Declutter Your Space to Free Your Mind
The magic of decluttering
Decluttering can be one of the most challenging things to do for some people. We tend to hold on to objects and get used to cluttered spaces.
What we should keep in mind is that our spaces play a huge role in our general well-being. Ancient Asian cultures have mastered this art. In ancient China, they had a practice called Feng Shui. This practice focuses on ensuring a smooth flow of energy within our living spaces. It is believed that the state of our living space has a direct impact on our health, prosperity, and well-being. I have talked about some of the principles of Feng Shui in one of my previous articles.
In her best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, the Japanese author Marie Kondo talks about how by helping her clients declutter and organize their houses, she noticed that their whole lives changed.
Her method consists of simply getting rid of any item that doesn’t spark joy in us. She believes that people will always feel happier when surrounded by things they love and cherish.
The good news is that we only need to declutter once. If this step is done the right way, we won’t need to do it again.
“Once you have experienced what it’s like to have a truly ordered house, you’ll feel your whole world brighten. Never again will you revert to clutter. This is what I call the magic of tidying.”
— Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
The trick according to Marie Kondo, also known as KonMari, is to declutter in one shot, rather than little by little. This method causes a shift in your mindset and allows you to embrace a new way of living and being.
The trap that most people fall into is to try decluttering gradually over a long period of time. It may be tempting to think that this way is easier and more effective, but what KonMari has found is that this causes people to lose their motivation over time and they eventually end up in clutter again.
The KonMari method focuses on the state of mind and the feelings people get once they get rid of all the clutter in their houses. When they see their houses become organized over a short period of time, they start to notice a palpable change in their daily life.
They no longer have to spend hours looking for their keys, they can enjoy their lives more, and they can sense the shift in the energy of the house. This causes them to decide to stick to this new way of living.
The clutter is not only physical
“When a room becomes cluttered, the cause is more than just physical. Visible mess helps distract us from the true source of the disorder. The act of cluttering is really an instinctive reflex that draws our attention away from the heart of an issue.”
— Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Once our living spaces are clutter-free, we will naturally direct our attention to the real issues in our lives. This is how KonMari was able to change the lives of thousands of people.
A lot of her clients reported quitting their jobs or having shifts in their relationships after cleaning their houses. Sounds cool doesn’t it?
Picture your goal
One of the main tips in the book is to visualize your goal before starting.
Use your imagination to create a clear image of what you want to achieve. Describe your goal with words. Make your description as vivid as possible.
One way you can do that if you find it hard to imagine things, is to search for photos on the internet to gain some inspiration. You can create a Pinterest board and collect your images.
Then, ask yourself: “Why do I want to live like that?” and “Why do I want to tidy?”
Take the time to explore the reasons behind your goal. You will end up realizing that the whole point of doing this work is to be happy. To live a happy life.
Understanding this goal will help you stick to it and complete your tasks. Having a clear vision to start with is the fuel to what comes next.
Sorting by category
The KonMari method consists of tidying by category rather than by location.
This means that you will have to set a goal regarding what category you want to start with rather than what room. The reason is to avoid dealing with the same type of objects again and again.
For example, you can choose to start with the clothes on the first day, then move to the books on the second day, etc.
We can get out of the negative spiral
One of my main takeaways from this book is that clutter is not normal. It’s not normal to constantly have to organize your space and watch it become cluttered again every time.
If we only possessed objects that we actually needed and that sparked joy in us, we wouldn’t need to go through the hell of tidying each day.
“As for you, pour your time and passion into what brings you the most joy, your mission in life. I am convinced that putting your house in order will help you find the mission that speaks to your heart. Life truly begins after you have put your house in order.”
— Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
