Are You in Sync or On Opposite Ends of the Spectrum?

This past New Year's Eve, my husband and I set aside time to listen to each other talk about our hopes and desires for the new year. There is power in knowing what your partner sees as a priority in their life. We don’t set specific goals, but we dream about what is possible. This lights a spark in both of us.

One of those dreams is to continue to take really good care of our home. It is our sanctuary; we love being here together and hosting friends and family.

During the first week in January over the past several years, we usually have some time off work and have gravitated towards decluttering some of our mutual spaces together.

It usually starts when we take down our Christmas tree and decorations. Our first ritual is to declutter some ornaments. We like to buy ornaments throughout the year on our travels. So we spend a little time while putting them away, to donate a few that no longer excite us.

This year we passed on the unwanted ornaments to my brother-in-law who was starting a new home with his fiancé. It was a win-win!

But, after putting Christmas away, we tend to get the organizing itch. I always tell my clients that, once we get started on a project, the momentum will build and keep them motivated. This is exactly what happened to us this year.

My key takeaway for building success in these moments is that we only take on small projects; something that can be done in under 30 minutes. This is totally possible when you have systems in place.

First, we tackled the coat closet that had become a dumping ground during the holidays and needed a refresh. We pulled everything out that did not belong and sorted, donated, and allocated it to its proper home.

Next, we organized our cycling gear. We have a shelf in our garage dedicated to all our cycling accessories, helmets, sunglasses, etc. It also can become a dumping ground, so we went through our personal belongings and made a pile of things we no longer needed.

And lastly, we did a quick edit of the pantry and spices. We love to cook and entertain so quality ingredients are a must in our house. But sometimes we just end up with too much and we can’t see the things we actually love to use all the time. A quick 20-minute edit and we were back in business!

It also helps that I have a great resource for donating food, which feels a lot better than putting it in the garbage.

Most of my clients call me for help because they are not on the same page as their spouses when it comes to getting things organized on a timeline. Typically, one person is very motivated and the other is focused on something else more important to them.

For this post-holiday refresh, we were on the same page, but this is not always the case. Most of the time, I initiate the project and ask my husband for help. He helps, but tends to start shoving things back into place — which makes me bonkers! I would say this is more typical of how we organize together, and it usually ends with one of us getting irritated. 

If you are trying to get things organized at home and hitting a wall — whether it be with your spouse, with your time, or your overwhelm — I see you and you are not alone.

Hoping you have an organized and calm 2025!

Be well,

Meghan LeBaudour, CPO®