Get Organized!

One thing our family has been trying to do better at over the last few months is keeping things more organized around the house. I've read several things lately that encouraged me to make this a priority. I'm not calling organization a "new years resolution"; I want organization to be a habit that stays with me for the rest of my life. Building on the ways I improved last year, and looking ahead to where I want to be in another year...that's a practical application of Thrifty Living for me!

Are you looking for some encouragement to get organized too? Check out a few of my favorite resources:

The Money Saving Mom's Budget by Crystal Paine. She has a lot of good ideas about de-cluttering. Her "time budget" has changed the way I think about how I spend time on specific tasks. I can certainly carve out just 15 minutes a day to spend on organizing or de-cluttering. And that time adds up - over an hour a week and 65 hours in a year (that's a ton of time!). Check out my in depth review of the book here also.

Right now, I'm reading Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider. This is a fantastic book about the joys of living simply and purposefully. I've waited 6 months or more to get this book from the library because of the number of holds...I totally should have just bought a copy of my own!

If you benefit from having a very detailed schedule, you may want to check out Home Storage Solutions' series, 52 weeks to a more organized home. This blog has 52 areas to de-clutter and organize with a lot of practical tips for each specific area. You can take the 52 weeks challenge and stay accountable with others who are looking to get their homes in order this year also.

Being organized is about way more than file folders and to-do lists, though they surely have their places. Living organized allows you to do the things that matter most, to accomplish your goals, and to be purposeful with your time

Last year I set a goal to read 48 books (4 books a month), and I read 53! This isn't something that just happened, I had to be intentional. I started using Goodreads to track the books I read, as well as any good books I wanted to check out in the future. I had to give up some things to make time to read. I watch very little TV, I read less articles on the internet, and I read instead of folding laundry and filing papers. (Well, sometimes I folded laundry and filed papers while listening to an audiobook, but not always!) I feel more organized this year because I made time for something I love (reading). I feel more organized even though everything is not perfect.

My 3 Big Goals:

Read 48 books. I think this is a manageable goal that will challenge me and be fun again this year. This also includes audio books.

Memorize 52 Scripture verses. My husband and I are working on these together using the Fighter Verses app. There are 5 sets of verses (its a 5-year plan) and we are starting with set one. If memorization is something you want to grow in, check out the Fighter Verses site, there are a lot of great resources (the app is $3, but comes with quizes and many other aids).

Work on our Adoption. We want to adopt a child through the Delaware Foster Care System. Our goal for the month of January is to finalize our adoption agency and begin the necessary paperwork. The timetable for an adoption is not set in stone, so it is likely that the adoption will not take place this year, but it would be a blessing if things moved quickly too!

My smaller organizational goals will help me to meet these big goals...cleaning closets, shredding old papers, going through clothes and toys to have a yard sale, and being proactive about going through the mail day as soon as it comes into the house.

Do you have any goals for this year? Tell me in the comments or link up with Money Saving Mom!