I had a PE teacher in jr. high who was fond of saying: results equal effort. Then I grew up and found out that's not necessarily true. But that's a story for another day.
When it comes to organizing, some results come a little easier than others. You can dust to your heart's content, but dirty socks on the floor will upstage polished bric-a-brac every time. So here's a short list of things you can do, in short order, for maximum effect:
Close kitchen cabinet doors. One of my friends told me that when it came to quick clean-up strategies, she was a one-trick pony and shutting doors was her trick: it takes seconds and really does make the place look better, fast. Same with closet doors, doors of medicine cabinets, etc. A solid door is almost always tidier than whatever is inside.
Make tidy piles. My natural inclination is to be a spread-it-out kind of girl. It was only after working on a project with my friend Cassie that I realized that even though we had virtually the same quantity of stuff, Cassie's work area looked a lot more organized than mine. How could that be, I asked her. "Tidy piles," she answered, and showed me how much an impact you can make by taking less than a minute to gather things up. The less area consumed by clutter, the neater the appearance.
Create clear traffic ways. It may sound obvious, but when stuff is underfoot, if you have to turn or twist to get around something, it's not only a nuisance but a hazard. While I'm not a fan of pushing things into corners, it's better than tripping over something.
Hang up coats, put away shoes. Nothing clutters up a living room faster than coats and shoes everywhere, and how long can it possibly take to put away? A minute? If that?
Dirty laundry into hampers. Okay, I admit: I used to hang ambiguously-clean clothes--things I'd worn but hadn't decided if they were actually dirty--on the back of the bathroom door. Imagine my surprise when Alpay informed me that the hooks I was using were intended for robes instead! "Where do I put my pantyhose?" I complained. This was before wearing pantyhose was synonymous with the phrase unspeakably tacky. Dirty laundry goes into hampers, Alpay explained. "What if I only wore it once?" I wailed, but Alpay was adamant. Thus weaned from a lifelong habit, I can finally say: what was I thinking?
Toys into storage bins. It's all the tiny, multi-colored pieces that make an otherwise clean floor look like a nightmare, but with a few convenient, open-topped mesh boxes or bins, toys are a breeze to put away.
Make the bed. Because it's usually the largest piece of furniture in a bedroom, making the bed has an instant impact, packing a wallop of tidiness for very little effort. Still, this is one thing I rarely manage to do myself. But it's definitely on my list of resolutions for another year!