Happy New Year friends!  I will be struggling to remember to write 2016 on everything for the next few months, but other than that I am ready to welcome in a fresh start.  I shared my goals for 2016, so today is the day to get started on my action plan for the months to come.  The very first thing I did was set a word for the year.  My word is follow-through, because I was horrible about completing things I said I would accomplish this year.  I made a fun printable with my word on it, and will hang it in the kitchen so I will remember this all year-long.

Then, I wrote down all my goals/resolutions for 2016.  Because I took the time to write them, I am more likely to stick to these goals.  Jot down your goals or resolutions for the year.  Make sure they are obtainable and measurable.  Instead of saying work out more, say work out 2 times a week.  Instead of saying eat better, say I will eat one veggie with dinner during the week days.  Instead of saying organize the house, say organize all closets by the time school gets out.  Get specific so you will actually stick to these goals.

Then, take out your planner and start writing in deadlines for meeting your goals.  Don’t get hung up on the fact that you don’t know when to write something down.  I just decided that I wanted to meet this goal by the end of February.  I know it might not get met, but I needed to just put a date on it so that I had some target date to shoot for.  Just write it down and try your best to meet that deadline.  Using the calendar pages of my planner, I write in dates that I want to have my goals accomplished by.  I use a pen so I can’t erase the deadline I set for myself.  Makes it feel permanent.  I love writing in my planners, but you can use many calendar apps to keep you organized.

Some of my favorite planners are the Simplified Planner, The Day Designer, and The Life Planner.  I also love Studio Calico planner kits because they send you stickers, tape, decorative paper clips, and other goodies to decorate your planner.  I love sprucing up my planner, because when I take the time to plan out my week by color-coding and adding motivational stickers, I feel more energized to get things done.  I can be thoughtful about what I expect to complete during the day, and plan my week out accordingly.

Then, I start planning my week.  I do this on Sundays so I can plan out my week and meal plan dinner for the family.  I will look at my month in the planner to see if there are any goals I wanted to accomplish.  Then, I break up the tasks throughout the week to complete said goal.  For example, if I said I wanted to get all the toys in the house organized by the end of January, I would write small tasks to do daily so I could complete this goal.  I would start by going through each room looking for broken toys or toys with missing pieces.  Then I would spend another day sorting toys.  I would spend another day planning how to organize the space.  And so on.  By spending a little bit of time daily on a goal you made for the month, you will be able to accomplish what you had wanted to!  Then you need to celebrate meeting your goal.  Getting yourself a mani/pedi or that purse you have been dying for.  You accomplished your goal, so you need to reward yourself!

I did the entire process for the whole year, and found that by writing down my goals that were specific and measurable, I was able to accomplish them.  I put in dates that I wanted to accomplish most of the goals and actually made sure to meet those deadlines.  This year, I am doing the entire process over again, but with a word for the year.  Hopefully I will have as much success accomplishing my goals this year as I did last year.

So sit down and start writing out what you want to accomplish in 2016.  Grab your planner and make deadlines for yourself.  Do you want to start working out?  Make it measurable by starting out small and working out one day a week.  Want to start eating better?  Get specific on how you will be eating better and stick to it.  Want to get organized?  Well, hire a professional organizer to help you get your home organized once and for all.  But if hiring help isn’t in the cards, then I have the perfect solution for you.  I am offering my organizing services through e-consulting and monthly subscription services where you will get the help of a (virtual) professional organizer through videos, printables, and checklists!

Every month new videos, printables, and checklists will be added to the video and printables library.  You will have access to all this amazing information to get and keep you organized!  The videos show step-by-step tutorials on how to think like a professional organizer to get areas of your home organized.  Once you complete a video, there are checklists, cards, and printables that go along with each video.  Then, you can organize the space when it is convenient for you.  With a private Facebook group for support, monthly organizing challenges with amazing prizes, and discounts to some of my favorite products, what do you have to lose?!?!

E-consulting sessions are broken up into 30-minute sessions where we would Skype to discuss a plan to get a space in your home organized.  We would talk about how you use the space, what is working, what is not working, and what needs you have for that particular space.  Together we will come up with a plan for that space and how you can organize it.  If you are going through your closet and stuck on what to keep, we could discuss ways to organize your clothes.  If you are going through your children’s toys and need help with ideas for bins, we could discuss bin and storage options for your space.  Plus, with every e-consulting session you make, you get a one-week FREE trial to the video subscription service!

So if you are looking to get organized in 2016, check out the Organizing Studio brought to you by The Organized Mama.  Just click the “studio” button at the top of the page to read more about how I can help you organize your home!  AND, just for the weekend, I am giving you trial access to some of the content that is already on the Organizing Studio!  So head over to the Studio and start organizing!!