Sure, some organizing tasks are time- and thought-consuming, requiring a good dose of effort and attention. But there are plenty of ways to bring a bit of order to your day without having to expend a lot of energy.

Pick one of these fast and easy projects each day and you'll be able to reap the rewards of organizing without having to exert yourself.

1. Clean out your car. Send those food wrappers, crumpled papers, and empty water bottles packing. Feeling more ambitious? Tackle the glove box and/or trunk, too.
   
2. Buy a shredder. Eliminate any excuse for not getting rid of junk mail (such as credit card offers) right away by setting up a shredder in a convenient spot--and using it daily.
   
3. Clear out the medicine cabinet. Dispose of any medications that are outdated or no longer needed, any personal care products that are past their prime, and any other supplies that are no longer safe or sanitary enough to use.
   
4. Weed out your fridge. Give those mystery leftovers, ancient condiments, and tired fruits and veggies the boot.
   
5. ...And then weed out your freezer. Get rid of anything that's been lurking too long or has succumbed to freezer burn.
   
6. Sort through your pens and pencils. Chuck any that don't work, have been chewed, or leak ink onto your hand each time you use them.
   
7. Play matchmaker with your Tupperware. Pull out all of your plastic food storage containers, match them up with lids, and ditch anything that's old, worn, cracked, or lid-less.
   
8. Organize your coupons. Weed out any coupons (including gift certificate and store discount vouchers) that have expired or that you're unlikely to use, then sort the keepers in a way that makes them easy to use when you need them.
   
9. Tackle a "junk drawer." Empty the contents of the catch-all drawer in your kitchen, office, or workshop. Return to its rightful home anything that shouldn't be there, toss any true junk, and put everything else back neatly.
   
10. Invest in some new trash cans. Eliminate the temptation to toss something you no longer need on the floor (or leave it on a table or counter) by placing trash and/or recycling bins right where you need them around the house.
    
11. Recycle anything that's old news. If you haven't gotten around to reading last week's newspapers or last year's magazines, chances are you won't (especially if new ones keep arriving). Recycle them and start fresh.
    
12. Update your calendar. Take a few minutes to make sure your calendar is up-to-date with any tasks, appointments, or outings coming up in the next few weeks.
    
13. Weed your business cards and contacts. Look through any business cards or contact information (such as address labels from envelopes) you've been saving. Toss anything you're unlikely to use and add the rest to your address book or card file.
    
14. Give old boxes the boot. Saving the packaging for equipment or appliances you own in case you need to make a return? Set aside only the packing materials for items that are still under warranty, and toss the rest.
    
15. Clean up your computer desktop. Use your desktop to store documents and programs you use all the time; stash everything else in appropriately named folders.
    

As with exercise, a little bit of organizing each day can have a big effect. Devote yourself to doing one small project a day and enjoy the greater-than-expected results.