I used to be extremely messy - now I'm extremely tidy. (since having DCs 1 and 2 I have got more and more clean & tidy!!!) I like things immaculate and I have 2 under 4 so it's a challenge but I deal with it every day. I also work full time.
Basically this involves constantly doing something to make the house either cleaner, tidier or both. eg If I go in the kitchen for a cup of tea, I will probably empty the dog bowls, wash up a few bits in the sink, put away the few dry bits on the draining board, put the empty milk carton in the recycling (outside the back door). What I don't do is stare at it all like I used to, thinking "I'll wash up when there's a full bowl... no point putting the drying away yet, there's more coming... I'll wait until I have a massive amount of recycling before I can be bothered to open the back door and drop it in the right bin..."
I don't go to bed before the lounge has been tidied of all toys, cups, plates and rubbish. The dishwasher goes on last thing at night. It gets emptied first thing in the morning, when I am waiting for the kettle to boil.
I have learnt that your house is only as good as the storage you give it, so everything has a home. I have hooks everywhere on the back of doors. All shoes have a home. The hallway is always clear.
I don't go up or down the stairs without taking something. Every time I leave a room I generally do something to make it more pleasant or cleaner or tidier.
I am basically 100% less lazy than I used to be, but I didn't realise I was being lazy. I used to wonder how other people had homes that looked good and tidy all the time, and now I know that if you want your home to look good you have to get decent storage, decent cleaning stuff and deal with it all the time not just once every three weeks. I am just constantly making good the areas I walk through. That's it really. (keeps me fit, I don't do excersise otherwise!)