Do you make resolutions at the start of a new year? It’s always so exciting to be approaching a shiny, clean slate, but I find that after just a few days, my enthusiasm and adrenaline wear off and it becomes a real challenge to stick to something long-term.

That’s why I love the idea of picking a new focus each month to concentrate on. Every 30 days or so, it’s an opportunity to move onto something new, and as each month wraps up, you can look back at what you accomplished and feel proud or if it didn’t go well, start again with new energy!

One of the easiest things to work on is organization. Now, I know there are lots of 31 days to a better… lists out there, but when I searched Pinterest for a great resource, I came up empty. So, I decided to put together my own challenge, packed with things that you can actually do, without a lot of fuss, but will help you stay on track.

It’s important to note that this list does not focus on cleaning, but rather reorganizing and streamlining.

DAY 1: Find and put away any leftover seasonal decorations.

If you find Christmas snowglobes on the mantel just a few days before Valentine’s day…well, join the club. The fun of putting decorations out just isn’t equaled by the joy of putting them away, and it’s easy to overlook things. Take fresh eyes to walk around the house and if it helps, buy and label bins so that your decorations are always easy to unpack, put up and then put away.

Day 2: Clean out your purse and/or diaper bag.

Toss old receipts, wrappers, uneaten snacks, etc. Restock with diapers, wipes, chap stick, a pen, paper and any other necessities.

[Tweet “31 days to a more organized home and mind!”]

Day 3: Clean out master closet.

If your closet is packed with clothes, just walking in can feel overwhelming. You know you don’t need sweaters in July, or tank tops in December, so why keep it all out? Organize your clothes into seasons, make a pile to donate and then pack away anything that is cluttering up your space.

Day 4: Clean out the fridge.

Pull everything from shelves. Throw away expired food. Scrub down the drawers and shelves. Restock.

Day 5: Clean out the freezer.

Pull everything out. Throw away expired food. Scrub down drawers. Organize into categories and restock.

Day 6: Reorganize all lower kitchen cabinets.

Pull everything out. Wipe down cabinets. Group items that belong together and prioritize placement based on frequency of use. Put everything back in its new, proper place.

Day 7: Reorganize all upper kitchen cabinets.

Pull everything out. Wipe down cabinets. Group items that belong together and prioritize placement based on frequency of use. Put everything back in its new, proper place.

Day 8: Clean out junk drawer.

Or in my case, junk desk. Pull out all contents and toss all junk. Wipe down cabinets and drawers. Decide what really needs to be located there and put away unnecessary items. Reload the desk/drawer with only the most important items- pens, paper, stamps, etc.

Day 9: Clean out coat closet.

Pull out all contents of closet. Decide what needs to stay, be donated, or be relocated to storage. Rehome any items that do not belong in the coat closet. Restock neatly.

Day 10: Clean out master bath cabinets and medicine cabinet.

Pull out all contents. Toss expired items. Giveaway or donate items you never use (be honest).Wipe down cabinets and reload with only necessary items.

Day 11: Take all toys to playroom.

I realize this one doesn’t apply to everyone, so make this one specific to your household. For me, too many of the kids’ toys end up in our living room. Moving all of them to the playroom really helps, and then we can pick one or two toys to bring into the living room to play with each day.

Day 12: Clean the couch.

Remove all cushions and put away all toys or objects found. Throw away any trash. Spot clean any spots needing it. Use the vacuum attachment and vacuum your couch. Put back together. Wash and fold any blankets used in the living room.

Day 13: Clean out desk.

File necessary papers. Throw away trash. Organize piles into a more suitable system. Rehome items that do not belong.

Day 14: Tidy the front door.

Wash the windows, wipe down the doorway, sweep the front stoop. Place something pretty by the front door.

Day 15: Clean out the pantry.

Pull all contents. Throw away expired food. Donate items that you know you won’t use. Invest in some lazy susans if necessary. Wipe down shelves and sweep if applicable. Organize contents into sections and restock.

Day 16: Clean out bathrooms.

Clean them if you like, but this task is to mainly focus on throwing away old magazines, rehoming items that don’t belong, stocking with toilet paper and soap and washing all hand towels and bath mats.

Day 17: Clean out the car.

Throw away all trash. Wipe down seats with Armor All. Wipe windows inside and out with glass cleaner. Go to gas station and vacuum it out. Fill up with gas.

(Get more tips to keeping the car clean with kids here!)

Day 18: Clean out your shoe selection.

Donate shoes you don’t wear. Throw away shoes that have outlived their time. Take shoes that need repair to a cobbler. Find a neat way to organize remaining shoes. Make notes of any specific shoes you need to add to your selection.

Day 19: Computer clean up.

Delete old documents. Empty recycle bin. Move old pictures to an external hard drive. Use unrollme.com to unsubscribe from unwanted emails in one quick swoop. Answer any outstanding emails.

Day 20: Playroom planning.

Go through playroom and decide which toys need to stay, be donated or moved to storage. Decide on one or two new decorative accents (framed pictures, art display, etc). Plan what is needed to make it a more organized space. (Again, if the playroom doesn’t apply to you, pick another room that gets cluttered.)

Day 21: Organize playroom.

Clear it out. Wipe down and vacuum. Organize toys. Hang any new decorative touches.

Day 22: Clean out laundry room.

Empty cabinets above washer and dryer. Toss and rehome unneeded items. Clear off the tops of the machines. Wipe down and restock.

Day 23: Clean out garage.

This may be a more daunting task to some, but ours is fairly organized, minus two oversized drawers. Toss old items. Organize into categories. Move unnecessary items to storage. Sweep out/wipe down and restock.

Day 24: Clean out child/children’s closet.

Toss destroyed clothes, donate or neatly pack up for later use clothes that are outgrown but still in good shape. Do the same with shoes. Restock.

Day 25: Organize cleaning supplies.

Throw away expired items. Rehome items that don’t belong in cabinet. Find a neat system to organize. Stock up on low cleaners, sponges, soap and paper towels.

Day 26: Go through all mail.

Open the unopened. Attend to the items that have been in a pile. There should be no mail pile remaining. Commit to opening and dealing with mail the same day from now on.

Day 27: Fill out planner.

If you don’t have one, buy one. Write all important birthday, holidays, known vacations, anniversaries, etc in on correct dates. Sit down with your significant other and comb through the year so you are both aware of all events.

Day 28: Revisit all the tasks you’ve accomplished thus far.

Straighten up anything that needs it and tighten up any loose ends. Don’t lose traction from letting your prior work go to waste. Complete any other task that you’ve noticed but wasn’t mentioned specifically.

Day 29: Surface clean.

Wipe down all counter tops, door handles, light switches and mirrors.

Day 30: Sweep and vacuum the house.

You probably do this fairly regularly, but take this day to really be thorough. Get under furniture, use the little crevice and special tools that come with your vacuum and get all of the dirt off your floors.

Day 31: Spend 20 minutes treating yourself to some ‘you’ time.

Read a magazine, sip a hot drink, relish in your accomplishments.

What area of your house or life could use a little organization?

For me, it’s everything! Thus the overhaul