A clear floor is a glorious thing. Unfortunately, floors, being the flat surfaces they are, collect stuff almost as easily as a table or counter. Gather the items that habitually end up scattered on the floor and separate them into their own categories in baskets or bins. Motley crew of shoes at the front door? A large basket is a great way to keep them contained, and you never have to line up shoes again.

Look around your house and see what you have from old relationships, especially ones that make you sad or upset in any other way. Remove those items ASAP. All they’re doing is draining your energy. Keep and display only things that bring you joy and remind you of the people and places you love.

Little things around the house that you really don’t relish washing by hand like Legos, mason jar lids, etc., can easily be tossed into a laundry bag for delicates (the dollar store is a great place to get these) and washed on a regular cycle in your dishwasher. Just make sure you take plastic items like those Legos out before the heat dry so you don’t melt them.

Before you go trying to organize your pantry or declutter your closet take care of that first layer of clutter: trash. Grab a trash bag and start walking room to room picking up anything that is obvious garbage. Wrappers, receipts, empty boxes, water bottles…you know the stuff I’m talking about. There simply isn’t any point in trying to tidy your home until the first layer that we turn a blind eye to is gone.

How much time do you waste trying to figure out what to wear in the morning? One tried and true solution is to set your clothes out the night before, but that doesn’t help if you draw a blank when pawing through your wardrobe. Apps like Outfit Planner and Style Book can help by taking photos of your clothes and putting outfits together for you to choose from. A little work up front for less thinking down the line.

Feng shui reminds us everything is energy, even words on a piece of paper. Spreading your notes to yourself all over the place creates cluttered energy. This then bogs down your productivity. Whatever your argument is for the way you do things now I ask that you try this without reservation for 3 months. Get one planner, notebook, app, or whatever and keep everything in one place. See what happens.

Your kids don’t want your clothes. Your adult children do not want their old toys and clothes for their kids. That damaged item you keep saying your going to fix? If you haven’t yet, you aren’t going to. The second or third crockpot you mysteriously have in your closet? How often do you really cook that much at one time? Seriously. Let it go. If it’s out of date, toss it. If someone else could use it, donate or sell it. It’s time.

The piles of stuff ready to go elsewhere can build up and create clutter of its own. Plus, you never know when you’re going to go digging around in there and undo everything you just accomplished by second guessing yourself and pulling things out. I find putting the boxes and bags straight into the way back of my car helps, then it’s a quick drive to drop it off at the donation spot or animal rescue.