Tidying is the act of confronting yourself; cleaning is the act of confronting nature.– Marie Kondo, author of the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying
In a world where we tend to purchase faster than our mind can process, we have become consumers who are always keen on the hunt but have lost track of what we already have.
Instant gratification can contribute to clutter, and clutter seems to be a modern day issue. It’s never too late to start tidying and decluttering. Here are 6 ways to master the art of tidying and decluttering.
Don’t get intimidated
Most of us take a look at the junk drawer or the wardrobe and immediately start hyperventilating. The overstuffed drawer or wardrobe resembles more to a monster than your clothes and trinkets.
So, the first step is not to get intimidated by the clutter. If you feel overwhelmed, tell yourself you will take it one step at a time.
You don’t need to finish tidying up in one weekend or session. Spread your work over a few weekends and any free weekday slots.
Have the end-result picture in mind
Envision the result or your goal vividly. When you have a vision of how your wardrobe or house would look like after the decluttering, it will help you get excited to start.
Having a clear vision of the result will also help to motivate you when you feel discouraged midway.
Commit to it
As in anything worth doing in life, you need to commit to seeing it through. You might be all fired up at the beginning and then lose your enthusiasm mid-way.
Make a commitment to stick to it until you finish decluttering. A lot of things start with your mind so first off get your mind in the right place and the right actions will follow suit.
Promise yourself early on that you will commit to the tidying and decluttering. When you see progress, you will automatically feel more motivated so keep going.
You can take a break but always go back to finishing the project.
What to keep?
In her book Spark Joy, Marie Kondo the tidying expert, advices to keep items that spark joy in your life. Do not fret if you find yourself looking at a massive pile of clothes or an avalanche of books.
Let your sense of joy be your guide and if you ever find yourself getting confused, just pick two or three items to compare. Once you have a comparison, you will find the items that truly give you joy.
I don’t use it but…
The idea about tidying and decluttering is not to get rid of things and keep the bare minimum with you. That shouldn’t be your focus.
Your focus ought to be to surround yourself with things that give you joy and pleasure. So, you don’t have to struggle whether you need to part with the sweater your grandma knit you before she passed away.
Be brave to keep items that you love or still give you joy. Not all items that give us joy are daily essentials. Some items merely give us pleasure when we see it or touch it.
Useful but mundane items
There are items that you use daily that might not give you joy such as a reliable can opener that you cherish. The can opener never fails you and always gets the job done.
The fact that you enjoy using that can opener gives you joy as well so don’t be mistaken that everything you keep needs to be pretty or fancy. Practical items can give you immense joy when they do their job right too!
Here’s to surrounding yourself with things that give you joy. Happy tidying and decluttering!
