112509_socks.jpgA recent night out with a fellow blogger led to an intense discussion about goal setting. And with the holidays and the new year right around the corner it got us to thinking about how we best lay out our plans for the year ahead and how it usually starts with the sock drawer.

Right about now, the first holiday weekend of the Holidays we get antsy to wrap things up so we can start looking ahead to the goals and fun we're planning for a whole brand new untouched year. Projects to start, projects to finish, colors to add, plans for more entertaining, etc. The best tip we know to give is to focus on small decluttering projects. Most of our best thinking has come through repetitive motion and most often housework. When we've got time to slow down and focus on a task our imagination is free to play around and get comfortable. So here are 5 small projects that will create a little bit of space at home. We hope it gives you the same sense of space in your life that it gives us.

• Dump out the sock drawer and match up the socks. Yes, that mess of socks that have been piling up all year? Make sense of it. The really freeing part is to toss or donate the socks that don't match. Suddenly there's a whole functional drawer of socks that can be worn. It's small, but it feels so good.

• Clean out the Medicine Cabinet. If you need help, there are tips here. But being able to reach in and not knock things over and knowing that everything in there is something you use? Priceless. Don't spend all day, just take 15 minutes to sort through it and wipe down the surfaces.

• Pots and Pans. Take the time to pull everything out of that pots and pan drawer. Tupperware? Mismatched tupperware? Burnt pans? Panless lids? This is a part of what everyone does in the Cure and there's a reason why. When the kitchen is functional we feel more centered and at home. But it can often just stay chaotic because we use the same pans over and over and figure we'll deal with that mess of a cupboard later.

• Filing. Yes, dreaded filing. We're all guilty (well, except for Beth) of letting papers pile up (we're really busy, right?). Put on some music, take a stack of papers and old mail and start sorting. Toss, file and shred. This has amazingly freeing qualities to it. You can spend 5 minutes or the whole day, just start. It's also a great time to start organizing your receipts.

• The Junk Drawer. Choose one of your stash spots and deal with it. It could be a junk drawer or it could be your landing strip or even your purse or wallet. But choose something you use all the time and that's overflowing or a drag to deal with. So those Pizza Hut Coupons? You can save one, but toss the rest. the same goes for those Bed Bath and Beyond coupons (ok, you can keep three).

What small decluttering projects make a big difference in your home?