ownership

You don’t really own something if you can’t find it or can’t reach it.

work day

Finish today’s work today. More work will arrive tomorrow.

least but not least

Something that takes only a short time can be the most important thing you do all day.

direct action

Don’t underestimate the impact of removing one piece of junk.

clutter filter

Grab clutter as soon as you notice it.

. . .

At some point you reach the end of the instructions. Then you proceed on your own.

sovereign

You can’t ask for help in taking charge of your own life.

mo borrow

Momentum comes from motion. Any motion will do, so if it is hard to get started on your own, get initial momentum by helping someone else, having someone help you, doing something that is especially easy, immersing yourself in remembered details of your past work, or imagining in detail what you will do next after reaching the goal you are about to start on.

late additions

When you can’t do what you had planned, choose something else.

sweep

Start at one end of one room.

3-d

It is easier to see what is ahead after you get into motion.

rolling

To gain the benefits of momentum, you have to get started.

grasping at loose ends

In times when you are anxious about the uncertainty of the day’s events and don’t know what to do, completing any little thing that doesn’t have to be left incomplete can make you feel better.

no list

Address the first problem that calls for your attention. You won’t have to look far.

long wave

Sometimes you just have to slow down if you want to get anything done.

antishopping

We grumble at how long clutter clearing takes, but there is no inherent reason why clutter clearing should go faster than shopping. Both involve similar decisions and similar physical movements.

refocus

Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Instead take a guess at the best thing you can do right now.

you go first

You can’t wait for the chaos in the world to resolve before you decide what you are going to do.

go do

Success depends on subtleties. To smile, take a deep breath, and repeat one-syllable words to yourself can help, but it is not enough.

amplifier

Take small actions that show that you are listening, and you will hear more.