Each year, millions of Americans set (or reset) resolutions for the New Year in an effort to help improve their lives.
Studies on this annual tradition show that after “exercise more” and “lose weight,” the most popular resolution is to “get organized.” It’s no wonder that January is designated as National Get Organized Month, a time to sort through and declutter your home.
Clutter is anything that takes away from your enjoyment or use of your space. Decluttering involves removing unnecessary things to create harmony in your home, and yes, to make room for the things you genuinely love and want to keep.
The process of decluttering is not that difficult if you break it down. And thankfully you don’t have to hire a professional organizer. At Goodwill Central Coast, we are more than a group of thrift stores. We stand proud as a nonprofit with a mission to turn unused or unwanted items into community gold! Your donations help support our innovative donation-resale model, turning gently-used items into revenue that fuels our mission to change lives through the power of work. At the same time we are helping to keep literally tons of items out of local landfills.
To help you on your way to a decluttered lifestyle, GCC offers the following tips:
- Create your own Legacy List. Make a list of the two most important items in your home that tell your family story. Then share those stories with your family and friends. Telling the stories will start a conversation on stuff for the entire year.
- Resolution Reset. Instead of making more resolutions, start decluttering the items you bought for past resolutions that you don’t need. Donate or sell the new fitness and sports equipment that you never used.
- Conduct a reality check. On New Year’s Day, put all your clothes hangers facing one way. Then when you wear the item during the year, you switch the hanger going the opposite way. So, this time next year, you can easily see what you have not worn. If you know it’s been at least a year, you can donate it to your favorite charity or sell it online.
- Begin the purge: We all acquire things throughout the years: clothes, accessories, books, gifts and more. Streamlining all this “stuff” can help create a more peaceful home that feels tranquil and settled. Go room-by-room, closet-by-closet, and drawer-by-drawer to clear out any unnecessary clutter. Renowned expert and author Marie Kondo recommends removing every item from a closet and putting it on the floor or bed. With everything out in the open, it’s a lot easier to move onto the next step and make decisions.
The power of donations
Once you’ve decluttered and reorganized, take the clothing and household items you no longer need to one of our area donation centers so they can serve the resolutions of a new family, a budding hobbyist, or someone else in your community.
Donations are the key to making Goodwill’s circular economy work. By donating, we reduce the need for someone else to buy it new — saving our natural resources. You are giving your items a second chance while deserving individuals in our community are able to gain job skills and find meaningful work. It’s a win-win proposition. So hit those closets and attics and begin your purge!