How to get organised in 2015

For many of us a new year means a new start. If you’ve resolved to be more organised this year, then read on: here are the things you can start planning now, for a smoother, less stressful 2015. 

Your social life

Be super-organised with your social and gift-buying obligations this year and you’ll save yourself tons of stress.

• Get your calendar in order. Try out a calendar app, such as iCal or Google Calendar, which can send you event notifications in advance so you’ll have plenty of time to buy gifts and cards. You can even export your friends' birthdays straight from Facebook!
• Keep on top of your social budgeting. It’s easy to focus on the mundane - bills, food, rent - and forget to order your party life too. Check your calendar at the start of each month to work out a budget for gifts and nights out. Start saving for special events now and you’ll enjoy them all the more.  
• Make a list of gift ideas throughout the year. Every time a friend or relative mentions something they want, make a note. Come Christmas you'll have loads of ideas!

Your summer holiday

There are some great summer holiday deals available at this time of year, so book now to give yourself plenty of time to pay off your trip and start saving some spending money.

• Book time off work and start chipping away at your other holiday to-dos, such as booking airport parking, a rental car and pet-sitters or kennels.
• Dig out your passport and check with the government’s foreign travel advice that it will be valid for where you’re going: some countries require you have at least 6 months’ validity left.
• Don’t try any last-minute bikini-panic crash diets. If you want to get buff for the beach, now is the time to embrace a healthy eating and fitness programme. Your holiday date gives you a concrete target to aim toward.

Your home

Forget spring cleaning, January is the best time to rid your home of clutter and chaos.

• Look online for declutter challenges (ranging from 30-days to 52-weeks), with printable schedules to help you tackle your home one bit at a time. Little and often means you’re less likely to get declutter fatigue, so you can achieve your dream tidy home!
• Think about what you’ll do with the clutter you collect: recycle, upcycle, donate or resell? Set yourself strict limits (eg. anything worth less than £20 goes to a charity shop, anything over that goes on eBay).
• Don’t just move clutter from one room to another. Date your sorted clutter and make sure it’s gone within one month.

Your meals

Planning your week’s meals in advance can save you time, money, brainpower and calories.

• You’ll need a good store of recipes, a well-stocked kitchen and a strict weekly shopping list, so write down your favourite meals, make a tick-list of the ingredients you need, and tidy that kitchen!
• There are lots of clever apps that make meal-planning a doddle. Many will let you choose from thousands of recipes (or import your own) and put them into a menu plan, along with an inventory of your cupboards. The app will then work out exactly what you need to buy. 
• Even more convenient (if a lot less versatile) are the meal-planning apps offered by some of the large supermarket chains. You can plan your weekly meals and purchase the ingredients for collection or delivery, all in one place.

Your next Christmas

We know, we know, you’ve just done all that. But for the uber-organised, January is the perfect time to plan for next year’s Yule.

• Snap up discounted Christmas cards, decorations and gifts in the January sales. And while you’re at it, bag yourself a Christmas jumper and party frock while they're still at bargain prices.
• If you feel like you just about ‘survived’ this Christmas, plan to make the next one a lot more fun. Do as much as you can during the year (yes, including Christmas shopping!), and book yourself in for some fun festive events so you'll have something other than stress to look forward to.
• Really can’t bear the festive season? Now’s the time to mastermind your escape plan - look for winter sun holiday deals and jet off when the pressure gets too much!

With a little forward planning you can make 2015 the best year yet!