If one of your resolutions this year is to get your home in order, you might want to start to declutter as soon as you can at the beginning of the year. There is literally no better time to do this. Your desire to have an orderly home is on the forefront and you will find the energy to accomplish this task. If you still have your Christmas decorations up, this is an even more perfect time. Don’t believe me? Here are three reasons why it is a good time to declutter:

• Since you already have some of your Christmas decorations out, you can take a look at the items that didn’t make the cut and determine whether you don’t like them anymore, they don’t suit your decor style, or if they are broken. If an item meets any of these criteria, get rid of them and don’t just put all the Christmas decorations back in storage.
• You likely got a lot of new items over Christmas as presents, so you can get rid of the old items or ones you like a little less.
• Before you put away the new items, you can take a look at the space and see if there is anything that can be donated or given away (to other family members.)

Once you have the Christmas decorations and new presents taken care of, here are five other areas you might want to consider decluttering for a fresh start:

• Fall or winter clothes – Any clothes that got continually bypassed during the last few months might be an indication they need to be donated. Regardless of the reasons you didn’t wear them in the last 2-3 months, chances are they won’t be worn in the next 2-3 months either.
• Outgrown toys – Any toys that your children will “sometimes” play with can probably be donated. Obviously, keep the sentimental ones. Random ones that you got for free from McDonalds or gets played less than 10 times a year, should go.
• Any papers you have stacked up – Take some time to go through all the paper you have saved/neglected the past couple of months. Recently, I found a package you use to file your taxes manually in a stack of papers my spouse had. I have no idea why he still had this package because we filed our taxes months ago. Take all of your papers out, go through them, and then file or recycle them. You don’t want more paper to accumulate when September rolls around and more paper finds its way into your home.
• Your pantry – If you have a resolution to eat healthier this year, go through your pantry and donate any non-perishable foods to your local food bank. By having the items out of your pantry, you will be able to stick to your resolutions and eat healthier.
• Anything that annoyed you throughout the year – This can include things that no longer serve you, things you never liked, things that were gifted to you, or things constantly in your way. Get rid of the items and create some new space.

It might sound daunting to declutter your home, especially if you’ve never done it before. However, by selecting these areas to declutter first, it will become second nature to you. If you are still struggling, when you look at an item, ask yourself if it serves the “present” you or your current intentions. If it doesn’t, it may serve someone else. Good luck!!

Monica Hui is a working mom in Calgary, Alberta, constantly looking for ways to do things faster and faster so that she can slow down to have pretend picnics with her daughter. Her website, www.wishahmon.com, shares efficiency tips to help moms create an easier, prettier, and efficient mom life. You can follow her on facebook or Instagram, @wishahmon.

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