22 Ways to Get Organized in 2022

(plus 5 bonus ways)

Getting organized is one of the quickest ways to your dream home, dream bank account and dream life.

Let’s make 2022 your most organized year yet!

Her are 27 strategies that you can incorporate RIGHT NOW for a happier home, simpler routines and brighter future.

1) Start a Donation Bin: I PROMISE that not every tip is going to be about decluttering! But having a central spot to keep all donations makes it easier when you are ready to do a drop-off. And it encourages continual purging. Most days I toss at least a couple of items into the bin. It helps to balance out the incoming items.

2) Store off-season clothes in an Alternate Location: Having to dig through tank tops to grab a sweater in the middle of January makes mornings harder than they should be. Choose a location (I use an empty suitcase that I keep in our basement) and store off-season clothes out of sight. Having less in your drawers and closet makes it easier to stay organized.

3) Use Baskets: Baskets, bins, containers - anything that CONTAINS items. This will: (a) make it easier to manage what you own and (b) control how much you own. Some of my favourites are pantry bins, toy bins, drawer liners, outerwear baskets and holiday bins.

4) Create a Family Command Centre: And no it doesn’t have to be Pinterest-worthy. Just somewhere central where you drop mail, store school paperwork, sunglasses, keys, purses, backpacks, etc. Ours includes a few hooks, a bin for small items and a large basket that holds backpacks when not in use. Keep it simple and easy to use.

5) Meal Plan: Makes life wayyyy easier. SERIOUSLY. Try it for one week and you’ll never go back. Check out my meal planning system here.

6) Create a Standardized Grocery List: A few years ago I created a master grocery list that includes all of our commonly purchased items - listed in the order that they are organized in the grocery store. It’s been an absolute life saver. This one requires some time up-front but WELL worth it. I provide an example in my meal planning system post.

7) Sunday Re-Sets: Every Sunday night (choose whatever night works for you) we set up for a successful week by re-setting the house. Toss last week’s school crafts, fill up the drawers with clean laundry, set-up everything that we will need for the morning, meal prep and - most importantly - take some time to rest before a new week :)

8) Regular Brain Dumps: Putting pen to paper is one of the most satisfying things there is. In moments of overwhelm, I write down everything that needs to get done. Once it’s in writing I can see what needs to be done, prioritize the most important items, eliminate the unnecessary and GET STARTED.

9) Simplify Your Laundry Routine: One of the most common complaints I hear is trying to keep up with laundry. I have an entire video on our simple routine - and how we get it done without it taking over our lives.

10) Use Drawer Separators: Keeping clothes categorized in drawers makes managing clothes 1 million times easier! Use drawer separators, drawer liners (my fave), baskets or pieces of cardboards - whatever works. You won’t regret it. Also amazing for bathroom and kitchen drawers!

11) Separate Outerwear by Person: A couple years ago I created baskets for each family member’s outwear accessories (hats, mitts, sunglasses, scarves, etc.) - I’m OBSESSED..

12) Start a “too small” Bin: Kids grow out of clothes HOURLY. Get a bag or basket or bin and every time your child grows out of an item, toss it in the bin. Once the bin is full you can decide if you’re keeping for a future baby, donating, selling or passing on to a friend. We keep ours in Leo’s bedroom closet. But the laundry room or beside your donation bin would work great too.

13) Meal Prep: Spending a couple hours a week prepping snacks, sauces, produce, etc. is worth every second. Check out my weekly routine here. If you’re just starting out, start small - clean your berries and make a batch of spaghetti sauce - that’s it. Simple is always best.

14) Delegate: Getting organized is a team effort - if you’re reading this then you’re probably the lead organizer in your house - that means you get to delegate. And you MUST. Will it feel weird at first? YES. Is it worth it? YES. I just started reading FairPlay by Eve Rodsky. So far I’m totally obsessed. Stay tuned for more on that here on the blog and on my IG.

15) Outsource: A few months ago I hired a cleaner to come in for a few hours - WORTH. EVERY. PENNY. Here’s a few tasks worth considering outsourcing:

• Cooking - food delivery, pre-made meals, a gramma who loves to cook

• Organizing - if you’re near me I offer in-home organizing - or just try a quick google search for someone in your area

• Cleaning - my #1 favourite thing to outsource

• Laundry - I know several people who do this and I think it’s genius!

16) Decant: Having a tidy and aesthetically pleasing pantry (or bathroom or laundry room), sounds superficial - but it’s NOT! Decanting some of your most-used items can. have huge impact. Give it a shot and see how it feels.

17) Clear out Your Junk Drawer: Everyone’s junk drawer needs a little TLC.

18) Add Labels: This is a huge help when trying to delegate - no more asking which drawer the shirts go in! And you don’t need a label maker - try some cute tags from the dollar store, old card-stock in your craft box, stickers or some old fashioned masking tape and pen.

19) Create a Monthly Budget: If you don’t budget already, start today! Having control over your money helps every other part of your life fall into place. Here is how we manage our monthly budget.

20) Organize Your Spices: There is something deeply therapeutic about this!

21) Try a No-Spend Month: Dedicate one month (or one week) to spending NOTHING (other than necessities). A spending freeze can have lasting impact on your spending AND controlling how much stuff comes into your home.

22) Designate a Keepsake Box: We have baby boxes for each child plus one large tote for other sentimental items that aren’t appropriate for display. Find a container that you love and let that be your limit of how many sentimental items you can keep.

Ok here are my bonus tips (because I can’t stop, won't stop)…..

23) Designate a Catch-All Bin: Should everything go into it’s designated home 100% of the time? YES. Is that realistic? HELL NO. Every house needs a spot to toss miscellaneous items when you’re running late and you don't have time to run downstairs to file your son’s report card that you found in his backpack ten minutes before you need to leave the house. Once the bin if full, take it around the house and re-home items to their designated location.

24) Reduce Flat Spaces: Flat spaces are just begging to be piled high with STUFF. The less flat surfaces you have, the less tempted you will be to let useless items pile up week after week. Look around your home for furniture that might no longer be serving you.

25) Compile Favourite Recipes: Make your go-to recipes easy to access by keeping them in a central location. I use a 3 ring binder with plastic sleeves to keep the recipes clean. You could also use a recipe box, a designated folder in your phone - or maybe you only really only use one cookbook 90% of the time and can let the others go.

26) Invest in Uniform Hangers: Sounds small. But this can have major impact on the overall feel of a closet.

27) Remove Packaging: Removing packaging makes storage spaces tidier, makes items more accessible and makes it easier to see how much you have left. Try it with: toilet paper, paper towel, grapes, berries, crackers, craft supplies, games - the possibilities are endless.

You made it to the end - yay! I hope these ideas inspire you.

I challenge you to incorporate at least ONE of these strategies during the month of January and see how it feels. Maybe even try adding one per month for the whole year?! YOU CAN DO IT. Let me know how it goes :)

Thank you so much for reading and I’ll be back next month to share a HUGE decluttering inspiration list - my fave topic :)

Happy Organizing my Friends!

Mary Ann K. xo