Dear   ,    

Happy New Year! Did you make any resolutions?  Do you expect to keep them?  If you're like most people, your "resolutions" are more like "wishes"  ("I wish I had less clutter, so I'll make a resolution to be more organized this year"). Without more detail and a good plan, though, a resolution can quickly feel like a failure.

Listed below are some suggestions for keeping your motivation stronger and longer this year. The new year is a great time to make changes.  Give yourself all the help you can to make those changes permanent!  I look forward to being part of your plans for change this year. 

By the way, January is GO Month (Get Organized), and National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) chapters around the country will be holding special events to make it easier for all of us to get and stay more organized.  I will be speaking at the NAPO-New England Organizing Conference and Expo in Waltham at the Embassy Suites hotel on Saturday, January 25th.  My topic is Downsizing for Seniors, and will take place from 3 to 4 pm.  There will also be shredding, electronics recycling, and household goods collecting, as well as sessions on organizing photos, paper, kids, and your time. The event is FREE and open to the public, so if you're in the area, come join us from 10 am to 4 pm January 25th.  If you're not in New England, go to www.napo.net to find a chapter in your area.

- Maryann Murphy, MSW

Resolving to do Better

The success of most New Year's Resolutions relies on organization and effective time management. For example, how do you organize your home to make it easier to exercise and make better food choices?  How do you schedule your time to be able to fit in more reading or staying in touch with friends?

Just making a resolution isn't enough for most of us. Creating a specific plan is key to lasting success that makes a real difference, so take some extra time today to look at your New Year's list, and add more detail to your plans:

1. WHY do you want to improve in this area?  This is important!  Sometimes we make resolutions to please someone else or because we think we should.  If you're not really committed to a goal, you're not likely to keep with it for the time it takes to change, so write down why you want it. What, specifically, will be better about your life if you reach this goal?  Is this the best way to reach that goal?  Keeping your "why's" clear can help a lot with motivation when you need it. And try to keep the focus positive ("I will do this", rather than "I will stop doing that").
2. WHAT will you do differently (specifically, what behaviors will you change)?  Will you get rid of things you don't use anymore? Will you build storage systems to keep what you have better organized?  Will you start a filing system for paper, and use it?
3. WHEN will you do it?  Scheduling your new exercise program, filing program, or de-cluttering schedule, is critical to success.  Will you de-clutter your closet once/month?  What day of the week? What time of day?  Planning this out and putting it on your calendar makes it more likely to happen. 
4. HOW will you keep motivated through the inevitable challenges and setbacks? Setting mini-goals, benchmarks and reinforcers along the way can help.  Before and after photos or graphics of any kind can be very motivating.  Think about what has worked for you in the past, and plan to include those kinds of support in your plan. 
5. WHO will help you?  Pick a partner or multiple helpers to keep you accountable, give you support, give you instruction when needed, etc.  The most successful behavior changers get help. Give yourself he best chance for success by finding people to go through these changes with you.  Sharing your resolutions with others publicly also provides another strong incentive to keep at them.

I'd love to help you reach your New Year's goals and stick to your resolutions, so give me a call to schedule a coaching session.  Or come to my class on how to Get Organized in the New Year starting on January 30th at www.falmouthcommunityschool.org (see the bottom of page 5 and top of page 6 for my class info).  And for more ideas, go to my website www.maryannmurphymsw.com for additional tips on sticking to your resolutions.  Happy New Year, and all my best wishes for a very successful 2014!