Now that you have curtailed new clutter from entering your home as outlined in The Clutter Diet - Step 1, you need to tackle what you already own. To begin, make an assessment of your current situation and then create a Clutter Diet plan using the steps below.

1. Take an inventory of the rooms in your home. Put a check mark beside every space with clutter.

• Kitchen _____
• Living Room _____
• Family Room _____
• Master Bedroom _____
• Kids Bedrooms _____
• Guest Room _____
• Master Bath _____
• Other Baths _____
• Dining Room _____
• Office _____
• Laundry _____
• Basement _____
• Garage _____
• Other _____

3. Make a list showing the order in which youll organize each room. This will help keep you focused on one room at a time. Tip: If you dont know where to start, begin with the room that causes you the most stress or the place where you spend the bulk of your time.

4. Schedule time on your calendar to organize one room at a time. Your most important appointment is the one you make with yourself. And, for most people, its the only way they can take care of personal affairs. So it goes with organizing, if you really intend to start, stick-with, and finish organizing each room, you must plan chunks of time you can devote to each space.

• In general, you will need approximately 16 24 hours to thoroughly organize a single room. The bigger the room, the more stuff in it, and the greater number of purposes it has, the more time it will take.
• Schedule blocks of time that fit with your lifestyle. For example: you could devote a weekend to tackle a whole room or you can schedule an hour or two a few evenings each week. Do what makes sense to you but keep your commitment with yourself just as you would with anyone else. You deserve to live in an organized space.

• What has a lack of organization cost you? Stress, missed deadlines, forgotten appointments, disagreements with family members?
• Now relate your goal of organization to one of your core values like beauty, pleasure, or feeling a flow of energy in your space. Connecting your goal to an important value will make it easier to honor and achieve.

• Information on how to organize. (Coming in future Clutter Diet steps.)
• Support from family members to either help you or not interrupt you when you are working on this project.
• Garbage bags to corral trash and collect items to be donated.

8. Define your reward. Yes, you get a reward! Any time you go after a big goal its important there be an acknowledgement of the time and effort youve given; even if its acknowledging yourself with an evening out with friends, an afternoon at a spa or what ever you deem important and pleasurable.

9. Determine the next project. Go back to your list, identify the next target of your organizational plan and schedule time in your calendar.

10. Keep going! Organizing is easy but it isnt effortless. That said, you can do it and youre worth it.

Check back soon for more steps in The Clutter Diet.

Pam Woods

Pam is a respected authority on personal effectiveness. She has mentored hundreds of executives, managers, and professionals over the last three decades. Now, through her business, Smart WorkLife Solutions, she is helping individuals at home and at work to declutter their space, their schedules, and their lives. As a result, clients have more balance, a more focused approach to work and play, guilt-free time for themselves, and live their best life every day.

Pam has been selected as one of "The World's Greatest Business Mentors" - an honor bestowed to only 50 professionals internationally. The selection identifies her as an innovative expert whose skills, experience, and record of success qualify her as an unsurpassed resource and mentor for others. She has co-authored a bestselling book, Create the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies from the World’s Greatest Mentors. The manuscript was written in collaboration with business gurus Brian Tracy, Mark Victor Hansen, and Robert G. Allen. Two highly respected authors, Ken Blanchard of The One Minute Manager,, and Dr. Stephen Covey of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, have endorsed the book.

Pam has been writing about systems and solutions to enhance personal effectiveness since early 2001. Her articles and advice have appeared in a variety of publications including the Des Moines Register, the Des Moines Business Record, CoachVille’s Resource Center, Iowa Next magazine and several newsletters and internet sites.

Prior to founding Smart WorkLife Solutions, Pam had a successful 20+ year career in financial services as an insurance executive and Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for the U.S. operations of a multinational company. Pam is a graduate of Coach U and is pursuing advanced studies at the Graduate School of Coaching, and instruction from Dr. Phil’s own advisor. She is affiliated with the International Coaching Federation, CoachVille, the International Association of Coaches, and the National Organization of Professional Organizers. Pam earned a Bachelors degree from Drake University, and NASD Licenses: Series 6 & 63.