As silly as it can feel to make New Year's resolutions, each December I still seem to find myself considering what I want to shift or change in the year to come. There have been years where I made big plans and stuck to them, others where I fell short, and some years where I made no resolutions at all. This year, however, I am giving a lot of consideration toward trying to change some habits regarding the amount of stuff I own and how it exists in my house and my life. This isn't necessarily a new resolution being put into motion in 2026, as it's something I've been working on in recent months—although, I will admit, I've been a little halfhearted in my efforts. Still, I see the New Year as a chance to recommit to this, and I feel good about it as January approaches.

Something I have realized about myself is that I must have something other than my own mind to hold me accountable for certain tasks, and these New Year's commitments around being more organized and owning less stuff are no different. In order to be successful, I need a structured plan with deadlines, or all bets are off. Luckily for me, there are tons of articles, apps, podcasts, influencers, and more devoted to helping people be more organized and stay that way. As I've ventured into the cyberworld of home and life organization tips and tricks, I've realized that a lot of them overlap in the areas of home improvement and preparation for those looking to sell their homes as well.

"The decision to sell your home can feel monumental, and sometimes that decision can feel stressful when there is a lot of preparation that has to be done beforehand," says Badger Peabody & Smith Agent Peter Pietz. He adds, "Having at least a few months to prepare before listing your home is ideal, but regardless of your timeline, making a structured and attainable list of tasks that need to be completed before listing can help you feel more prepared. Your agent can help you identify which projects and tasks should be prioritized and which ones are less pressing."

I'm trying to find the right balance between setting goals that are not only within reach and will make a difference in my life, while also not being overly ambitious and ultimately setting myself up for failure by expecting too much. I hope to reach a point where I don't have to goal-set and schedule myself to clean and organize, and it will become a habit, but I'm not quite there yet. Who knows, maybe by this time next year, I will be writing an article about how I completely rewired my brain, and suddenly I became the Queen of Home Organization and Improvement. That seems like a bit of a stretch, but I do hope that by this time in 2026, I will be able to write an article reflecting on all the stuff I purged and projects I completed at my house throughout the course of the year. If nothing else, I will be able to say that I tried.

Paige O. Roberts has a degree in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Henniker Review, Sidereal Magazine, Rejection Letters, and Cypress. She has been nominated for a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize. She lives in northern New Hampshire, where she owns and operates a pet boutique called Tailswag.