Those of you who have read my book no more clutter will know that I'm a big fan of the simple kitchen timer. When a job feels overwhelming or you're tired and demotivated it sometimes doesn't feel worth starting. But it always is. Choose 10 or 15 minutes and focus on one job - a drawer, a shelf, the pile of newspapers chucked on the living room floor.

No multitasking, no answering the phone - just eyeball the clutter and get going. When the timer beeps at the end quickly gather up any mess and admire how much better the area looks. It may not be finished but it's underway and tomorrow you can attack it again for another 15 minutes!