Ways to Get Organized for the New Year

2019 planner and pen

No matter what your resolutions are this year, getting organized will give you the peace of mind — and energy! — you need to focus on them. Follow our five tips to make the most of your New Year.

Prepare for a Fresh Start

Don’t let clutter weigh you down this New Year. Prepare for a fresh start by going through everything before January 1st — and we mean everything. Clean out your fridge and freezer, sort through old mail and paperwork, downsize your closet, and then tackle anything that’s leftover. Once you’ve gotten rid of everything that you don’t need or use, give your house a thorough cleaning.

Get Your Finances in Order

Whether your goal is to save money or just to stick to a budget, getting your finances in order prior to 2019 will help you stay on track. Make a detailed list of your fixed monthly expenses, including items such as rent or mortgage payments, utilities, insurance, phone bills, groceries, gas, and so on. Loan payments and transfers to a savings account count, too. After you’ve added all the costs up, you’ll know how much you have leftover for unnecessary expenses, such as eating out or going to the movies. If you use a spreadsheet or app to track everything you spend throughout the month, sticking to your budget and staying on top of your finances will be easy.

Start Scheduling

Now is the time to start scheduling for the New Year, and that includes both the fun and the not so fun activities. Is it time for a dentist appointment, doctor’s appointment, haircut, or oil change? Make appointments for everyone in your family. You can also start planning any vacations for the upcoming year (especially since you’ll have your new budget sorted out). Be sure to note everything in the same calendar, so you have one master source for your entire schedule.

Do Some Meal Prep

We don’t mean for the entire year, but the more you can prepare now, the more you’ll appreciate it later! Make things easy for yourself by creating freezer meals that you can toss in the crockpot or oven for busy weekday evenings. Rather than spending your entire night cooking or relying on takeout, you can enjoy healthy meals that require no additional work.  

Hire a Personal Assistant

Hiring a personal assistant is the one thing you can do that will make absolutely everything easier as you enter the New Year. Pepper’s Personal Assistants can help with light housework, making appointments, meal prep and grocery shopping, and more. Contact us today to learn how we can help you get organized for 2019!

For more tips, read about how to reduce your stress in the New Year.

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Featured image via Pixabay

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A True Game-Changer

“Having Mary as my personal assistant has been a game-changer. I don’t have to think about laundry or the cat litter—she handles all those daily tasks I’d rather not do. She’s proactive, assertive in all the right ways, and totally in control of every detail. I’d rate her a 5 out of 5, no question!”

Brian T.

Proactive, Reliable, Caring Support

“Sarah has been such a reliable support—always proactive, spotting things that need to be done before I even ask, and taking care of them. She has such a positive attitude and is constantly looking for ways to add value and make things easier. And I love how much happier and more spoiled my dogs are thanks to her care. I barely have to think about her day-to-day, and I mean that in the best way possible!”

K.W.

Exceptional Home Management

“Bernice is simply amazing—I just can’t say enough good things about her. She excels at physical tasks and knows my habits so well that she can anticipate my needs without me even saying anything. As a house manager, she’s exceptional; she takes care of all those little things that I wouldn’t even think of. Over time, we’ve developed a wonderful rhythm, and it’s such a relief to have someone who just knows what needs to be done and does it effortlessly.”

J.H.

Exceeding Expectations Every Day

“My PA has truly exceeded my expectations. I really enjoy coming home now because everything in my home is something I know and love. She’s helped me with tasks I didn’t even know where to begin, and her ability to do the background work and present options has been invaluable. She has made it possible for me to manage things without feeling overwhelmed, and it’s been a game changer for me!”

W.W.

Bringing Joy and Efficiency

“My PA Tess is proactive and handles everything beautifully, from small tasks that bring joy to big projects like planning trips. She balances recurring tasks with high-priority work, and everything gets done perfectly. I didn’t realize how much joy small things like making the bed could bring until Tess started doing them. She has truly made a difference in our home, bringing both efficiency and a level of organization and joy we didn’t realize we needed.”

K.H.

Support That Makes a Difference

“Having Missa as a PA has taken me from daily treading water to swimming to the shore. I’ve gone from never quite keeping up with things to actually having extra energy to do more. She has been a tremendous help, reducing my stress and allowing me to rest and recover. The support I receive is perfect; Missa is a 5 out of 5 in meeting all my needs. I’ve already recommended Pepper’s to a few friends because having extra help makes all the difference.”

Kathy M.

Back-to-School Unmatched Support

“Having Jay as my personal assistant has been fantastic. She helps me tackle projects that were just looming over my head and has built a great rapport with my teenage son. She’s helped my son pick out his back-to-school wardrobe and coached him through decisions — I couldn’t ask for better support. I sometimes think about when I could handle everything on my own, but now I can’t imagine doing it without Jay’s help.”

R.B.

PA to the Rescue

“I am very satisfied with my personal assistant. The biggest relief is knowing that when things get hectic with work my PA is there to help us from lighting on fire, especially when one of us is traveling.”

Ana V.

Dream PA Experience

“I am very satisfied; My PA has everything dialed in and the schedule works really well and is flexible when needed. Honestly: My PA and I click very well, I love it, it’s a dream!”

Jodi K.

Stress-Free Travel

“One of the massive benefits of having a PA is during travel disruptions. When flights are delayed, the kids are upset, and you’re stuck in customs, coming home to a stocked fridge and a prepared meal eliminates the need for a late-night milk run. You don’t realize the stress these tasks add until you have someone to handle them for you.”

A.S.

11/10!

“My PA is incredible—an 11 out of 10—really thoughtful, thorough, intuitive. She is professional but friendly; she has just been great. A couple of times because of things going on with her calendar, Kandis has been flexible—coming 15 minutes later to drop the dog off at puppy play. She has been really great.”

Libby

Thoughtful and Detail-Oriented

“My PA is a thoughtful and discerning assistant. She pays attention to details in our home and makes great suggestions for how to improve and optimize our lives. We trust her judgment, and she communicates proactively and frequently. She is always on-site on time and patient with my unpredictable schedule. We communicate frequently, but she’s also very efficient in how we communicate. Great work!”

Client

Super Happy!

“[I] really do think Kandis is setting the bar! Having a new person come into your house can go either way. [I’m] very grateful for the time and energy and people that Pepper’s has. It’s a big step; no suggestions around onboarding. [I’m] really happy that we were able to board Kandis quickly; super happy for the West Seattle support.”

Libby

Organizing Superhero

“My PA is really good at organizing; it’s one of her superpowers. Some of the simple reorganizing things that she has done have made a big impact. She organized all the cat stuff in the garage and took the initiative on her own. She’s bright and cheery—no moaning, whining. Very great.”

Emma

One of the Best Decisions I’ve Made

“I just wanted to take a few minutes to tell you how much I have appreciated working with all of the Pepper’s staff. My assistant is so generous and thoughtful — she brings value to every interaction. I can’t remember a time when I’ve hired anyone with such a professional and high standard of customer service. Working with you all has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in a very long time!”

Libby

10/10 for Sure!

“Missa is a 10/10 for sure! She has been wonderful, and we check in regularly. I’m comfortable communicating with her about questions or requests, and she’s always been very responsive and also seems comfortable checking in if she has any questions for me. [The] biggest help remains pet care and household chores support, plus the help with one-off projects that come up. Missa has all kinds of skills she brings, (e.g., she’s currently putting together a ‘cat highway’ for the living room rafters).”

Homeowner

My Quality of Life Has Improved

“I used to spend every weekend and every evening doing chores and running errands. Now, I’m able to spend the time that I need to on my business, and then I get to enjoy my home and my life and the precious unstructured time that I have. The truth is, my quality of life has improved by having a Pepper’s household assistant here.”

Libby

Takes Initiative

“I want to mention what a fantastic personal assistant Billie is to me. We were on vacation last week, and she managed my household and vendors flawlessly. I even had her redecorate my office, and I gave her very little direction other than just to make it nice and functional, and, my goodness, did she ever! She takes initiative in my house in so many other ways but does not overstep or overspend. To strike that balance is really something unique and special. I feel really lucky to have her.”

Anura

I’m Blown Away

“[I’m] blown away by how much better the house looks already :)”

Graham

Kind, Caring, and Proactive

“My PA is a very caring person. I was incredibly ill last year, and my PA connected the dots that the washing machine had a lot of mold and thought the black specs on my clothes were from that. On her own time, my PA sent me an article about the impact of mold/washing machines. It was so kind of her.”

Emma

Goes Above and Beyond

“My PA has gone above and beyond. She’s organized my laundry room while keeping on top of laundry, which made it much easier to stay on top of stuff. She’s always ready to jump in and tackle items. It made this holiday season way less stressful.”

Andrea