1. Remind yourself why you want to be organized! Make a list of what it will feel, smell and look like when you've completed a de-cluttering project. Why have you chosen to start this process? Control your surroundings? Improve mental and emotional well-being? Write your goals again, reinforce your commitment.

 

2. Start small.  Take one step each day to reduce the clutter in your life. Using a basket or box, go through your home or office and pick up ten items that belong elsewhere.  Put them where they belong. Take your trash our regularly. Don't let it pile.

 

3. Make your "To-Do" List a "Done" List. We all know that it's easier to write a list than to complete it! Some tips: Wake up earlier, put the difficult tasks first, spread tasks throughout the day, group tasks of likeness and location, time your day, estimate how long each task will take, and fit your day together accordingly.

 

4. If you procrastinate, ask a friend to be your accountability partner. Explain the tasks you need to accomplish and let your partner hold you to your finish date for each task. Set up "rules" about reminders and consequences.

 

5. Create storage to stay organized.  If you avoid putting away an item because you don't know where to put it, think about other similar items you might have and store them all together. If you have too many clothes, keep your winter and summer clothes separate, alternate them in and out of your closet according to season.

 

6. Become a minimalist. If you don't need something, why keep it? While it's tempting to keep all of your child's art projects, try utilizing the storage space in your computer rather than your house. Take a picture of objects you want as a keepsake but have no space for. Make sure every item in your home has a home, and put things back where they belong. Encourage your children, spouse, or roommate to do the same.

 

7. Clean as you go. When making dinner, it is easy to end up with a pile of dirty pans and dishes in the sink. To avoid this, wash the dishes as you wait for the food to cook.

 

8. Time management. Schedule time for interruptions. Sometimes, there really aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. Don't instantly give people your attention unless it's absolutely crucial to offer your immediate response. Instead, schedule a time to answer email and return phone calls rather than answer them throughout the day.

 

9. Learn to say "No." Don't take on more than you can handle. For the distractions that come in when you're doing other things, give a firm "no" or defer it to a later period.

 

10. Eliminate timewasters. Whether social media, television, or surfing the Internet, if it is not related to the tasks you need to complete for the day, it can wait! Schedule "free" time so a timewaster is not a waste of time anymore.