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Triage by area
Prioritize. I usually prioritize from the areas of most damage because I used those places the most. Questions I ask when triaging are: Which areas need the most cleaning? Which areas are utilized the most? Which can be sacrificed until later?
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One place at a time
Cleaning/ organizing is much more manageable in pieces. Just as a Nobel award winning author wouldn’t write a 300 page novel in 1 day, nor should anyone have to clean their entire house in 1 day. You can be productive and effective.
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Take breaks
Organizing and cleaning can be a mundane task especially if you do it for 8 hours straight. It helps to do something different or take a water break.
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Elicit help from others
Organizing and cleaning can be a difficult task to do on your own. Elicit the help or assistance of willing family members or friends. I often rely on my boyfriend to help with some of the more physical tasks, such as getting heavy boxes from the top shelves.
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Prepare for a garage sale
Organizing can help with finding things that you’ve lost, finding junk you can’t use, and finding things that are still in good shape but you don’t need. For the last one, most people will do a garage sale. It’s a great way to make a bit of money, make others happy, and unclutter.
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Sell on Ebay
Others have sold items on Ebay. You will need to register your information and then beginning putting items on the site. It is an auction based site, so there is no guarantee your item will sell for the price you want to sell it for. There are also books written on how to sell you things on ebay:
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Donate to needy
There are various centers such as the homeless shelters or schools that donate clothing, cans, etc. This is a great way to help others and help yourself declutter.
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Plan to sustain
Last, but not least, putting effort into organizing and cleaning will be worthless, if it cannot be sustained. Without a plan it can be difficult since leaving things messy takes less energy than organizing. Find a way that would work for you. I clean/organize surfaces regularly, but wait to do the huge cleaning about once every couple of months or when it starts to get unmanageable. Effective organization helps speed productivity in work, relationships (finding your clothes to go out), and emotional well being (clutter can make you anxious).
