*This post was made possible through the support of Goodwill.  All opinions, content, ideas and pictures are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for Live Colorful.I've heard a couple of times the phrase "divide and conquer " but it just does not work for me. For example, the other day I tried to start my spring cleaning during a couple of free minutes I had in the morning but I failed. When I noticed how long it was taking, I simply put everything back in the closet and pretended that nothing had happened. This week was different, I had some time and decided to finish it all in one day and I succeeded! I love that feeling of triumph looking at bags and bags of garbage and donations. The bedroom feels light and clean, I really love it.

Are you ready for spring cleaning? Check out these tips on how to do it without killing yourself in the process. Do not forget to set the mood before you start, your favorite music or movie would work!

Spring Cleaning In 5 Easy Steps :

1. Make Piles. Things you love, things you no longer use and the maybe pile.

When your closet is empty, go back to the maybe pile and start checking it piece by piece. Ask yourself, when was the last time I wore this? If you don’t remember, that piece has got go to the pile of donations. The more you bring out of your closet, more new things could come in, it’s a good way to motivate yourself to let go of all those things you no longer use.

If you're still undecided, check out this test: What’s your closet’s personality? Every season, we fill our wardrobes with new clothes rather than taking the time to clean out the things we no longer use. Take this quiz to assess your clothing personality and learn how best to declutter your closet this spring.

2. Store your winter clothes. You can start putting away your winter coats. Because they are so heavy and take up so much space, I prefer to use plastic organizing boxes, I put scarves, hats and other winter accessories there. I truly enjoy that extra space!

3. Let’s get everything hanging in that closet! It’s time to put the clothes you use and love back in the closet. A couple of months ago, I organized my closet by color and was truly delighted with how easy it was to make color combinations. This time I wanted to do something different, just because I like trying different systems. This time I used hangers of different colors to separate the clothes into three groups. The blue hangers are all the special occasion pieces, evening dresses and delicate blouses. The yellow area are all those things I adore and use all the time. The pink area is everything else. Separating clothes this way I can find something for a special occasion in a second, but I can also see everything I have not worn in a while.

You don’t need to buy colorful hangers to create this system. Use the hangers you have at home and simply separate areas leaving an empty space between them.

4.  Grouping is key. I love using organizing systems and accessories for shoes, bags and scarves to have everything in sight and separate them by group. I bought that extra piece of furniture to store my exercise clothes. On the top I am keeping some creams and hair products. Small boxes are a great way to organize things like nail polish and hair accessories so everything is in its place!

5. Donate and help! It is important that when you finish organizing, put all the things you don’t use in bags and take them to the nearest donation center. I was checking the Goodwill's website and it’s Donation Impact Calculator and I was so impressed. With my four bags of clothes that I’m donating I'm helping create direct jobs in the community. Let's work together to create a healthier planet!!

Follow the hashtag #7DaysofSpringCleaning and discover how to focus on cleaning different areas of your home for seven consecutive days. Then, calculate your donation impact. Donate stuff and create jobs! To see how the process works, just watch this video:  “How We Do It”.

Now, when you finish cleaning and donating you are going to deserve a little treat. What about an ice cream, or a new pair of sandals! why not? Now you have some extra space for them.