Well, the New Year has barreled in like a high-speed train, and if your house is anything like mine, its arrival knocked everything askew and created a wake of boxes, wrappings, dishes, unopened mail, luggage, laundry, and an over-full refrigerator. Being the person that I am, I am tackling this disorder in the best way I know how – I’m holed up in my office, looking out on the squirrels in my back yard, with my back to the chaos.

Psychologists say that within the first months of life, infants learn that even though an object is out of sight, it still exists. I like to think that a special exemption is given to clutter – that turning my back will make it actually disappear – but the truth of the matter is that it nags at my consciousness in much the same way as a plate of brownies nags at my New Year’s resolutions.

After a holiday season full of decorations, adornment, and indulgence, the New Year makes me think of cleanliness, of fresh starts, of clearing out clutter, of getting organized. It’s about taking charge and focusing on what’s really important. I hope that you are able to focus on what’s important to you this year, and I hope you are already enjoying the success of your New Year’s goals. Happy 2009 to you!