Dec 28, 2017 By Rachel Basinger for The 4 min read

Editor’s note: Ever wonder how to stick to those pesky resolutions? Articles running daily through Dec. 31 examine the most-broken vows for the new year, and offer ways to make 2018 the year you succeed.

Erin Showalter of Perry Township has always been organized.

“Even as a kid, I remember organizing my clothes, toys, room – everything,” she said.

To Showalter, being organized brings order, and the order makes the mother of two feel less frazzled.

“It also helps me to stay on track and accomplish things, which in turn helps me feel productive — and who doesn’t like to feel productive?” she asked.

But organization is one of those things that doesn’t necessarily come easy to everyone — and making sense out of even the daily chaos can feel like an insurmountable obstacle.

Dr. Rueben Brock, assistant professor of psychology at California University of Pennsylvania, said the key to organization is a willingness to remove non-essentials, whether that’s objects or events, from your life.

“People’s lives get cluttered because they hold on to things they don’t need,” he said. “You have to be willing to get rid of that stuff.”

Professional organizers say the first step in starting to clear away clutter is to decide what should be tossed, donated or stored.

Toss items can include expired food, restaurant receipts that aren’t tax deductible, broken electronics or toys and even old craft supplies. Those items still in good condition should be donated. The rest, experts say, should be organized.

Brock said organizing doesn’t take nearly as much time if it’s done in small chunks.

“If your office is already relatively straightened up, then it won’t take long at all to get it to where you want it,” he said. “If you can discipline yourself to take care of the clutter as it comes up, it won’t seem too daunting.”

But getting rid of things is only part of the equation.

Prioritizing the day’s events is also a part of organization.

Showalter relies on her daily planner.

“Not every moment has to be planned, however, planning the absolutely necessary and important things makes me less likely to forget appointments and also helps me to keep from doing too much,” she said.

Showalter has two sections in her planner for each day: “to-do” and “to-go.”

The “to-do” includes household chores and personal habit trackers and the “to-go” includes all appointments and errands.

“When I feel overwhelmed in my mind by tasks, a to-do list helps bring perspective,” she said. “Prioritizing your to-do list can create more time in your schedule by being able to make the most of your time. This also helps me to go easy on myself if I don’t get to cross everything off of my list.”

Meal planning is another important puzzle piece for someone to have an organized life, said Showalter.

“I first mark off any days that we will be eating out and then I plan dinners for the remaining number of days,” she said. “But I don’t go as far as to plan a specific meal each day because I like to leave flexibility in our schedule for the days we get home late or have to leave early for one of the kids’ activities.”

From there she just switches the meals around accordingly.

“The main purpose for the meal plan is so that I can have all necessary groceries on hand for the whole week’s dinners without having to take the time to stop at the store several times a week,” Showalter said. “This saves time and money. It also saves frustration standing in front of the refrigerator scrambling for an idea of what to make for dinner.”

She also schedules herself time to schedule.

“Every Friday or Saturday, I take 15 to 30 minutes to plan the following week’s to-do’s, appointments, and meals,” she said. “You may think you don’t have time to plan, but those few minutes make the following week run more smoothly.”

Showalter said planning doesn’t have to be a drag. She actually meets with friends once a month to go over their planners.

“As with any task, the more you plan, the easier it will become, and you’ll eventually find that your life can be organized.”