1. Start by getting three boxes. Label the boxes - Give Away/Sell, Keep, and Trash. Take one room at a time and go through everything in that area straightening and placing each item in it's home. For items that have a home, determine if this is a piece that you want to keep, give away/sell or trash.
2. If you can't face an entire room, break the job down into manageable tasks - the kitchen junk drawer, letter pile, hats, coats and shoes area. That way you won't be put off de-cluttering as just too big a task.
3. Be ruthless. If you haven't used an item in the last two years, you are not likely to need it again. Do you really want a clutter free, streamlined home or not?
4. For items that are no longer wanted, decide whether they should go in the Give Away/Sell box or the Trash box. For items that you want to keep, but don't have a home in that particular room put them in the Keep box. By the time you clear out all the items that you no longer want, you should have enough space to put the Keep items back in an orderly way.
5. When shopping, look for items that make staying tidy easier. Cardboard storage boxes are great for sewing and craft items, Christmas decorations, treasures that your children have made. Plastic or fabric hanging shoe bags are great for storing shoes but they also work for storing small toys and dolls. Invest in drawer dividers that separate drawers into a dozen little compartments - but don't fill them with junk!
6. Clean and put away part of your figurines and knick knacks. Not only will this give your home a modern minimalistic look, you will cut your dusting time in half. Every 4 to 6 months, you can rotate the items.
7. Enlist the help of family members or a friend to be your organizing buddy. They help you with your house - you help with them with theirs.
8. When buying items, stop and think, do I have a special place for this item? Some people work on a one in, one out system, i.e. if you buy a new sweater, toy for the children, etc., then one goes to the charity shop or is given to a friend.
9. Dump junk mail the moment you receive it. Create a filing system for bills and other mail so that once a week you sort through it and file what needs to be kept and address the items that need additional attention.
10. Don't give up, it will take time. All the clutter didn't come into your home in one day and you won't get rid of it all in one day. If you keep on sorting, giving away, tidying and labeling, it is a battle you can win. You will have more time, a neat home and less stress as a reward for your efforts. Once you have gone through the whole house, take the give away items to the Goodwill or schedule a yard sale. If you have a yard sale, anything that doesn't sell that day, promptly take it to the Goodwill.