On Being Tidy

I came across this book recently, and it's so fantastic, I had to share it!

​

     The author, Marie Kondo, gives great tips on how to get more organized and stay that way. The first step is to recognize how your environment makes you feel.

    Notice the difference in the feeling you get when you walk into your bedroom and the bed is made, things are all put neatly in their place, and there is no clutter strewn about.

​    Studies have shown that when our space is tidy, we feel better mentally. Start by visualizing your destination. This level of organization can seem overwhelming, but just take it one category at a time.

6 Steps to an organized life

1. Categorize. Start with the easy stuff. Clothes and books are first. More sentimental items take more time.
2. Take everything you have in one category and put it in one place. For example, take all your clothes and put them in a pile. 
3. Pick up each object in your hands and ask yourself if it sparks joy (if it’s a functional item like your stapler or tape dispenser, ask yourself if it is necessary, and group like items together). Don't start putting things away until you have gone through each item one by one and discarded what doesn't spark joy.
4. Scan or take pictures of papers that have significance and then throw them away. Put them in a certain folder in icloud or google docs.
5. Decide on a designated place for everything. Once things are all in one place you will easily find them and be more motivated to put them back.
6. No more piles! If you can’t see it, you won’t use it. Organize things in a way so that you can see it without rummaging through things.

​No more stacking clothing. Not only do we not wear what we don't see, but if we are looking for something, rummaging through piles creates a big mess. Always store vertically.

---

    Make sure you physically handle each item in your pile. You’ll actually notice a physical response to items you love. Everything else is discarded. Best sequence is clothes, then books, papers, mementos.

    Focus on choosing what you want to keep, not what you want to get rid of. Focusing solely on throwing things away can be a more negative process. Be brutally honest about what you need and what you don’t. 

    Keep floor space clear, tie up cords, and store things you definitely will need (not things you think you might use someday). 

    Make your bedroom a sanctuary. It should be a room you want to go in because it gives you a feeling of peace and serenity. When there is clutter, your mind will feel cluttered. When there is order in your space, there will be order in your mind.

​

I'd love to hear from you! Please leave a comment or question below!