10 uncluttering things to do every day

1. If you have pets, make your bed. You can make your  bed even if you don’t have pets, but people with pets can’t miss this  uncluttering step. Pets have litter, dirt, fur, dander, dust, and/or a  bunch of other yucky things on them that don’t belong on your sheets.  Plus, a made bed is easy on the eyes.
2. Know where you’re going. Before taking to the road,  make sure to know the travel conditions and best route possible for  your destination. Getting lost or sitting in a widely-reported traffic  jam is nothing but time clutter.
3. Plan your perfect day. We’ve written quite a bit about this task, so I’ll simply direct you to our previous post.
4. Clean out your desk’s inbox. File papers, enter  items onto your to-do list or into your project management software,  scan papers you don’t need in physical form, sign documents — just be  sure that your inbox is clean by the time you leave work at the end of the day.
5. Set your desk for tomorrow. Right before you head  home from work, be sure to clear your desk and have it ready for  tomorrow. If you have an early morning meeting with handouts, make sure  that the handouts are easily accessible and ready to go. In case of an  emergency, it should be simple for a co-worker to come into your office  and quickly find the materials. Even if you don’t have an early meeting,  your desk should be set so that when you arrive to work you can get  right to work.
6. Sort, open, and act on your mail. When you  immediately walk into your home, sort through your mail. Recycle all  junk mail that doesn’t include any identifying information. Shred  all junk mail (like credit card applications) that someone could use to  steal your identity. Open and act on all other mail. Your action may  simply be to scan and then shred the information, file papers, or pay a  bill — but doing it right when you come home keeps it from being clutter  in your home.
7. Load (and, if necessary, run) the dishwasher or hand-wash the dishes.  Dirty dishes on the counter, sink, and anywhere else in your home are  invitations to bugs, pests, and bacteria. Additionally, they clutter up  your kitchen and make preparing meals a pain. You’re more likely to save  a few bucks and eat at home if your kitchen is clean and ready to be  used.
8. Get ready for bed an hour before you plan to go to sleep.  Doing this means that your dirty clothes are more likely to be returned  to a hanger, dropped in the hamper, or put in a mesh bag for dry  cleaning, hand washing, or repairing. Also, a set bedtime routine  signals your brain that it’s time to relax and prepare for sleep.

If you paid careful attention, you noticed that there are only 8  items on this list even though the headline proclaims 10. I did this  because I want you to add two more things that are specific to  your life as the other two items. Tell us about your items #9 and #10 in  the comments.