7 Ways To Stay On Track With Your Organizing Goals in 2025

Happy New Year, Everyone! It feels like the time for a fresh start, but if you’ve ever made New Year’s resolutions, you’ve probably experienced the frustrating cycle of enthusiasm, struggle, and, ultimately, defeat. Resolutions are especially tough when it comes to home organization because life gets in the way, clutter creeps back, and old habits are hard to change or replace with new ones. 

One study found that 38 out of 200 people stuck to their New Year’s Resolutions over the course of two years. (Norcross and Vangarelli) That’s 19%...not bad, right? Well, that is a small sample size, and we also aren’t able to dive into what these resolutions were… what if they weren’t as difficult as organizing your home office, doing a full KonMari marathon, or finishing home renovations? We’ll never know, so–

–whatever your resolutions, we want to share our top tips to stay on track this year.

Before we jump in, grab:

• some paper or a journal

• a pen or pencil

• anything else you need to get comfortable

JOURNAL 🖋️: Set a timer for ~10 minutes (or less) and jot down your resolutions, goals, or even some mindset shifts you’re trying to make for the year ahead. Our tips are geared towards home organization, but they could apply to other goals, too. Keep your goals in mind as we continue!

A full list of *journaling prompts only* is also available at the end of this blog.

1. Make sure your goals aren’t too vague.

Maybe you vowed to “get organized” –and now you’re stuck because you aren’t sure how to take the next step. You can have a clear vision, but without a path you may never catch up to your goal.

JOURNAL 🖋️: Pick one or all of your resolutions/goals. Break them down into bite size pieces by asking how do I achieve this? For example, if your goal is in fact, to “get organized,” your breakdown could look like this:

1. Choose time frames I can set aside each week for this month to get organized.

2. Choose what area I will focus on in each session.

3. Prepare for the organizing sessions with practical advice on organizing.

4. Show up for my organizing sessions.

2. Evaluate and acknowledge if you’re trying to do too much at once.

Tackling your entire house in one go is overwhelming and would burn out anyone–even a professional organizer. Really imagine what you’re committing to, and if it seems like a lot, pare down. If you commit to less and accomplish that, then you can always add new commitments later.

JOURNAL 🖋️: Out of all your resolutions/goals/ideas for this new year, what are you most passionate about? Try numbering them all by greatest to least in priority. Put a pin in any items that would make you overextend yourself. If they are truly important, they will return later.

3. Let go of perfectionism and imposter syndrome.

Waiting for the “perfect” weekend or obsessing over perfect Pinterest-worthy results will leave you stuck. If you don’t struggle with perfectionism, perhaps you’re facing something else, like imposter syndrome. Remind yourself that lots of people encounter these same feelings, and you are not alone.

JOURNAL 🖋️: Let’s tackle some enemies in our way! 

1. PERFECTIONISM: Make a list of every time perfection prevented you from finishing a project. After you’ve finished, create a mantra against perfectionism. If you can’t think of one, use the classic, cliche-for-a-reason standby: “done is better than perfect.” Progress, no matter how small, is still progress. 

2. IMPOSTER SYNDROME: Make a list of why you think you aren’t the person who can achieve your goals or fulfill your resolutions. Look for obstacles within your answers. Reflect on how you can make the obstacles less. Here’s an example:

• I’ll never be organized because I’m too messy and my ADHD/family life/job takes time away from me.

• OBSTACLE: TIME

• If I am low on time, perhaps there are some negative things I can stop doing to commit more time to organizing. (Reminder: Don’t forsake things that energize you, make sure you eliminate things that sap your strength like social media/scrolling, too many social commitments, tasks you could delegate).

4. Account for your lifestyle.

If your new goals don’t align with how you actually live, it won’t stick–unless you make a lifestyle change. This can be a slow and difficult process.

JOURNAL 🖋️: Pick one of your goals and make two lists. One list should reflect how your goal already fits into your current life (what makes it easy to achieve), and the other should reflect how this goal could require a lifestyle change. If there are items that make the goal difficult to achieve, that’s okay–just acknowledge that it could be challenging and give yourself grace. 

5. Don’t treat your goals as a one-time event.

As hinted in the previous prompt, oftentimes new goals require lifestyle changes. Sometimes, they even require an identity shift. Because of this, it’s important to travel the path to your goals on a regular basis, not just once. If you’ve already broken things down per step #1, then you’re already halfway there.

JOURNAL 🖋️:  Brainstorm how your can make your goal or resolution a habit. Schedule regular check-ins—weekly, monthly, or seasonally—to maintain your routine. Check out books/audiobooks about habit formation. (Atomic Habits is a good one! See how some outside influences can become tools for your own use.)

6. Celebrate wins.

Focusing only on how far you have to go can make you lose sight of how far you’ve come. Check in every now and then to celebrate even small milestones.

JOURNAL 🖋️: Brainstorm a list of self-care acts and treats you can use to acknowledge and celebrate milestones, no matter how small. Think about what energizes you and makes you feel confident, or what makes you feel accomplished and relaxed.

7. Ask for help and accountability.

Going it alone can be discouraging, especially if you have a lot to do.

JOURNAL 🖋: Involve your family, enlist a friend, or hire a professional organizer (like Organized For Good!) to make the process more manageable.

Home organization resolutions can feel daunting, but they don’t have to fail. 

By addressing these common pitfalls and implementing these solutions, you’ll transform your resolutions from dead-on-arrival to thriving goals. Remember, progress is a journey, not a destination.

If you need support, Organized For Good is here to help. Whether it’s a full-home transformation or a single-room refresh, we’re experts in making resolutions stick.

Find out how we can help through a free, 15-minute consultation, or get on our calendars right now.

Norcross, J C, and D J Vangarelli. “The resolution solution: longitudinal examination of New Year's change attempts.” Journal of substance abuse vol. 1,2 (1988): 127-34. doi:10.1016/s0899-3289(88)80016-6

JOURNAL PROMPTS ONLY:

1. Set-up 🖋 Set a timer for ~10 minutes (or less) and jot down your resolutions, goals, or even some mindset shifts you’re trying to make for the year ahead.
   

2. Make it Bite-Sized 🖋️ Pick one or all of your resolutions/goals. Break them down into bite size pieces by asking how do I achieve this? For example, if your goal is in fact, to “get organized,” your breakdown could look like this:
   -Choose time frames I can set aside each week for this month to get organized.

   -Choose what area I will focus on in each session.

   -Prepare for the organizing sessions with practical advice on organizing.

   -Show up for my organizing sessions.
   

3. Avoid Internal Obstacles 🖋️ Let’s tackle some enemies in our way! 
   -PERFECTIONISM: Make a list of every time perfection prevented you from finishing a project. After you’ve finished, create a mantra against perfectionism. If you can’t think of one, use the classic, cliche-for-a-reason standby: “done is better than perfect.” Progress, no matter how small, is still progress. 
   -IMPOSTER SYNDROME: Make a list of why you think you aren’t the person who can achieve your goals or fulfill your resolutions. Look for obstacles within your answers. Reflect on how you can make the obstacles less. 
   -Here’s an example:
   -I’ll never be organized because I’m too messy and my ADHD/family life/job takes time away from me.
   -OBSTACLE: Time
   -If I am low on time, perhaps there are some negative things I can stop doing to commit more time to organizing. (Reminder: Don’t forsake things that energize you, make sure you eliminate things that sap your strength like social media/scrolling, too many social commitments, tasks you could delegate).
   

4. Evaluate Difficulty 🖋️ Pick one of your goals and make two lists. One list should reflect how your goal already fits into your current life (what makes it easy to achieve), and the other should reflect how this goal could require a lifestyle change. If there are items that make the goal difficult to achieve, that’s okay–just acknowledge that it could be challenging and give yourself grace. 
   

5. Create a Routine 🖋️  Brainstorm how your can make your goal or resolution a habit. Schedule regular check-ins—weekly, monthly, or seasonally—to maintain your routine. Check out books/audiobooks about habit formation. (Atomic Habits is a good one! See how some outside influences can become tools for your own use.)
   

6. Establish Rewards 🖋️  Make a list of self-care acts and treats you can use to acknowledge and celebrate milestones, no matter how small. Think about what energizes you and makes you feel confident, or what makes you feel accomplished and relaxed.