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1. Deal with your mail (voicemail, e-mail, snail mail) immediately. If you are not on top of your messages they will easily pile up and become unmanageable. Pick a time of day to respond and answer your mail if you have difficulties managing inbox items on the go.
2. Give everything a home. How are you supposed to put something back where it belongs if the item doesn't belong anywhere? Keep like items with like. For example, coffee beans should be within arms length of the coffee machine and mugs.
3. Make de-cluttering a habit. Deal with the little clutter before it becomes a huge problem. If you walk past an empty water bottle, pick it up and recycle it before it multiplies into 3.
4. No recreational shopping. There is no reason to purchase items you don't need that take up valuable space in your home. Before you make a purchase, know what you are going to buy, why you need it, and about how much you need to spend on it. Also, make sure it has a spot in your home before you bring it back!
5. Get used to dusting and cleaning. No matter how de-cluttered and organized your home is, if it's dirty it's, well, it's not clean. Wiping down walls and dusting surfaces brightens up the place and is more hygienic.
6. Do things properly the first time. Don't mistake "speed cleaning" for "sloppy cleaning." You're only hurting yourself in the long run, so take some time and diligently handle you "to do" list.
7. If you can break the attachment to holding and flipping through magazines, download your books and magazines to save space. It's cheaper too!
8. Every 3 months go through toys with your children. Ask what they have outgrown and what they still want to play with. Donate the unused toys or see if any neighbors could use some toys for their children.
9. Say "no" to free things and items that will not be used. These items will just take up space and will probably end up being tossed eventually.
10. Before you go to bed, "reset" the home and make sure everything is put back/cleaned up so you wake up to a happy home.
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