A New Year’s Resolution to Get Organized (Without Overdoing It)

Every January, getting organized suddenly feels like something we’re supposed to want. Social media fills up with perfectly labeled bins and dramatic before-and-after photos, as if everyone else spent New Year’s Day alphabetizing their spice rack. For many people living with an SCI, that kind of full-scale makeover isn’t realistic — or necessary — and luckily, organization doesn’t have to be exhausting to count.

In the kitchen, one of the easiest wins is creating a small “grab zone” for the things you use all the time. Using a reacher, you can move everyday items like snacks, spices, or utensils into a shallow bin or lazy Susan placed at wheelchair height, so they stop migrating all over the kitchen. Being able to spin a tray toward you instead of reaching or digging may not feel revolutionary, but it does quietly make life easier — which is really the goal.

In the bedroom and bathroom, organization works best when it saves you from extra trips and unnecessary searching. A bedside organizer attached to a bed rail or wheelchair gives your phone, glasses, meds, and lotion a permanent home, so you’re not playing “where did I leave that?” at the end of the day. In the bathroom, a countertop caddy or drawer dividers keep grooming tools and toiletries in their own lanes instead of becoming one mysterious pile. These changes won’t earn you a feature on a home makeover show — but they might save your energy, and that’s a New Year’s resolution worth keeping.