The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A simple, effective way to banish clutter forever

Tidying is just a tool, not the final destination. The true goal should be to establish the lifestyle you want most once your house has been put in order.

The best sequence is this: clothes first, then books, papers, miscellaneous items (komono) and, lastly, sentimental items and keepsakes.

For the best results, I ask that you hold faithfully to the following rule: tidy in the right order. As we’ve seen, there are only two tasks involved – discarding and deciding where to keep things. Just two, but discarding must come first. Be sure to completely finish the first task before starting the next. Do not even think of putting your things

Buying on impulse and eating and drinking to excess are attempts to alleviate stress.

Many items within the home are treated in the same way. They are placed, stored and accumulate ‘just because’, without us giving them much thought. I call this category komono, a Japanese term which the dictionary defines variously as ‘small articles; miscellaneous items; accessories; gadgets or small tools; parts or attachments; an insignificant p

The basic order for sorting komono is as follows: CDs, DVDs Skincare products Make-up Accessories Valuables (passports, credit cards, etc.) Electrical equipment and appliances (digital cameras, electric cords, anything that seems vaguely ‘electric’) Household equipment (stationery and writing materials, sewing kits, etc.) Household supplies (expend

Start with clothes, then books, documents, komono and finally keepsakes or sentimental items.

Gathering every item in one place is essential to this process because it gives you an accurate grasp of how much you have. Most people are shocked at the sheer volume, which is often at least twice what they imagined. By collecting things in one spot, you can also compare items that are similar in design, making it easier to decide if you want to

divide them into two categories: papers to be saved and papers that need to be dealt with.