The following is a guest post written by: Laura McHolm, NorthStar Moving Co-Founder & Chief of Organized Living
Hurrah it’s 2021! I don’t think anyone is sorry to say goodbye to 2020. A new year brings a new start. Normally, we have our list of resolutions; our promises to get to the gym, not to procrastinate on our projects, and spend more quality time with friends and family. Instead of just making a list of resolutions, set up your home so you can actually keep them; even during the pandemic, no excuses.
Our homes continue to be our everything space – workplace, school, gym, restaurant and more. The good news: we don’t have the outside world to distract us this year. No lunch dates. No office birthday parties. No outside interference. If we create a mindful home, it will support our resolutions.
Take a good look at your list of resolutions and compare it to how your home is actually being used in our new stay at home lives. Perhaps, your work has swallowed up the dining room table. Sit down meals with the family have turned into eating in front of our individual devices. Or, your kids are taking online classes on their bedroom floor and on the kitchen counter. Set them up for success by carving out a quiet distraction free study nook. It’s time to create a mindful solution to make your home support your vision for a successful new year.
To lead a more organized and inspired life, the space around you must function to meet your new needs. It’s empowering: if your home is organized, your mindset will be too.
Here are some simple steps to help transform your home space into a comfortable and functional place suited to your 2021 needs:
– Set Goals: Sit down with each family member to determine what their 2021 at home needs are. What type of spaces will support their daily goals? If you’re wanting a fit and healthy life: Do you actually have a place to workout set up in your home or garage? Is your kitchen stocked with what you need for healthy meals? Have you donated the rest to the local food bank?
– Make a Plan: Based on the daily goals of each family member, determine what room or space fits with their goals and desires. You can either restructure a portion of a room, or you can actually swap rooms!
For instance, does your child need better study habits? Have them swap rooms with a sibling for a new fresh space with a new desk to inspire focus. Also, take a look at shared spaces. Is the living room unused for most of the day? Change a portion of it into an office or workout space. Make a detailed plan of how and when you’ll use each room.
Arrange the new layout to actually function for your new goals and inspire work, study and workout habits. If a space has multiple functions, be sure you’ve arranged ways to quickly transform the space from one use to another. Think trays and baskets to whisk the old use out and the new use in.
– Measure: Save yourself major headaches by using a measuring tape. Make sure all the furniture will actually fit in the new layout. You can make drawings of each room to scale and use scale cut-outs of each piece of furniture – ala paper dolls. Move your new design layout around with your fingertips a few times before you actually do the heavy lifting.
– Design: Here comes the fun part! Each person gets to design their new space. The designs can be full room swaps, or just moving specific furniture pieces from one room to another. Or, perhaps, it’s as simple as adding functional accessories. The “game show” challenge is to design the space with the furniture and accessories that you already own. Maybe Jack’s desk is really the right size for Bella’s homeschooling now? She can make it her own by sanding it down and painting it her favorite color. Has mom’s work taken over the dining room table? Place trays on the table for mom to keep her work stuff in, that way she can easily remove it at the end of the day. Wala! There’s actually a clear table when it’s time for dinner.
– Swap, Move & Clean: Okay, brace yourself for a little bit of chaos, but it will be so much better on the other side of the transformation. Move everything out of the chosen room. Clean each room until it sparkles.
– Decorate & Move In: Once clean, it’s time to add all of the chosen design elements, decorate and rearrange the furniture. From the full room swaps to adding functional accessories and furniture to portions of rooms. Don’t forget to hang wall art. Handle every detail down to hanging the new occupant’s name on the door. You’ll all fall in love with your home all over again. That night, your child gets to sleep in their new room that they helped design! Or, you get to read a book in your new, QUIET, office. Each new space is now clean, organized and its new design will inspire you to turn your resolutions into habits.
Your 2021 transformed & functional home will give you the gift of peace of mind. You’ll emerge satisfied that you and your family were able to stay on track and make those resolutions realities. When your space functions as you need it, you feel more organized and supported. Bonus: you’ll get to go somewhere new without leaving your home!
Laura McHolm is an organizational, moving & storage expert and co-founder of NorthStar Moving Company. NorthStar Moving Company is an award winning, “A+” rated company, which specializes in providing eco-luxury moving and storage services. www.northstarmoving.com
