Get Organized with Goodwill To Start Off the New Decade!

THE START OF THE NEW DECADE IS A GREAT TIME TO

GET ORGANIZED AND HELP OTHERS DO THE SAME

Perhaps you’ve heard someone quip in recent days that 2020 is the Year of the Optometrist. Get it? As in 20/20 vision, a measure of normal visual acuity. But 2020 represents more than good vision, it’s the start of a new decade! For you, that might mean a fresh set of New Year’s goals, as well as a round of resolutions for what you wish to accomplish for the next ten years. It’s certainly a great opportunity to think about the old, the now and the new.

It’s no coincidence that January is Get Organized Month, also known as GO Month. At Goodwill ®, getting organized is a big deal. We know how important organization is when someone is looking for a new job, whether they are entering the job market for the first time, looking to advance their career, or perhaps reentering the job market after a period of absence.

Goodwill believes in the power of work to transform lives, families and communities. We work every day to help others get organized with the job skills, career direction and supportive services they need to get ahead. But even if you already have a good job, 2020 is still a great chance for you to get organized and help others in the process. By taking inventory of the things around your house, figuring out what you use and want to keep, and then donating those used items you no longer need, you’re assisting others as they seek to reach their full potential.

This month, why not rethink your own home organization with a long-term perspective? Here’s how:

1) Look back: Do you have a digital camera you haven’t touched in 10 years? A set of china that’s been gathering dust since early in the millennium? What about long-outgrown baby clothes? By letting go of what you no longer use, you can gain a clear outlook in your home and your life.

2) Look forward: Many people resolve to start a new hobby in a new year. Perhaps you’ve picked one that requires a bit of space now, and even more down the line. Make room for crafting, woodworking, pickling, home brewing “” or whatever your new hobby might be “” by reclaiming your underutilized basement or garage. Envision how you’ll use your hobby space in the years to come, so you can get organized for the future.

3) Stay present: As we move through the new year, take a clear-eyed look each day at those things around your house or apartment that you really use. When you allow yourself some time for reflection on what you need “” or don’t need “” right now, you’ll land on a clear vision for what you can let go of.

After you give your home a look with ” 2020 vision,” you’ll be in a perfect position to donate unwanted and unneeded clothing and household items to Goodwill. Those items can then be sold to help fund Goodwill’s skills, job and career services. Not only will your efforts help you be better organized, they’ll help someone else in your community do the same.

Here’s to a great year, a productive decade, and a new vision for being better organized.