It’s the new year, and that means another opportunity to get organized. So much of our lives are about the hustle. We wake up, we go to school or work, and then we go home eight hours later to prepare to do it all again the next day. While new year's resolutions may not be your thing, you might want to take this time to get organized. Maybe your mental load is too high and you need to make room for creativity. Maybe your physical space is a mess and you need to declutter, or maybe you’ve got a little bit of problems everywhere and you need to make a plan to dig yourself out of the hole. In any case, you can rest assured knowing that this is the time when everyone is thinking hard about how to improve themselves and their lives for a happier and healthier new year. 

Here are a few ways to get your life together:

1. Make a Plan:

Making a ten-year plan for your life might be overkill, but having a plan for the year is a good thing. The days and months go by fast, so you should write out in some form– a google doc, a planner, or a calendar– what it is you want to achieve either month by month, or season by season. What are your financial, health, spiritual and emotional goals? If you’re married, it’s a good idea to get your partner on track with you. Setting goals with a spouse or even your friends can increase your likelihood of accomplishing them. And no matter what you do, include specific action items so that you can follow through on your plans.

2. Clean House!

Environments are important. If you have a messy or disorganized home, you will make it that much harder on yourself to achieve your goals. Spaces like your kitchen, bathroom and bedroom should be clutter free. If you work from home, your desk area (or the kitchen table) should be organized with folders or file cabinets to keep things neat and tidy. It’s so much easier to think when your space is free of chaos from things. So make sure to start the year off with a clean space. 

3. Set a Timer:

Time management is essential to getting organized. You need to have a good grasp on the day in order to achieve your short and long term goals. So often we get distracted by things like social media or our phones. Try setting a timer to get your tasks done in chunks. Check out the Pomodoro method to see if you can get different tasks finished within allotted periods of time. If you’re really distracted by your phone, consider buying a physical cage for your phone so that you can only take it out after a period of time. 

4. Establish Salat:

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that prayer, salat, is essential. If you’re struggling to make it to five prayers a day, you need to figure out a new way to get yourself to the prayer mat on time. Center your life around salat, not the other way around. And if you’re already there, maybe it’s time to add in all the sunnahs or wake up for tahajudd? Adding prayer into your life or increasing the amount you do can bring an endless amount of blessings into your new year.