Know yourself. Before organizing, identify psychological blocks, problems with your technique, and your organizational goals. This knowledge will help you toward long-term success.

Be flexible. Different phases of life — a new marriage, a new child, divorce, or a death in the family — present organizational challenges. Modify your systems and give yourself time to integrate these changes.

Be kind to yourself. In most cases, organizational challenges have nothing to do with laziness or incompetence. Other root causes are at the heart of your struggle. This book will help you to identify them.

Be gentle with others. As you become organizationally zealous, your family might irritate you. Work toward reasonable compromises.

Enlist the crew. Don't purge others' belongings when they're not around. Instead, develop systems that work for everyone.

Banish perfection. Your home is occupied by living beings with mess-making capacities. Home organization, especially for those with little ones, is always a work in progress.

Watch your wallet. Before you max out your credit cards, develop a plan.

Combat clutter. Keep excess out of your home. When you acquire something new, let go of something old. Only keep items that are beautiful, are useful, or have significant emotional value.

Make it fun. As you organize, pipe in music or a radio program you love and be sure to reward yourself for each success along the way.

Love your home. Even if you don't live in the home of your dreams, relish the elements of your dwelling that bring you joy.