Have “go-to” gifts. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel each time you need a gift. Have gifts on hand that you give whenever you’re invited somewhere. Gift cards are great because they can be used in any amount, for any occasion, and for any age. And, they won’t clutter your house or anyone else’s house.

Say “no” not “why”. When declining an invitation, don’t feel like you need to give an explanation. Often your real reason for declining won’t impress the person extending the invitation and when you make up an excuse, you can get caught.

“No” is not a dirty word. Save your time and energy for those things that you must do or really want to do. When your time is so precious, it’s ok to say “no”.

If you’re having a slow day at work, why not take the free time to organize your office space? Be as much of a minimalist as possible. Don’t clutter your desk with tons of pictures and other distractions. Maximize the vertical space by using empty walls for book shelves or wall units.

If you have a social commitment that you’re not looking forward to, you need to be targeted about how you spend your time when you get there. Arrive early and spend a few minutes one on one with the host. Put in your face time, do the necessary networking, and be on your way.

Clutter will expand to the space allotted to it. Instead of focusing on how much more space you need, consider how much more space you’ll have if you discard the gifts you’ll never use, the clothes that no longer fit, and the toys that are collecting dust.

Don’t let your emails and piles of paper weigh you down. Instead, utilize a “touch it once” rule. Touch each piece of paper once and open each email only once. Read it, answer it, file it (electronically or in a paper file), and/or delete it. At the end of each day, there should be blank space at the bottom of your computer screen.

When packing for a vacation, consider shipping toiletries to your destination one week in advance through an online drugstore such as drugstore.com. If you order enough items, you may even qualify for free shipping.

Send e-vites instead of invites. E-vites are convenient, good for the environment, and efficient. You no longer have to consider the price of stationery and stamps or spend the time printing and mailing invitations.