If you are like me, you have hundreds of unwanted pounds around your house. Now, in just one weekend, you can loose 100 lbs. or more.

Ready?

Take inventory of the things in the area you are trying to clear out

So spend one morning going through the items found in your space (furniture, papers, clothing, etc).

While doing so, make piles in another area for

• things you would like to keep

• things you must keep

• things you are certain you would like to throwaway

Here's a good rule of thumb: if you have not found a use for the item in the last twelve months, then you most likely no longer need that item. So... throw it away! Don't think twice about it. Just let it go. Discard the throwaway pile immediately: do not let it lie around waiting to be removed. Send it to your favorite local charity. If you don't immediately remove it you are more likely to have second thoughts and keep more of the things you do not need. Try to have the space you are organizing empty by the time you are done.

Get the Tools you need!

After your piles are finished, start the organization process. Some good items to obtain are:

• small file cabinet if you need to store loose papers

• clothes hangers for those clothes you keep piling up

• a pegboard and hangers for it (they make great tool hangers)

• some plastic bins with lids for those items you need to store

When buying the items you need, keep your eyes open for other helpful organizational aides: there are tons out there. Remember that your intention is to clear and organize your space, so only purchase items that you need and will assist you in the process.

Organize Your Space

Once you have all the necessary materials you can start to restore order. Begin to put the things in your piles back in their new home within your space. As you go through these items again make sure you must keep them. Don't put them back in your space unless you are absolutely sure you must have them. If you do not really need the items throw them in a new discard pile. Make it your goal by the end of Sunday to have everything in its new place. Take your new throwaway pile to the dump or your favorite local charity.

It's not hard at all to remove one hundred of pounds of clutter in just a mater of days: from paper junk (old magazines, newspaper piles, junk mail or old books), to clothes (all those out of style, too small or too big, and even some new ones you purchased in haste and never used) and furniture (old chairs, boxes or even larger pieces), you'll feel so much better!

Stay Organized

Once all your things are placed neatly and orderly in your area, take a picture. Get a copy of the picture and place it somewhere in the area you cleaned/organized. It doesn't have to be out front and center, but place it somewhere you will see it occasionally. This way every time you go to toss something in your new clean space you will remember what a pain it was to clean out and maybe you will think twice before you put items you really have no use for in there.

Take the time after your project is complete to make sure you are utilizing the new additions you've put in place to help avoid getting your space back to messy unorganized clutter.

Now enjoy your new home, and brag about your extreme weight loss!