13 New Rules of Decluttering

Consider your washing machine: You'd never fill it with dirty clothes, let it run for 20 minutes, then turn it off and let the clothes sit for two days. That would create a stinky mess! So it is with our daily routines: Doing things halfway wreaks havoc. That's why it's important to finish each cycle. For example, if you bring a dirty plate into the kitchen, don't leave it on the counter—put it in the dishwasher! When you pull on sweatpants after work, don't toss your skirt onto the bed—hang it in your closet. If you bring in the mail, don't drop it on the table—sort it (recycle any junk; leave bills in a flat tray). Each of these tasks requires about a minute, which is minimal compared with the time you'd waste later looking for that skirt or bill.
—Peter Walsh