This year was a huge adjustment for me as I took on two new jobs and started preparing my oldest for college. Consequently, a lot of my usual habits and schedules needed to be readjusted. Most importantly, in order to get a handle on all the things I need to get done, I had to get organized.

As we head into the new year, I realized I should probably be re-evaluating all aspects of my life on at least an annual basis to help me stay on track. To help me do this, I created this checklist to help me analyze and organize all of these areas. I hope it helps you too.

House

• Create or tweak house cleaning schedule
• Review home maintenance checklist and write in calendar reminders for the year
• Unsubscribe from catalogs and junk mail (click here to find out how to stop junk mail)
• Declutter the house by donating, selling, or discarding items you no longer need

Family

• Reevaluate chores and allowances and make any necessary adjustments
• Reevaluate routines (e.g. before school, bedtime) and create checklists for family members if needed
• Write in all known schedule items on the family calendar for the year
• Review family emergency plans (e.g. what to do in case of a fire)
• Clean up and reorganize the family “hub” (the place where family members drop off and find information like important paperwork, reminders, etc.)

Meals

• Create a streamlined meal planning system (read this article for tips on how)
• Post a grocery list on the fridge to track items needed as they run out
• Determine 3-4 meals that freeze well and schedule one day each month to make multiple batches to keep on hand to use instead of eating out due to lack of time or prep
• Clean out coupon organizer and reorganize couponing system if necessary

Money

• Create a budget
• Develop a plan to pay down debt if you have any
• Evaluate investments and make any necessary adjustments
• Gather up paperwork needed for taxes and store in a folder or box
• Contact creditors and utility companies to negotiate lower rates
• Review insurance policies

Computer

• Go through inbox and delete all unneeded messages
• Unsubscribe from emails you no longer want to receive
• Clean up desktop (remove any unused applications)
• Uninstall programs you no longer use
• Perform a disk clean up
• Backup your entire system and schedule weekly or monthly backups
• Delete bookmarks you no longer need from your web browser
• Organize computer files, photos, and videos into appropriate folders

Car

• Clean outside and inside of vehicle (vacuum, windows, everything)
• Make sure registration and insurance cards are up-to-date
• Schedule next oil change and full-vehicle inspection and maintenance appointment
• Write in inspection and maintenance reminders for the rest of the year on calendar

Health

• Restock first aid kit(s)
• Throw away expired medication and restock medicine cabinet (click here for a list of items you should have on hand)
• Schedule routine check-ups (or pencil in a reminder to do so on your calendar)

Professional

• Update resume
• Update social media profiles
• Set goals for the coming year

This is a quick list to help you shape up all the major areas of your life each year. If you’re looking for a more in-depth system for getting organized, check out my Get Organized Checklist Series that tackles one area at a time with an easy-to-follow checklist.

Corinne Schmitt

I’m a work at home mom of five children. My passion is helping busy moms have happy, healthy homes and feel great about themselves.