Home Organizing Better organization can be a powerful tool toward creating a healthy and happy home, says Ellen Zucker, organizing consultant and owner of EZ Organizing. A disorganized home is hard to keep clean, distracts those who live there from achieving their true goals, and creates stress when things can't be found, for example. "Managing a home properly is very important to making a happy, healthy home," she says. It takes time and effort to set up systems that work for you, but if you maintain the systems, you'll reap long-term benefits. Here are a few of her suggestions: Start with simplifying and decluttering your home. "Decluttering is the beginning of everything you do," she says. Teach the system to everyone in your home. Ask - with caring and respect - what you need to do to help each family member get on board with a new organizing system, and be willing to compromise. Consider scheduling time each week to maintain the system, and keep the routine and organizational system consistent. Delegate chores you don't want to or cannot do. Set realistic goals in reorganizing. Don't overload your plate, and schedule daily tasks. This will keep you from getting overwhelmed, which is a source of disorganization. Keep a planner around 24/7, update it and make sure you read it each day. Written by Kathy Carlson and reprinted with permission from The Jewish Observer, Nashville, Tennessee, May 23, 2008