Spring is officially here this week. If you’ve been cooped up, tolerating mess and clutter in your home all winter long, now’s the time to act! Here’s the very first thing to do…

Before you drag out the vacuum cleaner and storage containers, make a list. Not just any old list. This one is based on your eagle-eyed reconnaissance. Take a tour of every room in your home with a pad and pen in hand, and pretend that you have been hired to improve the living conditions. Evaluate the rooms as if seeing them all for the first time. Jot down the things that need cleaning, fixing, moving, redecorating, reorganizing…whatever can be done to make it a more comfortable, convenient and attractive living space. Do you need to clean out and organize a closet? Replace a carpet? Get rid of those stacked boxes and old clothes?

At the end of your tour, with your to-do list in hand, set up a room-by-room schedule that gets everything done within a realistic amount of time. Plan to focus on one task a week (for example). Or, if you’re really ambitious, schedule a long weekend to do this. You now have a road map to guide you along the way.

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