Starting the New Year Clean and Simple

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I like to begin January clean, simple, and fresh.  

A time to put away all of the decorations and lavish embellishments from the holiday season, and begin the new year with a clean slate. 

A time to clean and get organized.

A time of reflection and renewal.

A time of prioritization, perseverance and goal setting.

Removing the Seasonal Decor

The First thing I do is to put away all of my holiday decorations. I usually start in one room and complete it before I move on to the next. 

I have a broom & dustpan on hand, so I can clean up all the little pine needles and debris as I go, so I don’t track it from room to room.

I pull out my boxes for each room for ease of de-decorating.

For example, if I start in my dining room, I bring in my box for my Christmas tree and a box for storing the other decorations that are in there. 

Usually I have cone trees, some ornaments, and some reusable branches.

I start by putting away all of the things that I want to keep for the following year and bring them out to the garage. 

I then clean up all of the branches and haul them out to the compost. 

While I’m doing this, I wipe everything down. There’s always a little wear and tear from the season and just give it a once over. 

This is usually not the time for me to add extra decorative elements. I like to see things plain and simple.

I call this editing. If it is unnecessary, it gets cut. If it doesn’t add to the appeal, I leave it plain.

I do this from room to room until everything is put away.

Once everything is wiped down and given a clean slate, I stand back and look at it. I decide if I want to add anything else or leave it. 

One thing I like personally, that’s not really feng shui, is to add some branches. They are open and airy, and add texture to a plain space. 

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Basically, the trees outside have no leaves on them. They have shed them for a time of rest, renewal, and internal growth. 

I like to decorate with this concept in mind. A time for me to rest, reflect and implement personal growth.

Besides that, I enjoy looking at the plain branches in the winter time. 

Some of the branches from my yard have the little caps from the acorns attached. I really enjoy the texture of these and they have become a favorite part of my winter decor. Corkscrew willow also adds textural interest if you have access to it.

I also had my hubby spray paint some of these sticks white.

I have a white painting on one side of my room, and white sticks on the other, it kind of brings harmony and balance to the space for me. 

Getting Organized

I like to take this time to organize my home to make it more functional and efficient.

It’s a great time to clean out the refrigerator and organize things and make every space more user-friendly. I usually dispose of all of my expired dressings and wipe everything down head-to-toe.

I do this with several of my closets, my pantry, and my cupboards. I do them one by one until they’re done.

I like to treat this time kind of like a Boxing Day. A time to wrap up all of the things that I no longer need and donate them. 

I don’t do this all in one day, but I go through spaces as time permits, and get rid of the excess. 

I find that I accumulate things over time that I really don’t need. Someone else could get better use out of it than I presently am. 

After watching Marie Kondo and the whole KonMari method, I like to implement it, especially during this season. It helps me to get rid of things that I still like. I appreciate knowing that it has served me well, and now can serve someone else well too.

Reflection and renewal

This is a time for me to have some introspection, to look back on the year and think about the things that brought me joy. It’s a time to think about the things that I want to continue to try to achieve or accomplish, new goals and direction, or what I don’t want to repeat or feed in my life.

Sometimes we give too much energy to things that don’t bring us joy or zeal.  This is a time to edit those things out of our new year, new us too. 

In reflecting upon the year, this year in particular, I realize I learned quite a bit. Many things you would think I would have learned earlier, considering my age.

I have learned that it’s nice to be nice to myself. I can buy temporary treats that bring me joy.

I’m not saying go hog wild, I’m saying if you think about it a few times and it’s not going to break the bank, go for it. 

My fresh garland that I bought for Christmas this year brought me great joy.

I had a hard time spending the money knowing it was wasteful, that I’d be throwing it out in a month.

The smell, the sights, the feel, all brought me joy. After setting it up, I have no regrets and will likely do it going forward. Not to mention, this was only about a $20 expense.

I also learned that I need to not expect others to do things in my timing. Yes, this is a big lesson, but one I’m still learning. 

I like everything done now, or at least thought about and reflected upon now. That is something I can only do for me. Others have their own lives, and their own timing to do what they are going to do with it. 

There’s still some relief in this, in that it’s not my responsibility. Sometimes I just worry that my kids will not adequately prepare for their upcoming life changes.

Goals

New Year’s Day is generally a time for setting new goals for yourself, but anytime is really a good time.

A Time For Positive Change

As a family, we used to tell each other something positive we wanted to implement in our lives each year.

After a family discussion, I have discovered vague goals rarely result in change. If I say I want to work out more, it doesn’t really give a definitive time. It is better to say, I’m going to work out 3 times a week or at least take a 30 minute walk. 

I have tried to implement more concise goals in my life. I want each year to have positive growth. I want to always be on a forward progression of self improvement and change. 

Making a list and adding timing can help with that. Take today for example, I said I want to start “working,” meaning being productive or taking care of tasks, at 8am. It gives a goal time instead of just leisurely doing things and not being as productive.

This method helps with all goals: personal, organizational, career, and financial. Make a list of the areas you want to see change and small tangible steps to take, to get the ball rolling. 

Decorating Style

My decorating style during this season reflects my mind set. It is clean, organized, task motivated, and uncluttered.

Most surfaces have fewer accessories and are visible.

It is easier to keep things clean with less things to fiddle with. It enables me to prioritize goals, and preparing for what is to come, giving me less distractions so I can accomplish more.

Every surface is left more open and simple. Not overly accessorized.

Hoping I shared some ideas on how to tackle the new year with a fresh and clean start. Hoping you are inspired to do some introspection and have a great year going forward!

I’m still passionate about decorating, I just like to start out the new year with a clean slate.

If I see something intriguing, I am inspired to add more as I go.

Usually as spring approaches, I add living greens, just like what’s happening outside with our trees and nature.

Enjoy this time of reflecting and renewal! Cheers to the New Year!