Happy New Year!!!

It’s the first official business day of 2010. Are you one of millions of Americans who have resolved to Get Organized?

Start with making sure you have closure on the “things” involved with the Holiday Season of 2009. Put away any decorations used or new items received during the holidays and set your intentions for a fabulous year ahead.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Clear the holiday clutter.

Gather all holiday decorations and prepare to put them away.  As you do, take a close look at the decorations themselves.  Don’t pack up or put away things you won’t use again next year.  Toss broken lights and ornaments and donate items you just don’t love anymore.

Let go of holiday cards and greetings you recieved. If you’ve kept them up to this point because you feel funny about tossing them, you have my permission to do so! Quickly take one last look at each one, appreciate the sentiment that came with them, and then recycle. (OK, if there is one or two that are particularly meaningful, heartfelt or special, put them into a memory box or file for safe keeping and to look back on in the years ahead.)

Pack things up for the next holiday season.

Clear plastic bins are great for storing holiday decorations.  Be sure to group like items together and label all of your bins.  Try to store all holiday decorations in one area.  This will make it easier next season when you go to decorate your home or office. Since these items are pulled out and returned only once a year, its appropriate to have them tucked away. Get them out of the way and make sure they don’t block items you use more regularly.

At places like Storables and The Container Store, they have containers specifically made to hold ornaments, wreaths, wrapping paper, etc.  If you have the budget to invest in new organizing products, a few of these items can be very useful in containing your holiday related supplies and decorations.

Find a home for any new items you received over the holidays.

Want to find what you need, when you need it? Establish a “home” for all of the new items that came into your life during the holidays.  Find the right spot, and then commit to putting things back away where they belong when you are done using them. This is a huge time saver for the next occasion you need to find something!

Reflect on 2009 and set intentions for 2010.

If you haven’t done so already, take a little time to reflect on the year that has just passed…what accomplishments have you made, what challenges did you face and what do you want to do differently this year?

Set your intentions for 2010.  What do you intend to do, accomplish and have in 2010?  What will it take to make that happen? Take some time right now, to reflect and write down your goals for the upcoming year.

Want to hear a few more ideas on how to get organized in the New Year? Listen to the our interview on Let’s Talk by Jennifer Malocha, where we share a few of these ideas and more.