You can start be storing away the blender base and pressure cooker (you don't use them every day) ... move the giant counter top toaster somewhere else (you probably only use it once every two days) ... get an undercabinet paper towel holder ... get rid of the knife block storage (store small knives in a drawer - large knives on a magnetic wall holder - (you don't use all the knives every day))
You can still be messy and unorganized after all these changes ... at least you'll have more room to put things and keep it looking clearer without have to change how you work.
And then a rule of working in a kitchen I learned from an Italian cook ... as soon as you start, don't leave the kitchen (don't go watch tv, read, or play a game)
Practical rule ... set timers for everything and time everything appropriately (time everything to finish at the same time - example: if meat takes 10 minutes, vegetables 12 minutes and rice 30 minutes .. start rice first, vegetables next and meat last)
And the golden rule that my mom taught me .... if you're not cooking, you're cleaning - if you're not cleaning, you're cooking ... if you clean some while you are waiting for things to boil/cook/fry/bake, you'll have less dishes to do in the end