• Marie Kondo has a show you may have seen on Netflix called Tidying Up.  I just found one of her books at the library and after watching her show, I decided to give it a read.  These are a few tips about organizing.

    1.  Commit yourself to tidying up.  Her method isn’t a quick fix to occasionally tidy.  You need a clear vision to find the energy and motivation needed to tidy everything at one time.
    2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle.  This is how you decide you want to go about the task of tidying up and envisioning your best life.  This is a turning point in your life.
    3. Finish discarding first.  Discarding isn’t the point of the KonMari Method.  However, it gives you the chance to learn from your past experiences.  If you let go of an item that you haven’t used in a long time, you’re learning that you have no purpose for something like it in your life. 
    4. Tidy by category, not by location.  Sometimes, people store the same item in several different places.  Consolidate so you know how much you have of any given item.
    5. Follow the right order.  You should tidy your items by starting with clothes, which is easier to discard.  Next, discard books, papers komono (miscellaneous items) and finally sentimental items, which can be the most difficult.
    6. Ask yourself if it sparks joy.  If you only select items that give you joy, you can save what you love and what you need.

    Marie Kondo, of course expounds on all these points with lots of tips in her book.  I highly recommend this read. Happy tidying!