4 Practical and Achievable Goals I’m Setting to Keep My Home Organized and Clutter-Free This Year

I have an on-again, off-again relationship with home organization. When I’m feeling motivated, I’m inspired to keep my surfaces clear, put things in their places, and address the cluttered areas of my apartment. When I’m not as motivated, I tend to abandon my organizational methods, cut corners when tidying up, and before I know it, the mess piles up. This year, I want to find a balance with my home's state. I don’t need everything to be perfectly neat all the time—after all, I know that’s not realistic, and it’s not my style either. However, I do want to develop more consistency and commit to keeping my home more organized. That’s why I’m setting simple and attainable home organization goals for myself this year.

Hang Coats and Bags Up, Don’t Leave Them on the Floor

When my entryway is disorganized, the rest of my apartment often mirrors the chaos, making my daily routine feel even more hectic. That’s why one of my top organizing goals this year is to keep my entryway tidy—and much of this depends on what I do with my coat and bags as soon as I get home in the evening. My entryway is a small hallway with two closets (I’m lucky in that sense) and a nook that holds a shoe rack and a little chair. Since the shoe rack is right there and visible, I’m usually pretty good about putting my shoes back where they belong. But for some reason, I tend to ignore both of my entryway closets and pile my coat, scarf, bag, and anything else I’m carrying onto the poor little chair. This quickly triggers a domino effect, turning my entryway into a dumping ground for miscellaneous things I grab on my way in and out of the house.

So, my new rule for myself this year is to immediately put away my coat, bags, and anything else I’m carrying as soon as I walk in the door—and to keep the entryway chair clear.

Handle Mail Immediately

Mail is another major contributor to entryway clutter. Since I don’t have a console table in my entryway, my mail often ends up on one of the surfaces in my kitchen—which, to me, is even worse. I absolutely despise having to move a pile of mail out of the way while I’m trying to prep food on my already cramped counter space. Even more frustrating is that the pile is nearly always filled with 100% junk mail that I don’t need to keep in the first place.

So, my second goal for tackling clutter this year is to handle my mail immediately upon entering the house. Since most of my mail is junk, this usually just means throwing it straight in the trash or recycling bin. I’m also making it a goal to deal with packages right away, which includes not only opening the package and putting its contents away, but also breaking down the box.

Clear My Kitchen Surfaces Every Night Before Bed

As I’ve mentioned, counter space in my kitchen is limited, so when the surfaces get cluttered, it can quickly lead to frustration. To keep things more streamlined and organized, I’m making it a part of my nightly routine to clear off any clutter before bed. This means putting away spices I used for cooking, returning jewelry I removed while prepping food, throwing away any trash, addressing any mail piles (if I didn’t manage that earlier), and finishing off with a quick wipe down to keep the counters clean. By turning this into a nightly habit, I’m hoping to both prevent clutter from piling up and make cooking feel a little more relaxed and enjoyable.

Complete One Organizing or Decluttering Task Each Month

Beyond my daily efforts to keep my home organized (or at least give it my best shot), I also have a long list of organizing projects I want to tackle. Some of these are smaller tasks, like reorganizing my sock drawer or finally going through that bin in the back of my closet, but I’ve been putting them off because I don’t know where to begin. My plan is to break down the list into smaller, more manageable tasks, aiming to complete just one organizing or decluttering project per month. First on my agenda: decluttering the floor of my hall closet, which has become a dumping ground for random items, clothes for donation, and things I won’t even notice until I start sorting through them.

While one project per month might seem modest, I believe that starting with a smaller goal will help me stay focused and ensure that I actually begin to check things off my list. And if I find myself inspired to tackle another project in the same month? That’ll be an extra win.