15-minute drawer clear-out

1 Pick your drawer

Choose the one that bugs you most often, not the one with the most stuff. Save photos, letters and kids' artwork for later; your first win should be a light one.

2 Clear it in fifteen minutes

Start the timer and work down the list. The highlighted step is roughly where you should be.

3 One spot a day for 30 days

A drawer, a shelf, the top of the dresser. Tap a day when you've cleared something. Small spots add up to a calmer home within a month.

• Stop while it still feels easy. The goal is to come back tomorrow willing.
• One in, one out: when something new goes in a drawer, something old comes out.