Check something off your home to-do list.

If you’re unsure what needs cleaning up in your home, think of what’s getting in the way of your everyday routines. If there’s too much junk on the counter to cook lunch, that’s the place to start. If you have to pick things off the floor each time you leave the house, tackle that area. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when we focus on flaws in the way our home looks. By concentrating on inconveniences in how it feels to live there, you’ll be more likely to experience immediate improvements.

“Put the clean laundry away” is an actionable task; “Get this house together” is not. Make sure you have a clear idea of what’s involved in the projects you want to tackle. Set goals that will be satisfying to accomplish but also have a clear end-point; five minutes of tidying shouldn’t morph into a disorganization project that takes over your life. It’s easier to accomplish tasks when they’re defined by physical space (“Clear off the kitchen counters and sweep the floor”) or by object (“Put away the mail and empty the recycling”).

You can click on “Try another routine” to go to a different set of tasks, or “Previous” to flip back. Your progress will be saved during the day, but only in the same web browser on the same computer or mobile device.

No need to finish every last task on your list. Pick the ones that seem most important and skip around freely, and you’ll be accomplishing plenty.

No need to feel guilty about unchecked boxes at the end of a session, as there’s plenty of value in clearing off a bedside table, even if you don’t also manage to conquer the kitchen. Starting with a huge undertaking that requires clearing out and reorganizing three different kitchen cabinets means the odds are high you’ll be left with three cupboards emptied onto the floor at the end of the day. You’ll be less likely to get started if you’re unsure whether you’ll be able to see results before bedtime.

Time limits are meant to be guidelines, and it’s important to go at your own pace. Some tasks take more effort in some houses than others. Use your own judgement about how much time and energy you have to pour into each task, as the totals are rough estimates.

Keep track of errands you notice along the way on a scrap of paper or a task app, then return to the task at hand. Write them down so you don’t forget. Keep them out of sight so you don’t get distracted.

Keep a basket nearby for items that belong in another room. Put them in it as you work, then return those items to their places as your last step. Don’t leave the basket full in the hallway or turn putting one thing away into a new project in every room.

Clutter that keeps coming back can be a clue that the setup isn’t working. If everyday things keep collecting in one spot, they may need an easier home nearby. Before blaming yourself for the same pile returning, look at where you’re asking yourself to put those things. Is the cupboard too full? Is the shelf awkward to reach? Those are useful problems to solve.

Tackle cluttered spaces that you think you’ve already organized by asking whether items have homes nearby to where they get used. If you always end up storing them somewhere else, it may make sense to find another solution. Try to think about the process involved in using and storing an object; you’ll be more likely to maintain a system if it saves time and effort. Try out the spaces you’ve got before investing in new organizers, since odds are that moving things a bit closer to where they get used will keep them from piling up elsewhere.