I grew up in a well organized home with a mother who spent a lot of time keeping things that way. When I became a mom, she would ask me how I did it, and out of desperation, I devised my own system that took less time. My house didn’t look like mom’s house, but it worked. I had learned the big truth about getting organized and, more importantly, staying organized.

There’s a lot of great information out there, from books, magazines, and mom, but for it to work, it needs to be a system based on your own personal needs, style, and personality. As long as you can find what you need and it’s convenient and efficient, you’re on the right track. The truth is, being organized is about being able to live the life you want to live, not spending all your time organizing.

The one big truth: There is no right or wrong way to get organized. It’s all about what works for you. To get organized and stay organized, you need to find a system that is very specifically tailored to you.

It all comes down to asking one question: Who am I right now? Think about the hats you wear in your life: mom, dad, doctor, executive, decorator, cook. Now look around your house. Do the things around you reflect and support your roles? Does your space work for who you are now?

Many times our homes reflect our past. We used to work in the garden, but we found out that we hated it so much that we hired a service to come take care of it. Now we are really into pottery, but there is no place for a potter’s wheel. But if you took all those things out of the garden: rakes, lawn mowers, edgers, etc. – You’d have plenty of room for a wheel.

Take time to walk around your house and take a look: are you supporting who you are now and who you want to be? Or are you stuck in the past? A few changes can make all the difference!

As you walk, ask yourself another question: Does everything around you support, encourage, or inspire you? Unless it’s something you need (like a can opener), the things around you should make you feel good. If it’s all a big drain, it’s not working for you.

Keeping your home organized shouldn’t take more than a few minutes each day. Follow these three simple guidelines to get started:

o Keep things you use often close by. Store items that are not used often. Check in about once a month. Frequently used things that can’t be conveniently stored have a name: clutter!

o Save it where it falls. If a pile of papers accumulates on the landing, consider placing a table or cabinet there to store things until they can be sorted.

o Do a little each day. If you look at the whole house, it’s daunting. Instead, each day (or each week) tackle one small project that isn’t in a major traffic area: a box, a medicine cabinet, a pantry shelf. If you get discouraged, go back and take a look at what’s organized now.

o Set a timer. You feel like it will take 72 straight hours to even make one tooth, right? Set a timer for 5 minutes and straighten one thing for that amount of time each day. You can do it before dinner and have the whole family choose a place to straighten up.

Getting organized can help your life flow smoothly, but it’s not about spending all your time making things look perfect. Think about what would make things easier for you and start living it.