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1) It's easier to be efficient and effective if everything has a place and
is in its place.

So start with the area of most clutter - wherever things get "dumped
temporarily". Get some boxes and label them. Such as "hand tools",
"stationery", "photos", "things I don't want know what to with", etc..
Whenever you have something to "put away" you have a labeled
container in which to put it.

Every time you go in that room for something, whatever you pick up can
go in a box. It's an ongoing process and gradually you'll find that the
"dump" moves into labeled boxes, making it easier to find things.

The reward for this effort is less time spent hunting for things and less
frustration. You might even have time to build more cupboard space for
the contents of the boxes!

2) Check your repeating patterns look for better solutions.

If you find that you are spending a lot of time, regularly on a particular
task, sit down and think about why.

Work your way back to the root cause of the problem. Like the shower
curtain example, getting back to the basic problem helped find a better
solution. So there may be a better solution to your own "problems in
life".

Make sure that you go as far back as you possibly can go and even
elect a friend to help you.

The very process of repeating it to someone else often highlights an
answer that hadn't been thought of before.

3) Don't put off what can be done today.

An old phrase, but extremely true. Handle it once.
Whether this is the incoming mail, a job to do or a
communication.

Putting it down to do later means it has time and energy
applied to it more than once. Time and energy that can
be used for more enjoyable purposes.