The first thing I do is throw away all the trash that tends to get left around like junk mail or soda cans. Then I clean the kitchen or bathroom because I can really see results there with all the gleaming surfaces. I get my kids to vacuum. I never get any room 100% clean like I want but my mantra is "good enough".

Of course I can't be depressed during this time because then I wouldn't care what my house looked like.