Getting Myself Together

Mostly low-pressure things I'm doing to feel more organized

You know I’m not much of a New Year’s Resolution girly. I do love choosing a focus word, setting reasonable intentions, and taking advantage of any inspiration or bursts of energy while I have it. Winter is mostly a chill time for me, but there’s also something about it that makes me want to get organized so I can start the year feeling calm and centered. Capricorn season? My fussy Virgo rising tendencies? IDK. Anyway, here are some of the manageable things I’m doing to make me feel like I somewhat have my shit together.

1. Writing down my intentions: I have my new 2025 Auralign Astrology Planner, and I love filling out the section at the beginning of the year to reflect on the last year and set intentions for the year ahead. If I’m being honest, I really don’t use all the amazing detailed features of this planner to their fullest potential, but it’s an excellent guide. I use it as a for goal-setting, reflection, journaling, moon rituals, remembering important dates, and jotting down my to-do list and weekly intentions. I like that there is loose structure, but enough flexibility for me to use it in a way that works for me.

2. Simplifying my finances: Since opening a high-yield savings account (HYSA), I realized that it felt unnecessarily cumbersome having accounts with different financial institutions. So, I opened a new checking account with the same bank as my HYSA. I made a checklist of all the connected apps and automatic payments from my old account, and I’m slowly making my way through them to transition everything over to my new account. Normally a task like this might feel large and painful, but because I’m pursuing simplicity, it feels easier somehow. I already feel so accomplished and like I’ll be able to breathe easier once it’s all done.

3. Starting Project Pan 2025: As I mentioned in my More/Less for 2025, one of my goals is to use what I have before buying more to prevent overconsumption. I don’t struggle with this in every category, but if I’m in the middle of a research rabbit hole and trying to find the best of something, I tend to accumulate more than I need while I experiment. Same goes if I really love something and want extras on hand. This is all well and good, but I do want to keep the back stock at a reasonable level (for me). I made a list in my phone to track my empties, purchases, and things I threw out before I finished them, either because I didn’t like them or because they expired or had other defects, like a texture issue. I’m thinking about creating a section or mini series for this newsletter to update on my progress and stay accountable, so let me know if this is something you would find helpful/interesting.

4. Decluttering Without Making a Mess: I love this method from Dana White of A Slob Comes Clean. Many organizing methods will tell you to take everything out of a space and sort what you want to keep, throw away, or donate. This results in creating more mess before you’re able to start organizing, which feels really overwhelming, and not motivating to start. This method uses a donate-able donation box, trash bag, and your feet. The trash and donation categories are self-explanatory. If there’s something out of place, the rule is that you immediately put it where it’s supposed to be. It seems like an unnecessary extra step, but the point is to not make a messy pile behind you. That way, if you stop in the middle of the task, the space is just a little more manageable than when you started. This is especially helpful if you have ADHD, or just a full life where you can’t always dedicate large blocks of time to getting organized. If you have 5 minutes, you can see progress, and that’s the beauty of this method. I do some version of this by looking through my cabinets and bins and immediately tossing anything that’s expired or isn’t able to be donated. I have a donation bag in my closet ready to receive anything that needs a new home. When it’s full, I take it to Goodwill. Ideally. Admittedly, this doesn’t always happen right away, but I do my best.

5. Rediscovering Old Hobbies: I recently stumbled upon an old crochet project while searching my closet for a bag I wanted to use. (Never found the bag, btw. It’s in the abyss somewhere and will probably be found after a quick prayer to St. Anthony. IYKYK. Dude saves the day every time. But I digress.) I picked it back up and started stitching, and it was like riding a bike. In my spare moments, I spent more time working on the scarf I never finished than mindlessly scrolling, and that was a win. My friend also wants to learn, so I’ll be teaching her the basics while also learning more through the countless free resources on TikTok (while it lasts?) and YouTube. Another research rabbit hole begins! Except I won’t be collecting a shit-ton of yarn. I’m putting that in writing, because I know myself.

What reasonable actions or intentions are you setting into motion right now? Are you still hibernating? Let me know how you’re doing. :)