President Lincoln, writing the Proclamation of Freedom. January 1st, 1863. A print based on David Gilmour Blythe's fanciful painting of Lincoln writing the Emancipation Proclamation. In a cluttered study Lincoln sits in shirtsleeves and slippers, at work on the document near an open window. Painted by David Gilmour Blythe; lithograph, printed in colors by Ehrgott, Forbriger & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio.

While getting a handle on the spiraling stacks can be a challenge, facing your clutter head on can liberate you from the debilitating chaos that makes it impossible to locate keys and wallets, cell phones and borrowed items. Here are five tips for tackling the barrage of stuff. (Note: if it's somebody else's mountain you're trying to manage, you'd be wise to allow your loved one or roommate to tackle his own heaps on his own terms. A Master Clutterer doesn't like to have his stuff touched. Whether it's a strong psychological attachment or a withering ability to organize or a combination of both, no amount of cajoling or interference from you will win his appreciation, affections or sympathies. Suggest a dumpster, a shrink or a professional de-clutterer, and then flee to the other half of your abode.)

Some argue that human beings are, in part, hard-wired to create clutter and that as adults we're not unlike children who group items and then leave them in piles. Others say there's a clutter gene that the many chosen inherit. Still others suggest that a clogged colon in the physical body will replicate clutter in the garage. Whatever the reason, if you are swimming in it, accept that you created the windstorm and try this simple exercise. Get a carry-on suitcase, imagine that you're packing for a month-long journey and stuff the carry-on with belongings you'd like to bring. Then take a look around at what's left. Focus on that later. First try to establish a clutter-free zone the size of your suitcase. Use a shelf for the smaller items. That's how you can separate the important items you packed from the major clutter you would have left behind. Spare yourself the aggravation of the daily Easter egg hunt involving your wallet, keys and cell phone, and make your day more manageable.

Step 2: Start with the paperwork

Before you contemplate discarding paper, determine how you'll recycle all those trees. Most of us hang on to things because we can't bear to throw anything away for fear that a cherished memory or formerly important notice will lay wasted in a landfill. Doling out that kind of callous condemnation, even to paper, seems cruel. Once you can find a good recycling home for your papers, you'll be more inclined to let them go. You don't need to save every magazine, newspaper or coupon that's parched and yellowed. Make one pile per week, release it to Mother Nature's recycling team and then experience the high of relief and the joy of levity.

Step 3: Clothing, furniture, household items and electronics

There are plenty of organizations that want your estranged storage. Knowing you can bestow your clutter on someone who may make good use of it is an empowering feeling. Instead of feeling like you've lost control of your life, you can rewrite that sentence to say that you were just waiting for the right time to make a generous donation. Your local Salvation Army or Goodwill will show up at your doorstep to collect the reusable items that have been collecting dust in your attic and gathering cobwebs underneath your bed.