Organizing Expert Alejandra Costello Shares Tips on Live with Kelly and Ryan

Are you looking for ways to get organized in the New Year? If so, then this post is for you! I shared some of my best organizing tips with Live with Kelly and Ryan for their series, “A New You in 2022!” You can watch the video below. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to cover all of the tips I prepared. You can see the rest of the tips below the video.

Here are some of the organizing tips I shared for the “A New You in 2022!” segment (and a few I didn’t share due to running out of time!):

1.  Since it’s the new year and a lot of us are setting goals / making vision boards, making time to get organized NOW will set a foundation so your future self has an easier time achieving your 2022 goals without the distraction of clutter slowing you down.

2.  When letting go, focus on the gain (rather than the loss). What will you gain by letting go? Here are ideas: more space, feeling light & free, contribution to others, easier time getting ready, faster to clean, easier time focusing, etc.

3.  Create a daily habit of putting things away that are out of place. Grab a timer, set it for 20-min, and move things closer to their ideal home (if they don’t have a home yet). The whole goal is to just make it better than it currently is. Add music or a podcast to make the task more enjoyable! This is the timer I showed.

4.  If you’re a person who prefers to pile papers rather than file, use a stackable drawer system for organizing active papers. Label the outside of each drawer so you know what goes where. This is the product I showed.

5.  Long to-do lists can feel overwhelming and paralyzing. Instead, start each day with a sticky note by writing down your top 3 priorities for the day (in bullet form). To figure out your top priorities, ask yourself what’s important to YOU plus what’s timely. Focus on that!

6.  One key to staying organized is to A.B.C.D. – Always Be Consistently Decluttering. Meaning – when you come across something you no longer need, use, or love – toss the item into a basket to share with someone in need. Once the basket is filled, drop it off at your favorite charitable organization. Continue to refill. Label the basket with something that inspires you to give such as – “Give What You Need” or “How Can I Help Someone Today?”

7.  Sort and organize your most important documents that are difficult to replace into a labeled file tote so in case of emergency, we can easily grab everything and go without having to think about anything. Use a file tote that is fire-proof and water-proof safe. You can find a list of important documents to include here.

8.  A great habit to get into is checking and sorting the mail daily! Immediately shred or recycle any unneeded items. Use a 3-section organizer to sort remaining items into timely action, action, and processing. Set a reminder on your phone to process contents in the action piles. This is the mail sorter I showed. Here’s a step-by-step video on organizing mail.

9.  Round items (spices, vitamins, craft paint) are best stored on round organizers such as a lazy susan. Create your own lazy susan by going to the dollar store and grabbing two round baking pans and a pack a marbles. Put the marbles between the baking pans and you instantly have a lazy susan for a total cost of $3 (plus tax)!!! See more details on the $3 lazy susan here.