One foot in front of the other...be persistent and it will eventually get to where it feels less cluttered.

I try to prioritize two things A) the most urgent things: The biggest eyesores, things getting tripped over, things that bug me the most, stuff in danger of getting moldy or rotting, stuff we need immediately (clean dishes and underwear), etc and B) the thing I can do the most of the fastest.

Sometimes I do one room at a time, starting with the kitchen (so we can eat) or the living room (so I can sit and rest every now and then without losing my mind).

Don't expect it all to get done in one day.

 

I waft in and out of flyladyhood all the time. But each time, things get a little better and one or two little habits are adopted. When I find myself behind and overwhelmed, I set my timer to 15 minutes. I do the first stuff I see for 15 minutes and then go do something fun (MDC!).

After a few of those, I make a list of things to do, then break it down into little steps and 15 minute them. 15 on/15 off.

 

I try and do it all in one week. It's HARD, but once you are done, it's so shiny. It's exciting to know that you will be caught up, and for me, it's well worth the extra effort. I do one room at a time, and when it's all done, I keep up with it by doing a deep clean once a week. I have a giant house and four kids, but doing the deep clean once a week only takes a few hours, and lasts.