Most of us struggle with one major problem in our homes: a lack of organization. Often this lack exists in several areas of our home life, but we’re going to focus on the effect on decorating and enjoying your home. When your house is unorganized, your whole life can feel out of control. Your decorations are covered by unsightly clutter, and sometimes your best efforts to clean it up are thwarted by not having anywhere to put the extra stuff. Your only choice is to fight back; fight the clutter and save your sanity!

First of all, you must decide on a system, a routine. The biggest problem with getting organized is that we don’t keep it up. You may have hundreds of cute storage boxes and bins, but if you don’t use them on a continual basis, then your stuff will continue to pile up. Talk to your family, monitor your activities, and determine what will best fit your lifestyle. Should you take fifteen minutes each night to clean up and organize? Should every family member have a set job? Both of these options will help you to get the clutter under control.

After you have created a system, find storage tools that you really like. Your system should to some extent last for years to come, and you don’t want to end up with storage containers that you hate. Wicker baskets are extremely popular and match almost anything, coming in a variety of colors. Use small tags at the end of each basket to clearly label what belongs in each basket. Another great idea is to use clear jars to hold smaller items from loose change to pens or cotton balls. Mark the jars based on what belongs inside and use them on your desk, counter, or table. A small jar of foreign coins can make an interesting piece in the living room.

One of the biggest problems people have is dealing with the multitude of mail. Most people get five to ten pieces of mail each day, and trying to sort through it all seems impossible. Buying a small organizer, folders and letter trays work well, can help you to do a quick sort of the mail each day, and then at the end of the week, you can go through and look at catalogs and magazines, write bills, and respond to invitations and letters. You may even want to make separate organizers for each family member and have a required deadline for cleaning them out. You will be decreasing the daily clutter and making the task of sorting and responding to the mail much easier.

Try these suggestions at home for three weeks, and you will wonder how you ever lived without an organized life. Each time you to the store, be sure to put everything up immediately and clean dishes as soon as possible. If you have children, give them responsibilities as well so that they will develop good organizational habits and take responsibility for their actions.