minute Routine

Just because your life is busy does not mean that you cannot be organized and productive. A good rule of thumb for this quick routine is that when one new thing comes IN, one old thing should go OUT. When this rule is applied, zero clutter is added to your space. If you find that you have “not sure items”, keep them in a box. Revisit that box in three months, and if they are still there toss them!

5 – Give and Receive Clutter-free Gifts

In today’s one-click purchasing world, you pretty much have all the things you could want or need at your fingertips. Lead by example with clutter-free gifting. Gift experiences, classes, performance and sporting event tickets, memberships and consumables. All of these gifts will be greatly appreciated for their generosity, out-of-the-box thoughtfulness, usefulness, and with the added bonus that they won’t take up any space!

This January I challenge you to tackle just 1 of these 5 tips. Add another tip to your organizational journey each month as you embark on this new year. These tips may seem daunting and you may not know where to begin. However, it is never too late to start, no matter how small. You might be surprised by the confidence you’ll gain, the sense of accomplishment you will feel, and how the stress will leave your body and mind. So to help motivate you, here is a simple list of items you can discard today!

magazines
burnt out candles
scratched DVDs or CDs
expired makeup
old toothbrushes
socks without a match
old pillows
expired food
take out menus
expired medication
games with missing pieces
worn out blankets and towels
warped or stained plastic food storage containers

If you are still feeling overwhelmed with confronting your clutter or need a fresh perspective, contact Busy Bee Organization and Design, Inc. located right here in the Hudson Valley!

About the Author:
Cassie O’Connor, Owner – Busy Bee Organization and Design, Inc.
NAPO Member (Nat’l Assoc. of Productivity & Organizing Professionals)
HVWIB Member (Hudson Valley Women In Business)
GCCC Member (Greater Cornwall Chamber of Commerce)
I am not just another professional organizer, I am a skilled professional with a formal Architecture and Design training foundation. I have practiced Architecture in NYC for the past decade, problem-solving for my clients across North America. I am able to transform a space into one that is practical, efficient, functional and aesthetically pleasing. Tell me about your Pinterest-inspired goals by completing the online assessment. After reviewing your assessment I will schedule an in-home consultation where I will measure, photograph and review your space with you. Lastly we will schedule our sessions where I work alongside you to get it done!