UNITED STATES—Throw 2020 away and start to focus on things you can do in 2021. I started the New Year doing something that I had dreaded doing for months. What was that dreadful thing? It was shredding old paperwork and bills. It felt like a daunting task to begin with because I had so MUCH to tackle. It got to a point where I was not even opening up the mail. However, once I got the process going, it was smooth sailing. Why?

Clutter that had been taking over my mail slot was no longer cluttered. I had ample space, I got rid of junk and I made more space in my home. As Americans, we tend to stash things so much to the point that it just continues to add up and add up until we have to address the problem because it is creating issues inside your home, closet, pantry, basement, attic, bathroom, living room, kitchen etc.

Organization is not always the easiest thing for most Americans to tackle, but when you are organized I have discovered that it provides more clarity to your life. You breathe easier, you relax easier, and your daily functions seem to operate much easier as well. My biggest problem is I sometimes keep things longer than I have to keep them because I am unsure if something is very important.

Clothing was one of the biggest issues for me because I just had too much stuff in my closet. So what did I do? I went thru my closet and started to get rid of items that I hadn’t worn or I had never planned to wear. I donated those items to shelters and to family members. I’m not a big proponent of throwing clothing away unless it’s badly damaged, and with most of my clothing that is not the case people. Did it open my closet a bit? Yes, but it does not help when you continue to purchase more items. The goal for 2021 is to limit the amount of clothing I purchase especially if it is something I absolutely do NOT need America.

The same applies for the kitchen cabinets. I really had to clean out my spice rack and get rid of spices that are old and need to be tossed. In addition, if there were canned goods or things that have NOT expired that I know I had not planned on using to cook a meal I donated those items to local pantries in my area. I am a very organized person, so when I see things in order it just brings a level of peace for me that is quite important to say the least.

You see things as they are when things are fully organized and in place. I think this totally holds true when we’re talking about office space. Cleaning that desk, throwing away papers that have no business being on your desk, having important files at your fingertips when you need them instead of stressing to have to find them. The biggest problem with organization is that sometimes you have to address the elephant in the room: you have to get rid of stuff. Once you can wrap your mind around getting rid of things that you don’t need it makes it easier to get properly organized in your home, at your office, your closet, your mail and a ton of other things.

Written By Zoe Mitchell