Help - where to start, right now, tonight, no more messing!

[starrychime]

My house is an absolute state. Have usually no energy (or am hijacked by MN ) most nights - don't get in from work with DD till about 5, tea, bath, bed, 8pm, my dinner, settle on couch, that's it,no chance of any housework once sitting down . Think I might get started - but dishes (looks like some growing penicillin actually) and washing basket overflowing (can't figure it out with just the 2 of us), washing dried stiff in baskets,no energy to hang up, letters from school, bills etc piling up on table and ironing board, literally can't walk across living room without standing on stuff, food under table attracting the odd crawling thing . Have been clearing out relative's house so have boxes of stuff from there all up the hall.
I MUST MUST MUST get this sorted. I sound like an absolute slob but think we are clean enough, just the house that's a tip! Must start tonight, give me some motivation please!! Where to begin!

food under the table

then dishes

Get kitchen sorted first

I used Flylady's crisis cleaning principles effectively last week. Do 15 minutes in the kitchen, then 15 minutes somewhere else, return to kitchen for 15 minutes, take 15 mins off, 15 mins bathroom, 15 mins kitchen...

I got a fair amount done. It's the getting started that's the really hard part.

how did you get on OP? I was surprised by how much I could achieve in 15 mins when I didn't keep dithering.

Never heard of the Flylady before - had a look and got some motivation - did the 15 min thing and you're right, kept thinking the timer should have gone off but still had time for a few more plates! Still in chaos but have a shiny sink instead of coated in smelly slime! Have a small path across the living room now too! Several more 15 min sessions planned for tonight. BUT today was at relative's house I'm clearing out and brought back a couple more boxes of STUFF, just stuff everywhere .

Well done starry the first steps are the hardest cos its so easy to feel overwhelmed and not know where to start

Glad you found Flylady helpful. I must say that for someone who espouses the joys of de-cluttering so well, Flylady certainly has a very cluttered website! But underneath it all, she can be very useful indeed.

I need to embark on a small house rescue mission tonight before I'm completely back to square 1!

And when you're really knackered do Flylady's 5 minute room rescues. Set timer then whizz round for five minutes tidying up either the stuff that really bugs you or the stuff that makes the most visual difference - coats, shoes, bags, toys etc. Also picked up a tip on a flylady post somewhere, about micro tidying. Like - put on the kettle then see how much you can do before it's boiled. Or if you're like me, forget to drink the coffee you made then stick it in microwave to reheat for two mins and see... it's incredible how much you can sort or clean in just two minutes. Scuzzy paint work on the cupboards - shiny. Taps, shiny. Overflowing bin emptied. It's so effortless and gets you motivated because she doesn't expect you to do it all at once..