Has anybody started yet?
Me, barely. Although I did throw out my body weight in magazines last week (which, since my interests have drifted from fitness to blogging, is 10 pounds more than previously.)
Here are a few of my hard-learned lessons:
Choose your battles: You only have so much time and energy, so focus on the areas that are driving you nuts. The fine china in the upper cabinet can stay dusty another year. The junk drawer at waist level needs help now.
Spend time on areas where you will be ditching items: Cleaning and putting back what you have is nice. But real results come when you clean and get rid. The only reason not to dump 1/3 of the items in any area you are cleaning is if you plan to do absolutely no shopping during the upcoming year.
Do a little at a time: This is especially helpful for boring areas like the kitchen. Do one shelf or one drawer every evening. Tip: Start with the liquor cabinet.
There's always next year: Don't make yourself crazy. The older you get, the faster spring comes around again. Whatever you skimped on this year, you can hit hard in 2011. And if you skimp again, the Mayan calendar says it's all going to wash away in a global cataclysm anyway.
