It's nearly Week 3 into the new year and that resolution to get more organized has you hard at work. Or does it? By now, decluttering closets, attics, garages and every nook and cranny of the house may have you feeling a bit overwhelmed. You are not alone.

"Life these days is just very frenzied," says professional organizer Kerry Crocker, owner of Space Cadette of Chapel Hill. "We all want to pack so much in, to get the most out of life. But it isn't working. We need to simplify our lives in order to manage them and enjoy them more. There are also folks whose ability to organize is impeded by varying levels of physical, mental or emotional disability."

Still, the ability to organize is attainable. Think baby steps, people.

"I think slow and steady usually wins the race when organizing," says Crocker, who is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers' North Carolina chapter and the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization.

"People want to dive in and do the whole house all at once, but that's not realistic. If you can define the goals so that you have the light at the end of the tunnel when you start, then it makes it more realistic.

"It's the persistence, doing a little bit on a regular basis that gets the job done. It's true whether you are trying to get organized and put a system in place or in maintenance, where you have a system already in place."

Lest anyone accuse us of living in glass houses, we (including moi) are letting you in on some of our staff's own messy little secrets. Watch and learn as we take our own baby steps (with Crocker's help) to declutter and organize a kitchen junk drawer, a bathroom vanity drawer and a workbench -- three problem areas found in most busy households. Perhaps you will feel inspired to pick up that trash bag and get back to work.