Setting Goals For Your Space

Many people set personal and professional goals, which typically focus on education, career, family planning, travel plans, and finances. You might have also made plans for the interior design of your home, BUT have you ever made goals for your belongings?

• Have you ever thought about how much stuff or specifically which items you want to keep in your space?
• Have you thought about the connection between excess stuff and your personal/ professional life plans or goals?
• Have you ever struggled to set goals for your space because you didn't fully understand your core values?

This blog focuses on how to make goals for your space/ belongings and also discusses the benefits of making goals for your belongings based upon how you want to live your life presently and in the future.  Goal setting will truly help you to declutter and organize with more purpose, as you will have something bigger to work towards. It will also help you to achieve your other life goals, both personal and professional, with greater ease and less distraction.

Getting Started With Goals

Start by determining what you want to use your space for. When you declutter the items in that space, you will be able to decide which items should 'live' there and which items should be stored or displayed elsewhere based on the purpose of that room.

Now you can determine both your long and short term goals for each space in your home. 

Determine your long term goals first, perhaps your goal could be to reduce paperwork and minimize clutter in your home office.

Your short term goals will then help you to achieve your long term goals. For example, one of your short term goals could be to sort and file paperwork weekly to help reduce the amount of paper clutter in your workspace. 

Making Time To Achieve Your Goals 

Set a timeline for decluttering your home. If you are incredibly busy, perhaps your timeline will span several months. This is OK! Setting goals is important because it forces you to be responsible for achieving your goal of having an organized home.

If you schedule time regularly to declutter and organize specific items within your home, you will be able to complete it within a reasonable amount of time. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you do not make time for organizing, it won't happen! You have to make the time if you want organization to be a priority in your life. Sit down even on a weekly basis and schedule in time to declutter and organize your belongings. Be patient with yourself and do not expect your home to become completely organized overnight.

Why Set Goals For Your Living Space?

Things don’t always get put back in the place where they belong especially when life is incredibly busy. If you set solid goals for your space, this is much less likely to happen. Set goals for the purpose of your space, set goals for how often you will maintain your space (i.e. cleaning, decluttering), and choose to implement organizational systems that work well for everyone in your household. A clear, tangible plan is essential to helping you achieve your ideal home and lifestyle.

Remember that there will be times throughout the process of decluttering, that you will likely struggle to determine if an item is something you would like to keep or let go of. Each time this happens you can ask yourself if that item aligns with your long term goals for your space, and if it aligns with your values, interests, and personal/professional goals. Your goals will help guide you through the process of decluttering and organizing your space. It is a way of defining your priorities and will help bring you back whenever you lose focus during the process.