Start by really assessing the stuff you have, and how much of it you really need or want. Also consider creating a space for every category of thing you own, and making that space functional, not jammed till you don't even want to access the stuff in it. I feel most of the reason people don't stay organized is they have too much stuff for the space, and they spend time just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Moving stuff around (or letting it sit out an accumulate) not really putting it away.
Not just the home decor, clothing etc that everyone is getting rid of in the minimalist drive, but the average daily stuff that accumulates and junks up our spaces. Things like pens, scissors, note pads, books etc.
Sometimes it seems reasonable, especially as we age, to have several of things, placed around the home so we don't have to run up and down stairs to get one, or clear across the house. But it adds to the amount of stuff.
For example, If you generally only use scissors in the kitchen, keep just one pair and keep them there. If you really need them, you can go and find them, in a place they are always kept. Prevents us from having six of something laying around or clogging up drawers and cabinets.
Look at every category of thing you own, and really decide if you want, like, love or need as much as you have. Even getting rid of a small percent of what you own in each category will lighten the load and make organizing things and your time easier. Look at clothing, shoes, accessories, linens, kitchenware, tools.....all of it. Can you let go of just a couple of things in each category? Will that make a less crowded and more functional space for those items?
Make it a point to clear surfaces every single day, I prefer to do it all before bed. I like getting up to an organized house. But however it fits into your life, be sure those hot spots, like your kitchen table are empty every day.
Don't sit stuff down. If you just ate dinner in front of the TV, and get up to do something, don't sit your dishes down on the coffee table, or even the kitchen counter or sink. Do them up or put in the dishwasher right away. If you don't have time to do something right, or fully now, you won't want to make the time later either. When you come home, put everything you bring in the door with you away. Coat in closet, shoes on the mat or rack or wherever you keep them, groceries in the fridge and cabinets, mail sorted into the bill basket or the shredder, etc. Learning to deal with stuff immediately and not letting it ever 'sit' keeps a space so much more organized.
My mind trick it to look at my home every hour of every day I'm in it and ask myself if I feel comfortable answering the door to unexpected company. Would I feel good about the condition of the rooms? For me, it's a motivation to keep things done up, put up and organized. I always approach a room in the light that someone might be stopping by in the next half hour, am I ready for that? Even though we rarely get company, this works for me.
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