The Essential Guide To Organizing Your Home

Do you shudder when you think of people coming over to visit
unannounced? Do you panic when you get a message on your
answering machine that family is coming—and they left 4 hours ago
(and it’s a 5 hour trip)? Do you try to “clean” before your cleaning
lady comes? Can you not afford a cleaning lady and try to do it
yourself, ending up discouraged, frustrated, and thinking it’s just
impossible?

The real key here is to take it a step at a time. Take it at your own
pace. This IS a fight that you CAN and WILL win! You will have to
commit to having less “stuff” if your home and letting go of the sacredcows
you’ve hung on to for all these years (but please note that these
cows haven’t lifted a finger to help you get organized or clean—they
only collect dust and take up space!). This isn’t having “Clean Sweep”
come to your home and do the work for you—it’s all *your* work.

Don't worry. It can all be done in a few minutes each day. Yes, you,
too can occupy a relatively clean environment as long as you relax and
let go of "it's-got-to-be-perfect-itis".

Ready for step one? Good. We're going to declutter first - set a timer
and put on some energizing music to get you going. Decide that
you're only going to declutter for 15 minutes in one certain room.
Then if you want to work longer, say, another round of 15 minutes,
you can. But you don't have to. This helps you get motivated, even
when you feel like cleaning is the last thing you'd want to tackle. Yeppsyche
yourself out.