I think we've all been there...at least once in our life (and maybe more often if you're like me).  You get busy...and then you get overwhelmed...and you just can't get to everything on your list.  Naturally, we often need to prioritize and one of the first items to go (because it's the least fun) is cleaning.

There may be many reasons you can't get to everything.  It could be because you're just busy with work, or busy taking care of your kids, or busy cooking, or you're just overly tired.  And, many times it's just all of the above.

The truth is, once we fall behind, it's gets even harder to get motivated and it seems like it will take even longer to clean and you just don't know where to start.

So my first bit of advice is to start with a small easy and manageable chunk.  You should do something you clean quickly and easily.  Ideally, it will be something that will visually make a big difference to you, so that when you finish it, you can see the difference.  Then, you'll feel good about what you accomplished and it will help motivate you to work on task #2.

It's up to you what you tackle first.  It may be something as simple as putting the dishes away in the dishwasher or clearing out a section of your room.  Choose something you can do easily.

For some people, making a big check list of all the items to do/clean helps because you can break it into small manageable tasks, and then cross each one off your list.  For others, this may make things worse as the tasks may then feel even more overwhelming.  Know whether this works well for you and act accordingly.

If you just dread cleaning, think of a task you enjoy that you can do at the same time.  That could be listening to music or the TV.  You could even watch  your favorite TV show and do quick cleaning tasks during the commercials.  Or, talk to a friend on the phone (using your bluetooth) and clean at the same time...anything to help you enjoy the task more.

If you're pregnant, and extra tired (and have a bump in the way that makes everything take an extra bit longer), you may find this article helpful:  How to get motivated to clean while you're pregnant.  We all know it's hard enough to clean as it is.

Another idea to help is to clean with a friend.  It could be your spouse or another member of the family or even a friend. This makes things so much faster and easier (and more fun, too).

Of course one of my favorite options, when I can afford it, is to hire someone else to clean.  That could look like hiring a professional once a week or every other week or even just once a month.  Or, you could hire someone to do the tasks you dread the most.

But do whatever works the best for you to somehow get the task done.