It's hard to know where it all began (a pile here, an unsorted drawer there), but the slow accumulation of clutter can occur so quietly, so insidiously, we may not even notice until it's gotten out of control. And we're talking not just season to season, but also year to year. In time, our lives get so filled with the debris of the past -- from dried-up tubes of Krazy Glue to old grudges -- that it's a wonder we can get up in the morning, never mind go to work, or even just put one foot in front of the other.

As a life coach, I help people figure out not only what they want most, but what they need to let go of to discover who they really are. To do this, I use what I like to call the "Michelangelo method," based on a story about the famous sculptor. Legend has it that when Michelangelo finished the statue of David, a local patron of the arts, awestruck by the work, asked how he did it. The artist responded simply, "David was always there in the marble. I just took away everything that was not David." By using a similar approach to clutter clearing, we end up with more than a tidier, well-organized home; we get a clearer idea of who we are now and who we're becoming.

With warmer weather fueling the natural drive to spring clean, there's no time like the present to start chipping away at the "stuff" -- in your closets, your drawers, your attic, and so on -- that may be holding you back from the life you really want. On the following pages, I'm going to help you go room by room to figure out what's important and what's not, what you really need (that one great suit) and what you don't (those beads you got in Jamaica), what makes you feel heavy and draggy (that god-awful coat), and what makes you feel light and upbeat (your favorite green bag).

Sound exhausting? It won't be. With a little effort, focus, and the right approach, you can chisel your way through all the extraneous marble that stands in the way of your very best self. Are you ready? Let's roll up our sleeves and start on your plan for clearing out the old and bringing in the new -- one step, one decision at a time.

What You Need

• Sturdy garbage bags and cardboard boxes (To start things off, label one "trash," one "donations," and one "sell." Designate another for old threadbare towels and T-shirts that you can use for cleaning.)
• A box of gallon-sized Ziploc bags to store single items for giveaway or small items like jewelry
• Masking tape to seal boxes or bags, mend tears, and secure notes to the bags or boxes
• A pad of medium-sized sticky notes to label your bags
• A waterproof marker