How to Get Organized in The New Year: part 1

Hi friends! How has the start of the year been for you so far? If you follow me on Instagram, you’d know that we ended up getting Covid right before New Year’s, so things didn’t start out exactly like I had planned. But, the one silver lining is that I had nowhere to go and a lot of time to get things done around the house. In between working and helping the kids with school work, I got the Christmas decorations put away, decluttered the entire house, organized both of the kids rooms, and cleaned. I also filled in and put up a new 2022 wall calendar and put new planning pages in my organizer. I love to start the new year with a fresh new calendar, and so I though I would share some of my New Year’s organizing and planning tips with you.

Planning for 2022

This is something I always do at the beginning of January, and it makes me feel so much more organized and ready for the year ahead. By getting organized first thing in the year, you won’t be caught off guard by last minute realizations that a birthday is coming up in two days, or by the school holiday you didn’t know was coming (Hello, MLK day!). As much as you can fill in in the beginning of the year, the more prepared you will be and the easier it will be to plan future events.

Here is the the calendar I’m using this year:

I just love the look of it…it’s so pretty and has a sturdy wire for hanging. It’s also a nice large size so there is plenty of room to write and easy for everyone to see.

Fill in Your Calendar

First, start off by writing in birthdays, anniversaries, and any other important dates that you want to remember on a yearly basis. (I usually have my last year’s calendar next to my new one so I can easily copy them over month by month.)

Next, go through your kids’ school calendar to fill in important school-related dates like the first and last days, holidays and closures, major school events or field trips, and other important dates like Back-to-School and Open House.

Then write in any travel plans you may have: work trips, vacations, etc.

Do you have kids in sports? It’s a good idea to include dates for tryouts, practices and games if you know what the schedule is.

Finally, don’t forget to add in any doctors and/or dentist appointments you may have already scheduled for the year, and make notes of appointments (annual check ups, ob/gyn, mammogram, dermatologist, etc.) that you still need to schedule.

Dates to Include:

If this list is a bit overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be done all at once. You can break it up into smaller planning sessions and set aside 20 minutes or so to get the main things filled in and then add in the rest later when you have time. And, to make things go more smoothly, it’s a good idea to have your phone and laptop handy so you can see what appointments you already have and look up schedules/dates as needed.

I also have a personal organizer that I use to keep track of not only monthly items, but also a way to stay on top of daily/weekly to-do’s and appointments. For instance, I usually don’t get as detailed with the big wall calendar for things like hair and nail appointments, but I do write them down in my organizer (and my phone!) It’s a little bit of extra work to write it down in two places, but it’s nice to have once it’s all done! I realize there are digital calendar options and apps for keeping track of appointments on your phone or computer, but I still just love good o’l paper and pen! It doesn’t matter which option you use, as long as you keep it up to date.

Make a Bucket List

Do you always look back at the end of the year feeling like it went by too fast, and wishing you did more? Just like with other events and appointments, you need to create space for those things in your calendar too, otherwise the time will simply pass you by. There is a quote by Edwin Louis Cole that says: “There are dreamers and there are planners; the planners make their dreams come true.” So true, don’t you think?

If there are things that are important to you and that you want to have more time for, it makes sense to plan for it, right? So, to help you get started, I’ve created this free bucket list printable for you.

Think about what kinds of things you’d like to accomplish this year. What kinds of events would you like to attend? Is there a concert or play you’d like to see? Classes you’d like to take? Books you’d like to read? Places you’d like to visit? Friendships/relationships you’d like to nourish? Brainstorm your ideas and write them down on the bucket list. Then, see where you might be able to incorporate some of those things into your calendar. Maybe you could try to plan to do one or two a month. You may not get everything crossed off the list, but even if you are able to do half, the feeling of satisfaction from living your life more fully will be worth it!

Happy planning!

Next up on the blog: structuring a daily and weekly routine to help you make the most of your day!

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