Have you ever thought back to your first apartment or dorm room? You took that small amount of space and made it work for you. As the years have gone by and your living quarters have expanded you probably feel just as limited in storage and living area. How can that be? Unless you are that rare but much admired person that controls the accumulation and clutter, you quite simply have more stuff because you have more space.

You can make a big impact on your home clutter in just two weeks. Here are three goals to reach in the next 14 days.

Goal Number One - Clean surfaces throughout the house

Do you have piles of papers, magazines, books and who knows what else on every horizontal surface in your home? This type of disorganization leads to frustration. Bills get lost and late payments have to be paid. Library books become overdue. Invitations are forgotten. You waste time looking for things. The bottom line is this simple clutter cost you time and money.

Pick one area and move everything that is piled in that area to a space you can spread out. Place a trash can beside you and use it liberally. As you go through your clutter, separate it into piles. For example, bills in one pile, receipts in another, medical information goes in another, vacation information , etc etc, The piles will then be filed together for easy retrieval as needed. Break them down to as many categories as needed in your filing system.

Every home should have a file cabinet. It is the easiest way to keep track of your important papers. Having no room is no excuse. You can buy a small one and cover it with a table cloth. It will double as a night stand but will be easily accessible when you need your files. You can also buy plastic containers that serve as a file container. They can be labeled as medical, house, schoolwork etc. These are portable and can be stored in closets.

Go from room to room until all surfaces are cleaned off. It may not be all paper clutter. What is on your bathroom counter that can be stored away? Has your night stand been cleaned off lately? Seeing so many empty spaces around your home will make you feel like you are making progress.

Goal Number Two - Organize your bathroom vanity

Everyday you stand in front of this area getting ready to start your day. It should serve you by helping you get through your routines efficiently. Take everything out of the drawers, medicine cabinet and cabinetry. Wipe down the surfaces and change the shelf paper. Feels good already, right? Replace everything in a way that it make sense to you. Needed but seldom used items are stored in the back of the drawer while things you use daily should be within easy reach. Do not forget to check the expiration dates on medicines. Toss the outdated ones as well as old toiletries. Do you have room to keep extra items in your linen closet to free up space in your vanity? This piece of valuable real estate should be holding only what you need.

Goal Number Three - Clean out 3 drawers

In the next two weeks make the commitment to clean out just three drawers. You can choose one that is a major mess, one that is a medium challenge and one that can be done while you are on the phone. It does not matter the amount of effort it takes, just do it. Throw away all foreign objects. Use baskets, bowls or storage containers to keep similar items together when you are reorganizing the drawer. Neat drawers make happy owners.

Your home will feel calmer and even bigger if you dedicate time in the next two weeks toward meeting these goals. Who does not want that?