UNITED STATES—I say it every year, but in 2025 I truly mean it. My parents and my grandparents always had this theory that if you go into the New Year with a dirty house you will have bad luck, so my goal is to clean the house from top to bottom and ensure all clothing is washed, dried and put away. I did clean the house, washed clothes, but not everything was put away. With that said, I do have to start by getting rid of clutter. Yes, I have some serious clutter in my life and it’s a four-letter word: MAIL.

Yes, I have so much junk mail that has stacked up and I have just put it into a drawer without thinking twice about it, but I’ve come to the realization that it is taking up space and that clutter is annoying the hell out of me. You might be asking do I have a shredder? The answer is yes, but I let the mail pile up so badly at times that it can take me hours to do it and then your electronic device overheats and you have to wait.

I don’t just toss mail in the trash because sometimes you never know what is actual ‘trash’ and what is quite important. However, at the same time, I have to be more aware of the mail as it comes in and not just wait until I have no choice but to get rid of things. With that said, the mail is just the beginning of issues. Cleaning the house is about to be a chore because I’m starting from top to bottom. The basement might be the biggest chore because there is so much junk and I utilized the word junk because that is precisely what it is. Stuff just taking up place and it’s time to toss it into the trash or donate it.

Then the cleaning process starts with sweeping, dusting, glass cleaning and mopping floors. I always vacuum at the very end. Because why would you vacuum before you’ve completed your dusting, glass cleaning and sweeping. The thing is once you get done with one room it becomes so much easier to complete the other rooms in the home. Perhaps cleaning out the fridge or freezer is NOT on your list, but they should be. Why are you keeping something that is old, rotten or molded. Toss it into the trash. Let’s come into the New Year, not leaving any old baggage in our orbit, and that includes food too.

I hadn’t thought about it, but it is indeed on the list because I will free up some space by tossing a few things into the trash. With that said, the closet, the bedroom are the final steps because you have clothing that is NEVER been worn, it’s slightly damaged or you simply cannot wear anymore. So, what does that mean? It is time to get rid of stuff.

Yes, I am very guilty of keeping things that I absolutely don’t wear. Why? I spent money for those items so it’s very tough to get rid of them without thinking, “I’m throwing money away.” That tends to be the first thing most Americans think about when you get rid of something that you purchased with your hard-earned money. However, here is the reality. If you’re not using it, it is simply taking up space. You can give that clothing to someone in need and there are some places where you can sell that clothing for money.

So you don’t have to look at throwing money away, you’re trading that money in to get something else. Of course, you’re not getting the full value of what you spent for that clothing, but if you wore it a few times and you’re no longer wearing it, you earn a few bucks off of it and you can use that money towards paying a bill, purchasing some groceries, household essentials or simply placing it into your bank account. I’m not going to lie there is nothing like looking at a clean closet, where you can actually walk into it, and find items without feeling like you have to crunch everything together for things to fit.

However you plan to get organized in 2025, just be aware that you’re going to have to get organized because it will give you a fresh burst of life and there is nothing like looking back and admiring your work.

Written By Zoe Mitchell