To start the new year, I choose to start with the bedroom. Having an organized and tidy bedroom can help you sleep better, and more restful sleep will help you work better, and focus more, which will help you not only reach your goals but exceed them! No matter what your goals are for the year, getting organized will help you get there.
Clothing:
When I am tidying up my room, I always start with the clothes. Clothing is something that always seems to multiply. So you always have to periodically sort through it all and part ways with some. I don't like the process of having to relocate out of season stuff so I keep my wardrobe at an appropriate size for my closet and/or dresser. I may shift things to the back of the drawer or closet in order to better access what I need.
I only keep what I like to wear and is actually wearable. There are so many options for closet organization. You need to pick one that will actually work for you. I prefer to keep most clothes folded in the dresser, and only clothing that doesn't fold well gets hung up. The file folding method is my preference as it saves space in the drawers so you can fit more in them. No matter the size of your closet, there are organizing options available for you. Sometimes you need a little creativity. A combination of shelving and hanging rods works best to accommodate shoes, accessories, and clothing.
Do you have old formal gowns or your wedding dress hanging in your closet, and don't know what to do with them? There are many organizations that will take them off your hands for a variety of purposes.
Sell/Donate/Pass on: items that I don't enjoy wearing, don't fit, still wearable. There are many online ways to sell clothing, or you could consign them. If selling is not your thing, consider donating to your favorite charity, or pass them on to a friend who may be looking for something particular.
Kids Hand me Downs: as parents we tend to keep kids clothes to pass on to our younger kids. I keep those in bins in a storage area like the basement clearly labeled with size, season and gender. I try to keep 1 size and season per bin for simplicity. As the last of your kids outgrows the clothing, pass it on to another mom, or if it's in good condition, you could sell or consign it. Again, donating to your favorite charity is always a wonderful option.
Clothing/Textile Recyling: Any clothing or other textiles you have that are not in usable condition, consider recycling them. Many municipalities offer this through the recycling center. Check your area for this. In my county, it is offered at our local recycling center. Its a great way to avoid filling the land fill.
Jewelry:
Some people tend to have an abundance of jewelry. If you are that person, take some time to go through it and use the same guidelines as the clothing to decide if you should donate/sell or trash it. Just like with clothing there is an abundance of organizing methods for your jewelry. Find one that works for you and maximizes the space in your room. In addition to jewelry boxes you would sit on your dresser, there are many wall mounted types.
Bedside clutter:
Our bedside also seems to be a hotspot for clutter. Since this is the space directly next to where you sleep, try to minimize what you keep there. Maybe re-home some items that don't really need to be there or take up too much space there. The items kept on our besides are the tv remote, my current reading material, a water glass at night, and my phone, where I charge it at night. Some experts would say we shouldn't have our phones in our rooms, but I don't have a land line phone, so I like to have my cell nearby in case of emergencies. I also keep my "do not disturb" settings on so all the alerts don't keep me awake. This way only contacts on my "favorites" list can get through to me, in case of family emergencies.
Dirty Clothes:
Keep a clothes hamper in our room or in the closet if room is there so it's easy to place the clothes in there when we get undressed. Then the clothes are easily carried to the laundry room on wash day. I don't separate colors either. Yes, I sometimes wash whites with darks. Our hamper is a double with a divider so I place them in separated but if there isn't a lot of whites, I will throw them in with the darks, to get it all done more efficiently. I save myself a load whenever possible. Then the clean clothes are brought back to the room in the hamper to be folded and put away. This method works for me and my family and keeps dirty clothes out of site and off the floor. This also keeps the laundry room clutter free as I don't keep hampers or baskets in there. Clothes go in the laundry room and come right back out when they are finished. No need for baskets.