Two Ways to Ensure Your New Year’s Resolution Sticks
It’s January and that means it is New Year’s resolution time! Did you know that the most popular New Year’s resolutions are usually the same year after year? We all want the same things! Interestingly, “Get Organized” usually makes its way to the top of the charts but for many people it is not number one. But it’s time we start prioritizing organization. Why, you ask?
Leading a disorganized life contributes greatly to the negative habits we want to eliminate and inhibits the growth of the positive ones we want to create.
You want to lose weight? Save money? Reduce stress? Spend more time with family? Get more sleep? Then I think we are on the same page! You should focus on getting organized. When you lead a well organized life, you can easily create enough space for yourself to accomplish all those other goals you’ve set out to reach. Notice I did not say that your resolution should be “Get organized!”
I am not going to click “publish” on this post and hide behind my computer pretending that every resolution I’ve written in the past has been accomplished. I will be the first to come right out and say I have definitely made a resolution and before I knew it, twelve months have passed and I am ready to commit to the same resolution all over again! Ahh! Failure - how familiar I am with thee. :) Why does this happen? How can an entire year go by and yet we don’t manage to make a dent in the resolution we so ferociously set out to accomplish?
Here are two likely culprits:
We don’t look at the root cause of a habit we are trying to eliminate and;
Even when our resolution is noble, it is neither actionable nor attainable.
Let’s pretend your resolution is “Eat healthier” To address my first point, have you thought about the root cause for the unhealthy eating habit? Are you not eating healthy each week because you get takeout rather than cook? Are you short on time to cook each night? Do you not know how to cook? What is the true root cause(s) of that habit? That is the resolution you should work to accomplish. Okay, so you’ve established that you don’t know how to cook. So…..my resolution should be “Learn to cook?” Right?
Wrong.
Let’s look at my second point. We set ourselves up for failure right from the start! “Learn to cook!”…are you just going to write that down as a “To do” for next Wednesday? Ah, I hope not! This is neither actionable nor attainable. Break it down even further. How are you going to do this? Brainstorm all the ways you might accomplish this and make 1-3 of those ideas your resolution(s). Are you going to read a new cookbook each month? Attend one cooking class a month? Invite a friend over to teach you how to make their favorite recipe?
I am not trying to say that your New Year’s resolution should be written exactly like a SMART goal; though maybe if we all did that we might start making progress in the resolution department. :) I just want you to be excited and optimistic about the prospect of accomplishing the resolution and know where to begin.
“Okay, I thought you we’re a professional organizer? What does any of this have to do with organizing? “ Well, you might already know this, but in case you do not, many professional organizers also work as productivity consultants.
Back to my earlier point. For many people “Get organized” is their resolution. If your nodding your head thinking “Yes…that is why I clicked on this post! I thought it would tell me everything I have to know!” then it’s time you examine the two reasons you might not reach this goal!
1. What is the root cause of your disorganization?
Fair warning, this could be a loaded question depending on the level of disorder we’re talking about! There are so many books out there that you could read to help you pinpoint the answer to this question. For many people, until they can actually identify the root cause of disorganization, it will always play a role in their life. Thankfully, there are people out there (like me!) who have made it their life’s work to help others identify the answer to this question and set out to find solutions.
However, examining the root cause of your disorganization might also just mean you need to brainstorm the systems and spaces in your life that are contributing to the disorder so you can make a plan to improve them! (Spoiler, we can help with that too!)
2. What is something more actionable than “Get Organized” that you can actually tackle?
After you’ve identified some of the root causes for your disorganization, ask yourself: what is a smaller goal that can put me on the path to “Getting organized”? Maybe your basket of mail has been overflowing and you just don’t know what to do with all the forms and newsletters your kids bring home from school. So instead, you might make it your resolution to create a system to manage the inflow and outflow of temporary papers and mail. Hooray! Now we’re getting somewhere.
If you’re still reading this thinking, I just don’t know where to start, then make it your New Year’s resolution to call a professional organizer to set up a consultation! Just think, you could easily accomplish that resolution before the end of the month! I promise there are compassionate and eager PO’s out there just waiting to help you feel more in control of your life! Most people wouldn’t bat an eye at the thought of hiring a trainer to lose weight. So why not take this next step if it is right for you?
I’ll leave you with a final thought. You will never know the weight that disorganization is putting on you until it has been lifted.
Happy New Year, friends!