Whether it be going back to school, a new relationship, a budget, a diet or organizing your life, the hardest part about doing anything worthwhile is starting. The main reason why most of these things are so hard to start is that they require change a change of lifestyle, and if meant to be successful, they require a permanent change of attitude as well. Most of us don’t cope well with change. That is exactly why I have put together a list of tips and tricks used and recommended by various different professional organizers to help you initiate that change, and feel good about it.

The book 30 Days to a Simpler Life, by Cris Evatt and Connie Cox is full of some great tips. Their 3 pile process to de-cluttering problem places in your home is very simple and very logical. The idea is this. You take some time and clear out everything in the problem area, lets say it’s your garage. You then put each item into one of 3 piles, the “Love and Use” pile, the “Recycle” pile and the “Ambivalence” pile.

It’s pretty apparent that the “Love and Use” pile can go right back into the garage, because it is everything that you use on a regular basis (ie: lawnmower or garden hose). In a nutshell, if you use an item roughly once a week, it should go in the “Love and Use” pile.

The “Recycle” pile is fairly simple to understand as well. This pile is dedicated to all of those items that you look at and think, “Why in the world do I still have this?” Items like greasy old rags, old spare tires from past cars and things you have been meaning to fix for the last 6 years, but still haven’t gotten around to are all examples of things that go in the “Recycle” pile. Often times, the items in the “Recycle” pile can be donated to good will, or a second-hand store… thus the name “Recycle.” But more often, you can just throw the contents of the pile into the garage, and nobody will know the difference, and you gain the satisfaction of knowing you never EVER have to deal with that junk again.

The “Ambivalence” pile is the pile that causes most problems. This is the pile of things that you just don’t know how to deal with. Often times they are little treasures that you found for a great deal, but never ended up using. They can be items that hold sentimental value, like an old bike you got for your birthday or a tool that was handed down by a relative. You don’t want to throw these items out, because you might use them or regret it… but you don’t really have the space to keep them.

In this circumstance, Evatt and Cox recommend that you put these items in storage containers, out of the way and let them sit for a predetermined amount of time (6 months or a year). The idea behind this is to teach yourself to live without these items. If you need something from the “Ambivalence” pile within that amount of time, you know exactly where it is stored. After the year (or 6 months) expires, you should feel comfortable throwing everything from your “Ambivalence” pile out. You’ve learned to live without it for an extended period of time and have survived unscathed. If you can go a year without something, it’s probable that you’re not going to use it in the next 10.

The next tip comes from Peter Walsh, professional organizer, and author of the book ‘It’s All Too Much.’ This idea is probably the most simple and immediately effective approach to getting organized… and it can be a lot of fun.

Hand out a large plastic garbage bag to everyone in your family. Give them ten minutes to go through cluttered places, (whether it be a toy room, a closet or the garage) and have them fill their bags with items that they no longer use, have outgrown, or items that are simply cluttery. In 10 minutes you can have multiple garbage bags full of unwanted junk that is taking up valuable space in your house. The beauty of this exercise is that you can repeat it as often as you’d like on anywhere from a daily to a yearly basis, and your kids will eat it up!

Now you have no excuses. Grab a bag and start organizing. You won’t regret it.