If you are Single… Clean Up Your Mess, and you may catch the Big Fish!

Can't seem to hold on to a relationship, and you don't know why? Maybe a few disorganized habits are to blame.

How Sloppiness is Hurting Your Love Life

Messy areas of your life can give the impression that you just don't care about things. And if you don't care - why should anyone else?

Why put someone off before they've even had a chance to meet you? Instead, see if one of the following describes your messy trouble area and learn how you can clean it up.

Messy area: Your finances.

Credit problems, overspending, and late payments can be a red flag for potential partners that perhaps you've got a lazier faire attitude about life. If you don't take paying your bills seriously, maybe it's a sign that you won't take the relationship seriously either. After all, if your partnership is ever to progress , you will in all likelihood be sharing expenses and money one day. Regardless of what got you in financial trouble, a potential partner may balk at getting serious or in taking on a huge chunk of your debt.

Get a handle on your spending habits by writing down every dollar that leaves your wallet. Investing in a software program like Quicken may help you track expenses. Knowing where your money is going is the first step to keeping it. There are several books on the market that can help you deal with personal finance. A credit counselor may also be a good idea if you're seriously in debt.

Messy area: Cluttered living space.

In many ways, your home reflects your personality and zest for life. But if your house is a disorganized mess, you probably don't want to be there and certainly don't want to show it off to other people. If your significant other can't be comfortable in your abode, they may subconsciously take it as a sign that they won't be at home in your life, either. Besides that, hunting for your checkbook, keys, or wallet amidst the piles of rubble isn't exactly a good use of your time.

Clean Up Your Mess!

Messy area: Disheveled personal hygiene.

Besides the obvious - who wants to kiss someone who stinks? - a problem with bathing, haircuts, or untidy appearance hold you back from feeling confident and putting your best foot forward. If you don't feel good about yourself, how can you expect someone else to?

If you are Married and have children, here are some Tips For Spring Cleaning!

Spring cleaning is on the horizon, and you could use some help.

Many hands make light work ... so how do you get the kids to pitch in when it's time to spring-clean the house?

Try these tips to involve children with housecleaning chores:

Think teamwork

It's downright lonely to be sentenced to clean a bathroom on your own, but paired with a parent, even a 5-year-old can work safely and happily. While Dad wields the bowl cleaner and the tile brush, his helper can scrub the sink, polish the fixtures, empty the trash and trundle towels and rugs to the laundry room.

Working as a team involves kids in the cleaning process, helps them learn cleaning skills, and most important, models both the attitude and the job standard you're trying to teach.

Take your voice out of the process

Children have an innate ability to "tune out" parents, when the subject is chores. What parent wants to spend a Saturday nagging, threatening and hollering, "You get back here and finish the vacuuming!"?

Instead, post a list of the day's jobs, or write them out on index cards. Split the jobs up between the teams, or let each team choose one until the work is done. Putting the work on paper removes the tussle of wills.

Make time fly with media motivators

Playing upbeat music or an exciting audiobook keeps spirits high--and dust cloths moving. For maximum motivation, let each helper choose his or her tunes throughout the day.

Delegate "big jobs" to teens

Once adolescence hits, working with a parent loses it's appeal. Solution? Delegate big--but safe--jobs to teen children.

Whether they clean and organize the garage, shampoo the living room carpet, or restore order to a jumbled linen closet, they'll take pride in their work IF you truly let them own the job.

Ignore all bleating and moaning, and praise their solutions to the skies. In spite of their complaints, they won't let you down.

Reward hard work

Spring cleaning is nobody's idea of a good time, so plan for a reward for your workers. When the chores are done, schedule a family treat.

Whether it's pizza for lunch or a trip to the video store for an evening film-fest, you'll get better results--and sweeten attitudes--if there's a payoff at the end of the day.