Decluttering Basics

Sprucing Up For Peace & Joy

By starting with the easy things first and leaving the hardest for last, you can gradually hone your decision-making skills so that by the end, it seems simple. (Kondō, 2014, p. 65)

There's something comforting about decluttering with a plan, creating a personal ritual, and refreshing our living space (as well as our lifestyle) with creative and practical life hacks.

I especially enjoy Marie Kondo's 'tidying up' style because she makes a point to include emotional wellbeing and a sense of a deeper connection to life as a part of the process. This concept is what I gathered from her 'spark joy' principle. I think the spark joy principle is not only about honoring our feelings in a positive way. I think it's also about cultivating a profound awareness of our relationship to our belongings as well as our immediate living environment. As a result we naturally create a healthy habits of self love and extend our care to others.

Kondo writes, "Look more closely at what is there. I had been so focused on what to discard, on attacking the unwanted obstacles around me, that I had forgotten to cherish the things that I loved, the things that I wanted to keep." (Kondō, 2014, p.41) When I read this, I was reminded that the act of cleaning, decluttering, organizing, and anything of the like is just as much an inner growth experience as it is an expression of transformation, leading us towards what we truly want in life: More peace and joy please, thank you!

For example, by giving love and respect to the bathroom, we may be more likely to give love and respect to ourselves with consistent hygiene, self spa days, and maybe even add motivational quotes to the mirror for daily encouragement. By tidying up the living room or common areas, we may be more likely to host visits from friends and family to make meaningful memories and cultivate priceless connections.

Along with teaching us about caring for our resources, Kondo enlightens us with the importance of letting go of the things that no longer serve us. We can practice this by implementing simplicity, respect, and a personal ritual with the act of letting go. For instance, thanking each item before we toss, donate, or gift them can give us a genuine sense of closure.

The specific order of categories and more of Kondo's decluttering suggestions will be listed below. You'll also get a peak into some of my personal experience and lessons I've learned along the way! I hope the information here motivates you to start fresh and renew your own process of decluttering and tidying up.

Clothing

“Make sure you gather every piece of clothing in the house and be sure to handle each one.” (Kondō, 2014, p. 69)

Whether you own or rent a house, apartment, condo, or room, Kondo advises to take out every single piece of clothing before starting on the process to donate, toss, gift, or keep your clothes. This means not only going through the bedroom closet, but also suitcases, dresser drawers, and other clothing storage areas. Wherever your clothes reside, bring them all together in one place.

After this initial step, Kondo suggests starting the decision making process with off season clothes. She writes: “Do I want to see it again? Well, not necessarily…” If that’s how you feel, throw it in the discard or donate pile.

For me, this piece of advice cuts straight through the intimidating, overwhelming, and embarrassing feelings that come up when sorting through my clothes. Now that I'm back in the habit of doing a major decluttering every month, I return to the above question each time, especially when I'm hesitating on specific clothing items.

I even notice a specific kind of hesitation when holding an item I don't really want or even need, but see to be of practical use. When you go through the Kondo process long enough or often enough, you can hone in on your intuition rather than practical reasoning alone.

For example, I have had a suitcase full of cold weather clothes that I can only wear in NJ and NY when I visit family and friends. I kept it because San Diego just doesn't get cold enough, but I thought I could really use them for my trips back home during fall and winter seasons. Unfortunately, there were plenty of times when I would visit the east coast during these cooler seasons and more often than not I would lug along the clothes and didn't even wear all of them!

If you haven't already guessed, these items have gone in the donate pile without any guilt. Also, I still continue to practice this 'Do I want to see it again' method of letting go within other categories as I build my own style of decluttering.

Tip: If you're interested in sustainable options for donations, check out thrifting stores in your neighborhood. In San Diego, you can look into thrift and swap events hosted by Positive_Phee.

Books

“To truly decide whether you want to keep something or to dispose of it, you must take your things out of hibernation.” ~ Kondō

As I mentioned, Marie Kondo has a special way of reminding us to settle into our emotional connection with our belongings in a healthy way. It’s more than just asking ourselves about what we need to keep for practical use when handling our books for instance. Kondo advises on taking books off bookshelves and pulling them out of their current storage spaces to be placed onto the floor.

Then, each one should be picked up individually; if the book brings you a feeling of pure pleasure, it’s a keeper! Remember that spark joy principle? Well, I think the point here is to get out of our heads a little bit, allowing ourselves to rest into our hearts a little more when making these decluttering decisions.

Interestingly enough, Kondo cautions against opening and reading each book because it clouds our judgment, bringing us back to a more intellectual approach. The reason for this is very simple as Kondo writes, “Imagine what it would be like to have a bookshelf filled only with books that you really love. Isn’t that image spellbinding? For someone who loves books, what greater happiness could there be?"

I love my books and I'm understanding more and more about how precious certain references and stories are to me. However, I'm also practicing mindfulness and minimalism in a way that is helping me to get used to the following idea: I don't have to own everything that I love in life and keep them all together in one place. For me, this is another lesson for the process of letting go.

For instance, I really enjoy a physical copy of a book when delving into a good read, however the Marie Kondo method has helped me to determine what books to keep as a physical copy and others that I can enjoy as an audio or pdf option.

The books that I physically own have downsized to my personal top picks within the genres of yoga, self improvement, and sci fi fantasy. Everything else is audio, pdf, or books that I share with others.

That's right, you can swap books with friends and family! This is a great way to share what you love with people you love. Book sharing can also serve as an alternative to a conventional book club if you want to share knowledge and have deep discussions on what you've read.

If you have too many books to count or if the idea of looking at all of your books at once seems overwhelming, try this Kondo method:

Sort By ‘Broad Book Categories’

• General: books you read for pleasure

• Practical: references, cookbooks, etc.

• Visual: photograph collections, etc.

• Magazines

Papers

"I recommend you dispose of anything that does not fall into one of three categories: currently in use, needed for a limited period of time, or must be kept indefinitely." (Kondō, 2014, p. 97)

Going through, filtering, sorting, and discarding papers is probably the most challenging portion of decluttering for me. Apparently, it's a shared bit of grief and a discouraging category for a lot of Marie Kondo's clients.

Whew! I know it sounds silly, but sometimes when you know you're not alone in a particular kind of life struggle, hope and motivation can spark from the shared similar experiences.

Personally, paper sorting can be emotionally stirring. Still to this day when I come across the important stuff, I find myself often asking, "How long am I supposed to hold to this for my records and do I really need a physical copy of this?"

Nevertheless, I'm learning to create more peace around the paper area of tidying up in my life. For instance, I'm making it more of a regular practice to open my mail right away. This allows me to toss the junk and distraction while helping me to keep an on the papers that actually need my attention.

Also, because I see my books often, those precious items that I love so much, I've made a habit to keep my temporary papers nearby. This has taught me to shift my association with papers from stress to peace. It has also encouraged me to and to sort through my temporary papers sooner rather than allowing it to pile up.

Here are some more Kondo tips for the paper category:

Paper Organization

• Keep papers in one area

• Create and maintain a filing system

  • Use a vertical organizer

  • Toss junk mail right away

• Store and sort by category: Lecture materials

  • Credit card statements

  • Warranties

  • Getting cards

  • Used checkbooks

  • Pay slips and receipts

Miscellaneous

"I recommend this particular order because it is easier if you start with more personal items and clearly defined content first. " (Kondō, 2014, p. 107)

It seems to me that by the time we get to the miscellaneous category the process of sorting through what to keep, donate, gift, and toss does become a bit smoother. With mindfulness and purposeful intent we create a rhythm, connecting to a deep knowing of what we want and need in our home space.

Marie Kondo expounds on this concept by writing, "Follow your intuition and all will be well." (Kondo, 2014, p. 125) She also writes, "Only you can know what kind of environment makes you feel happy. The act of picking up and choosing objects is extremely personal. To avoid rebound, you need to create your own tidying method with your own standards." (Kondo, 2014, p. 126)

With that said, I hope that you can find, create, and maintain a method that really works for you. And remember that whatever method you choose, the decluttering process comes down to looking at every single item that you call your own.

If we want to approach our belongings with full awareness, then everything deserves our attention right? This means that each tiny little knick-knack, every piece of personal care product, and all of our tech pieces gets a turn in our hands and final decision making.

When I get to the miscellaneous category and pick up each belonging I usually ask myself,

Helpful Sorting Questions

• Do I love and/or need this item?

• Would I be happy with this item on display?

• Have I used this item with success in the past year?

If most or all of the answers to these questions come to a yes, then it's a keeper for me. If the answers lean more to a no, then it's got to go. Maybe these are questions that already come up for you. If so, that's great! If not, they may come in handy when you feel hesitation with certain items.

Kondo's solution when decluttering through miscellaneous items, goes back to the point of sorting in a particular order (listed below) and creating sub-categories if necessary for things belonging to a hobby for example.

Miscellaneous Sorting

1. CDs, DVDs

2. Skin care products

3. Makeup

4. Accessories

5. Valuables ( passports, credit cards, etc. )

6. Electrical equipment and appliances (digital cameras, electric cards, anything that seems vaguely electric)

7. Household equipment (stationary and writing materials, sewing kits, etc.)

8. Household supplies (expendables like medicine, detergents, tissues, etc. )

9. Kitchen Goods/ Food Supplies (spatulas, pots, blenders, Etc)

10. Other (spare change, figurines, etc.)

Sentimental

"No matter how wonderful things used to be, we cannot live in the past. The joy and excitement we feel here and now are more important." (Kondō, 2014, p. 114)

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has a hard time going through sentimental items. Personally, this category is just as difficult as papers, however with a system and a rhythm in place it's getting easier to sort through my journals, gifts, pictures, etc.

One of my favorite pieces of Kondo suggestions is to directly ask family and friends about the sentimental items we struggle with. My family has taught me about this lesson as well. For instance, I remember my brother going through his own decluttering process and asking me about a pair of faux license plates that were gifted to him. Apparently I was apart of this specific gift and I honestly didn't remember the items until he showed me during a video call.

Nevertheless, I do strongly remember the feelings and thoughts behind the gift. Because my brother grew up as a city guy, he spent more time in NY than NJ and like most other city folks, he relied on public transportation. This lead to a late desire to obtain a drivers license. Long story short, the memories and motivation meant more to us than the actual items in question and this allowed my big bro to feel free to let go of the sentimental items.

Kondo makes a potent point about settling your past while sifting through the sentimental category. She also puts emphasis on not sending things to your parents' homes because it's essentially passing on the things that you're not willing to deal with. I love these principles and practices because it encourages us to take full responsibility of our belongings while simultaneously acknowledging our life journey both past and present.

Marie Kondo Inspirational Quotes

• "Choose those things that spark joy when you touch them."

• "Hang those clothes that would be happier on hangers."

• "Don't worry about throwing away too much. There will come a moment when you know what is just right."

Reference:

Kondō, M. (2014). The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (1st ed.). Ten Speed Press.