Keep flat surfaces clutter-free.
Take a look at each space within your living room. If there are piles all over your flat surface and you can't make a case for it to stay there, it needs to go away. Make a quick sweep of all items that are hanging out in the living room that don't belong and replace them back into their appropriate place (golf bags back in the garage, sneakers back on the shelves, gaming systems back in their bins).
Start with just one desk drawer.
This could be the jumble of papers or bills that should be neatly filed in a cabinet or the pile of knickknacks crammed into the coffee table's storage space. There's no reason to supply valuable real estate to items past their prime that are no longer of use to anyone.
Give your bookshelf a makeover.
It's tough to get rid of books. However, if you're not treating them with honor and respect and if they're not beautifully displayed, today is the day to donate or recycle them. Have everyone in the family pile every single book in your home on the floor of the living room and sort them. For every four you keep, you have to take one to Goodwill or the used book store.
Tackle kid and pet clutter.
Pick a location for bins that will help store the kid and pet clutter. Use bins to keep school photos, art, awards and sit down with your children after the school year and purge previous years' contributions.
Remember, perfection is never a reasonable goal.
Small habits can make a big difference when it comes to having a calm, uncluttered space. Very few people have the energy and/or focus to spend 8 hours organizing. You'll likely become frustrated and less efficient as the day progresses. It's much better to spend a small amount of time on one project or space. Once you've decided where something is going to go—take it there. Never keep bags for charity or boxes for friends in your home to deliver later. Do it now. Finish the process. Take the bags and boxes out to the trash or recycling immediately.
MORE: How To Organize Your Garage—And Your Life—In Just 10 Minutes A Day
The goal is to set up a space that works well for your needs. You don't have to live in an empty home to keep it flawlessly clean all the time, but if you're having trouble keeping the living room clean regularly, you might want to examine what you can live without and whether there's anything you can remove to make regular cleaning easier. Organization is about creating the life and the home you want: happy, fun, warm, welcoming, and most importantly of all, a reflection of who you are as a person. That is success.
