Reflections on the year (from Regina Leeds)

Questions from my organizing heroine Regina Leeds' first post of the year on her One Year to an Organized Life blog:


Did you do anything different this year that yielded great results? Make a note so you remember next year!

I decluttered throughout the year. I will continue this in 2011, in an attempt to keep on top of the clutter, but I will also try to go back to the book and be more methodical about it.
In the same vein, were there things you realized after the fact could have been done with greater skill, joy and dispatch? Record those notes as well. No point making the same mistakes next year and asking yourself: "Why didn't I remember that ...?"

As mentioned above, I'd like to get back to being more disciplined and methodical in my decluttering and organizing, as I was when I started this blog.

Are you 'done' with some aspects of the holiday? For example would you like to see another family member host the big holiday meal? I'd wait a few weeks and then have a conversation with key family members about how the holiday can be different next year. Make a note on your new calendar to make those calls. Without a reminder, it will go by the wayside like most good intentions.

Nothing really comes to mind. I don't feel particularly overburdened during the holidays. We did have to holiday gatherings, but both of them were our choice and I enjoyed myself immensely, even though the preparation was a lot of work.

The other thing I'd like to do in 2011 is make more of my own gifts. This doesn't work very well for small children, who often want the latest and greatest toys, but it's a wonderful option for adults. I made a few gifts this year, but I'm always wanting to do more because I really enjoy making gifts...and so many people appreciate them.

Finally, was there something in your home that wasn't organized and caused you problems? Were the holiday boxes falling apart? Or were they stored in such a way that you had difficulty reaching them? it's the little, petty annoyances that can rob you of the potential joy in any experience. Tend to those details now. Do it as a present to yourself. Next year you will be so grateful!

My organization annoyances are not really concentrated on one room or in one area. I will feel more rested and satisfied when more of my house is organized in general. Another factor is finding a better way to get my 4-year-old to pick up his toys after he plays with them. We are not very disciplined about that...and it seems that whenever we clean up the living room, it soon becomes cluttered again!