We know that children feel more secure when they know where things belong, and they feel successful when they can maintain order. But it's not just kids who feel that way. We all feel calm when we look at a freshly vacuumed floor, or a clean bedroom. But how do we get everything off the floor so we can vacuum it?

How do I get started?
Simple. If it's killing you, do it first. If you're always late for work because you can't find your keys, set up a station near your front door with a basket or a hook for your keys and any other important items that have to go out with you. If you can't find your bills to pay them on time, the office space gets done first.

The ultimate (not-so-secret) secrets of organizing success
It's easy to find good basic rules of organizing in books and online. For example, keep similar things together, keep things as close as possible to where you use them, and keep things as accessible as they need to be.

That said, organizing isn't just getting rid of things and rearranging what's left. It's about looking at your relationships with stuff, how it comes into your life, and how you're able to let some of it go. Here are some words to live by:

You need to get rid of stuff to make room for new stuff. I promise you, there is more than enough stuff out there. If you get rid of what is no longer useful to you, new, more useful things will come unto you.

It's OK to keep things other people don't understand. You just need to make conscious decisions about each of those things, and have a good place for them.

It's OK to give away things you still like. Sometimes we like a lot of things. Personally, I accumulate a lot of books. Even if I just keep the ones I love, I'm left with more than my shelves will hold. So, I give them away to friends, and keep a list of what I've read, which gives me a feeling of having accumulated something without having to keep the whole pile.

Break it down. If the job is too big, you'll get too stressed to complete it. And no job is too big to break down into manageable pieces. "Doing the kitchen" is scary. Cleaning out the utensil drawer while you're on the phone? Doable.

Get help. That friend who goes shopping with you? Have him or her help you "un-shop" your closet. Set yourselves up with frosty beverages and a sense of humor, and you'll have someone to help you haul bags, keep you on task, and tell you which pairs of shoes are really worth keeping.

Remember: Life is not a magazine shoot. A little clutter is human. The point of organizing is to make space for you to live your life in all of its messy, chaotic glory. Just pick up when you're done.