Cleaning and organizing books are everywhere these days. And if we're being honest, a lot of them are pretty similar. But The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, a book by Marie Kondo, stands out from the pack. Marie adds a fresh perspective to the age-old clutter struggle by incorporating a decidedly Japanese outlook on the problem.

If your current clutter solutions just aren’t working, we definitely recommend picking up Marie’s book. But in the meantime, we pulled some quick tips from Kondo’s book that you can start doing today.

Start with a Small, Unsentimental Category

When you embark on the ultimate organization session, don’t start somewhere bound to spark memories or tough decisions like your photos or clothes.

Take your first steps by discarding a manageable grouping like your Tupperware or toiletries. Although it may be intuitive to start in an area that you use every day, it could stunt your progression.

Discard Every Time You Tidy

Try getting rid of at least one item every time you set out to de-clutter a space. Ideally, you want to do a full audit of what you own every time you tidy, but realistically, one item is a good start.

Remember, putting everything away only avoids the clutter problem – it doesn’t solve it.

Tidy by Item, Not by Space

The idea here is to organize based on the item and not by the room. For example, audit and organize all your clothes at the same time. That means you’ll have to go through your dressers, closets, coat closets, the outdoor gear in the basement. Do it all!

This way you have a clear vision of what you have and what you really need. You’ll feel more comfortable paring down to the necessities.

Understand Why We Let Things Go

Kondo argues that by having piles of things, we are neglecting the items we love. Learning to let go stems from understanding each item’s purpose and honoring it – whether you are choosing to keep it or to leave it behind. Either way, understanding your relationship with every item will help you know what to keep, and what to toss. 

If you want to continue the Japanese de-cluttering journey, you can grab The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up on Amazon right here.

Information provided by BrightNest.com.

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