Make one tiny change

White’s most irritating mess? The constant pile of dishes in the sink. So she forced herself to wash them every day. What she learned: Solving a problem each day keeps it in check. “It’s easier to solve a problem when ‘solving’ only involves a little straightening or wiping,” she says. White’s advice: Attack the same problem every day for a week. You’ll figure out multiple solutions that work— then you can add a new daily task like sweeping.