The importance of an organized, well-run home can not be over-stressed. Your home, and thus your family, will run more efficiently, and with efficiency comes less stress and more joy. More time to enjoy the pleasures of life. The little time it takes to put the system into place will be given back to you many, many times over - you will reap what you sow.

There are a few things to consider when formulating your individual plan of attack. Where do you see the problem areas in your home and life? Are the keys always missing? The sports equipment strewn about? Bills going unpaid, perhaps piling up with junk mail? Have you tripped over that pile of shoes for the last time - again?

Sometimes the best way to “fix” these problems is to stop fighting them. At this point, you are inevitably saying to yourself “What in the world..” Stay with me, and I believe you will see the sense here. If your family continues to leave their shoes like landmines in the hallway or by the door instead of taking them to their rooms or the hall closet, perhaps you should consider placing an attractive basket there for people to kick their shoes into. Work with your family's tendencies, and you will see more positive results with less headaches.

Some things require a bit more willpower, but once you incorporate them into your routine, you will wonder why you ever did otherwise. If you need a place to keep your keys or your badge for work, think of a bowl or hook by the door. Maybe a tray on your dresser, if you find yourself coming home and rushing to change into something comfortable. Work with what feels natural, then enforce it. If you sort the mail each day and promptly get rid of the ads and junk mail, you will save yourself a great deal of grief. No more desks or kitchen tables or catch-all baskets swimming in useless papers - you can see the few things that do need attending to with ease.

Consider storage solutions and shelving for every room of your house. Use baskets and bins to further corral items, and your solution can be as attractive as it is smart. In the kitchen and pantry you can contain plastic storage containers, spices, sauce packets, anything you see causing clutter. In the bathroom cabinet, sassy baskets can hold hair products, lotions, makeup - whatever you see jumbled there. In the den, look to rein in toys, blankets, books, music, etc, with a beautiful trunk or basket matched to your decor - a storage ottoman answers many needs at once!

If you set your mind to making your home function as easily as possible, every little step you take will get you closer. Soon you will be able to enjoy it and your family, and they will thank you for it.