Marie Kondo is pretty well known these days. She wrote a best-selling book called “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing”. She now also has a show on Netflix that teaches people the best organizing and decluttering tips.
Everyone could use a refresher on how to organize the items in your home. Decluttering is especially important and you might want to start doing it in the spring months. Here are some of Marie’s best and easiest tips to organize your life:
Keep only what brings you joy
Her top advice is to look at every item you own and ask yourself, “Does this bring me joy?” If not, donate it or toss it. Sometimes we fill our homes with so much junk that we just don’t have the energy to look at each item and get rid of the things we no longer use or no longer enjoy. Only keep what makes you happy, even if it is something that is useful that brings you joy when you have it around to use. For example, a plunger may not bring you joy, but using it in a plumbing emergency likely will.
Forget tackling a room at a time
Marie suggests that you tackle categories instead of rooms. It can be too overwhelming to tackle an entire room at one time. Instead, try focusing on categories. For example, make a list of items. If you want to organize and get rid of some towels, look at your kitchen, bathroom, and other towels at one time.
Nostalgia can trick you into hoarding
Nostalgic items are of course, amazing. We love nostalgia here at DYR! However, you probably don’t need to keep all of your old movie stubs. Get rid of the ones you never look at or aren’t sentimental to you. You can also create a scrapbook with old items or take photos so that you still have the memory without the clutter.
Learn how to fold your clothes
You probably stack your clothes in piles right? Stack them vertically so you can see each piece, kind of like books on a shelf. This way you don’t forget about clothing items you have buried underneath 10 other items. You could also color code them if you want to be really organized!
Declutter paperwork
Going digital can save a lot of time and space. It can be easier to find files and you won’t have all of the paper clutter around. There are some copies that you do need in paper form, so be sure to organize those so you can find them quickly.
Start from scratch
If you want to clean out your closets, you must take everything out of the closets first. I know, this can be annoying and time-consuming, but it is essential to declutter properly. You can also deep clean the space when it is empty, something you probably don’t normally do.
What other organization tips do you live by? Do you love Marie Kondo’s work? Will you try any of these tips? Let us know! If you enjoyed this article, please SHARE with your friends and family who could use some organization tips and tricks!
Check out the trailer from Marie Kondo’s show on Netflix: