If you're surrounded by piles of paperwork, unfinished projects, and "stuff," you're not alone.

Clutter is a big problem in most homes and workspaces, said Peggy Caruso, an executive and personal development coach and the author of "Revolutionize Your Corporate Life" and "Revolutionize Your Child's Life."After helping countless clients clear their personal and work clutter, Caruso believes that clutter is simply an outward manifestation of inner stress."What's happening on the outside is a reflection of what's happening on the inside," she said.While clutter may be a symptom of stress, it can also cause anxiety and stress and lead to lost time as you look for that important piece of paper or file, causing even more stress."No matter what type of personality you have, clutter is very stressful," she said.Finding your focusCaruso noted that the first step in decluttering is to take a step back, clear your mind, and think about what actually needs to be done."On the Internet, everyone says to just start decluttering your home. What happens to those people who just jump in? They become overwhelmed and don't know where to start, or how to continue," she said. "You can't declutter personally until you declutter yourself. My advice to people is to begin by calming your mind, to start thinking more clearly."She asks her clients to take some time to sit quietly and make a list of each room or area that needs to be decluttered, one small task at a time. Once you're done, reorganize the list in order of priority."What's more important to you? What bothers you the most?" Caruso asked. "Once you're very clear in what you'd like to accomplish, you can begin."She noted that because she enjoys cooking, her top priority is keeping her kitchen and spices organized."Pick one room at a time. I think a lot of people pick too many projects to do at once," she said.Perhaps the best thing about a to-do list is having a way to track progress."When you start crossing things off your list, you become motivated," she said. "Even crossing just one thing off your to-do list is a huge motivator."Physically declutteringOnce you're ready to begin, schedule a time to work. Write it in your calendar, set a reminder on your cell phone, and treat it like any other appointment."We all make appointments and we tend to stick with them. Do that on a personal level," said Caruso. "Even if you just do 10 minutes a day, you'll make progress."She follows the "one-year" rule: If you haven't used or worn something for one year, get rid of it. Commit to save, sell or share each item as you organize.The exception to this rule is clothing, says Caruso. Clothing items that are too small can be kept if you are actively trying to lose weight, as many of her clients tend to do in spring. If clothing recently became too large, toss or donate it now."By keeping this larger clothing, even if you've worn them recently, you're telling yourself that it's OK if you gain that weight back," she said.Another possible exception to the one-year rule are items kept for sentimental reasons. Take a few moments to decide if the item is worth keeping, and for what reasons."How sentimental is it for you? Is it something that you need to leave out, or something that you need to pack away to save for your children?" asked Caruso.She noted that some clients have many items they want to keep, but not everything needs to be on display.As you're packing away items, don't forget to label, she added. Label the outside of each box or bin with the items in the box, and what room they belong in when they come out of storage.Finally, don't forget to take inventory of what you already have, and to be grateful for these things."When you're grateful for what you have, and are feeling that your life is full of positives, there's less room to add new clutter," said Caruso.Getting the family involvedWhile one person typically takes charge when it comes to cleaning and decluttering, don't forget to involve the rest of the family. This is a great chance for family members to bond and a good chance for children to help you sort through what items to save, sell or share."Make it a family thing. I think that's key," said Caruso. "We get so caught in our careers and we're so busy."She noted that for parents, this can be a good chance to reconnect with children and take stock of the positives and negatives in their lives right now, keeping an eye out for negative issues such as bullying."The more that you can involve your children in day-to-day life, the better," she said."And any help you can get while you're decluttering is great, too."