January is the start of a new year, full of possibilities and hope for a fresh start. We make resolutions to improve our health and our homes. We vow to focus on relationships and live in the moment. We declutter, clean, organize and start exercising!
I often find January to be one of my most productive months of the year, whether that is because of resolutions or just relatively less commitments, I’m not sure. But I am always somewhat shocked at what I can accomplish in the first month of the year.
To help keep all of my ideas and tasks organized, I aways put together a monthly to do list. Knowing what needs to be done ahead of time helps me schedule my days so I can check these items off without stress.
If you need help starting your own to do list, never fear. I’ve put together a list of tasks I suggest completing in January. Feel free to print my list and add any other personal tasks that need to be done!
Here’s a suggested list of things to do this January to keep your home maintained and organized:
Declutter your home
Decluttering is never a once and done thing. It’s an ongoing practice that helps keep your home in check and your closets clutter free. And whether you tackle it as a small every day task or a larger whole home project, getting things out of your house is the key to maintaining an organized and clutter free house.
Every January I take on my 31 day declutter challenge to give my home a reset after the holidays. I find that after Christmas I usually feel suffocated by all the excess food, clutter and decorations and need to give my entire space a reset. Breaking down the decluttering into 31 categories helps prevent me from getting overwhelmed and moves me towards focused progress in my home.
For more information on how I tackle my 31 day declutter, be sure to check out the following post & download the checklist:
Shop white sales
January is a famous month for white sales and the perfect time to replace or upgrade you sheets or towels. If you are noticing your sheets are balled up or have shrunk, or maybe your white towels are looking dingy, then consider using the sales to replace your linens. Just remember to donate the old if you purchase new! The one in, one out rule will help keep your space from getting overwhelmed by linens.
Set goals for the year
Even if resolutions aren’t your thing, setting goals is a great way to be intentional about how you spend your energy and time in the coming year. If there are some big projects you hope to take on, now is the time to map that out and determine how to break it into smaller steps to get it done.
To keep things organized, I like to create a document on my phone that I can edit over time and track my progress as the year goes on.
Organize the laundry area
January is the perfect time to give your laundry area a clean and refresh. I like to take everything out before giving all the shelves a good wipe down. Then I remove any cleaning supplies or laundry products that I no longer love or use. Everything else gets put back into bins or containers, labeled based on what is inside. A good dust and vacuum afterward make the entire space feel clean and refreshed.
For some laundry and cleaning supply organization ideas, be sure to check out these posts:
Laundry Room Reveal Part 2: Organizing A Deep Laundry Cabinet!
5 Products that Help me Keep My Small Laundry Room Organized
How To Organize Cleaning Supplies
Clean out the fridge and pantry
Do you still have holiday food or drinks in your fridge? Are there any items in your pantry that no longer fit your diet or lifestyle?
Then it’s time to give these spaces a quick purge! If you have only a few minutes to dedicate to this task, then just scan through the contents quickly and pull out anything and everything that obviously needs to go. If you pause and think on anything, consider that your sign to pull it as well. Wipe up any obvious spills, but if you don’t have time for a deep clean, don’t worry about it! Focus on making space for new, healthier foods.
Make a reading list
If your goal is to read more books this year, January is the perfect time to start a reading list to keep track of books you hear about that you would like to read someday. Keeping the list in a handy place, like the notes app on your phone, makes it easy to add titles when you hear about them or read about them online. Then, when you are looking for a book, you have a list of interesting titles ready for you.
Clean out your closet
There’s nothing like the new year to give you the itch to shake up your wardrobe. Often all that is really needed is a good closet clean out (and not a full blown shopping trip) to rediscover what you already own and love. The best way to do this is to take everything out and lay it on your bed. Then give your closet a good dust, vacuum and wipe to clear out any dust and dirt that may be hiding. When it’s time to put things back, sort through your clothes and only put back things you love and feel good about. Anything that you no longer wear, or makes you feel depressed to wear should be placed in a pile for donation.
As you put things back, try to put like things together and consider grouping by color to make the closet pleasing to the eye. Anything out of season should be placed in a storage bin and stored either at the top or bottom of the closet.
Need some help figuring out how to maximize space in your small or already overflowing closet? Here are a few of my tried and true tricks for maximizing storage space in small closets:
7 easy tips for maximizing clothing space in your small closet (no power tools required!)
Double Your Closet Space With This Closet Hack
Make note of birthdays for the year
It’s never fun to forget a friend or family member’s birthday, so do yourself a favor and take a few minutes this January to make note of all the special days you want to remember during the year. If you have a physical or digital calendar, be sure to add notes and or reminders to reach out to the special person and wish them a happy birthday.
Plan and book vacations
Do you have your vacations planned for the year? Sometime starting with a general plan for holidays will help you make decisions about where you would like to spend you time and money. If you have a plan, then it’s time to get everything booked. Doing this early will help you get better deals on car rentals, hotels and flights. Plus, then stress of planning will be over and you can relax until it’s time for your trip.
Looking for a way to track these to-do items? Download your own copy of the January List
Click here to download a printable copy of the January List and use the extra empty bullet points to write in any personal to do’s
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