This week on “Green Clean Talk Radio,” Leslie Reichert and I spoke about the importance of organizing and de-cluttering, and how these simple tasks can help us reach our goals and put “balance” into our daily lives.

Our guest on the show was a woman named Christine Salberg, who founded Sort and Toss, a company dedicated to helping minimize clutter, maximize efficiency, and make time for the things in life that truly matter.  She gave many useful organizing tips throughout the show, and I am proud to say that many of her tips are things I already implemented in my home!

There are a few unique pointers, however, that Christine spoke about, and that I am really looking forward to trying, especially when it comes to cleaning out the closets. Christine is a professional at helping families maximize their leisure time by implementing organization and time management strategies.  She wrote a wonderful blog called, “12 Months of Organizing Your Home,” and another on “Organizing Personal and Financial Documents” that we all could use around this tax season time!

I love being organized, and I love to de-clutter, which is why I feel the need to do these two tasks quite often throughout the year.  I honestly believe that organizing and de-cluttering is not just about cleaning, it is a time to freshen up our lives and reorganize our world.  This is why starting off a new year with a goal to “de-clutter” is very important.

De-cluttering helps us move forward and not get stuck in the past.  It helps us say “good-bye” to bad relationships, bad ideas, and anything else that has a tendency to hold us back from moving on to a new beginning and achieving new goals.  De-cluttering helps us free up space in our homes and in our lives by removing those unwanted or “never worn” items from our closets.  It allows us to feel good about ourselves by donating unused and unwanted items to local charities.  This way, we have more room to buy new things to fill up our closets with!

Organizing helps us re-gain that “special peace” that I know I yearn for when my home (or life) becomes disorderly.  Too much clutter raises my stress level at times. To de-clutter is to organize, and to organize is to be in control!  Sometimes, life seems so much easier to handle when we are in control, making it far less stressful.  Go ahead…organize!  Redefine your life, set up that new office space, regain control of your budget, and establish new habits for this year.

De-cluttering and organizing your closets is something I am sure we all have had to do in our lives.  I really believe that there is a junk drawer, storage room, or hidden closet that is lurking in every home that needs extra “organization” attention!  Well, it’s time to tackle that area and find out what has been hiding in there this past year.  Who knows?  Maybe there are items that can you can sell at a yard sale or on Ebay or Craigslist that may be profitable.  If you rent storage space on a monthly basis, this can be a great time to get rid of the monthly storage bill and sell or donate unused items.

Is 2014 the year you want to start that new project or hobby?  Is it your dream to have a small art studio or sewing and craft area?  Do you have a two-car garage you would love to use for your car but can’t because of all the junk?  Then clear out some space and start working towards your goal! Believe it or not, last year my goal was to make myself a “sanity room.”  This much needed getaway is my own retreat, where I can go just to sit, relax, and re-energize.  I love it — it is one of the best things I did for myself!  This year I am working on a space there that I can use to go through old photos.  My mother lost so many of her old photos and memories during Hurricane Sandy, and I would love to sort through my photos and make a few collages for her to cherish.

It is hard to admit, but too much clutter and not enough organization does put me in a bad mood.  There are times when it’s tough to get enough motivation to start the job, but when the organization sets in, my mood is happier and my outlook is positive.  To me, nothing makes a room look better than clearing a bit of space (besides new furniture, of course)!

There’s no time like the present to start a healthy and therapeutic habit, so grab a box and let’s de-clutter!

What are your favorite organization tips? Tell us below in the comments.