The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying

A simple, effective way to banish clutter forever

Smart Next Actions

Continue to focus your personal brand identify on the simple activity of reading books in order to acquire super-human intelligence.
Continue to teach others how to develop limitless intelligence quickly.
Continue to reveal that the education system is highly unlikely to teach others how to discover, and perfect, their unique genius and special purpose in life as it was, simply, not designed to do so.
Remember, good tidying up is probably the starting point of being able to create a digital 2^nd brain.
Remember, the point of brilliant tidying up is to be able to live your perfect lifestyle.
Continue to discard everything that does not bring you joy or hold any real future value.
Remember, brilliant tidying starts with discarding.
Remember to, always, sort by the following categories: (1) clothes, (2) books, (3) papers, (4) miscellaneous items, then (5) sentimental items.
Continue to create digital content, consistently, with the highest levels of thoroughness.
Remember to just refer to the Smart Learning Points below whenever you want to refresh your memory regarding the salient points of tidying up.
Continue to read books, like this, to dramatically speed up your learning process.
Consider upgrading your nightwear at some point.
Consider teaching others, with step-by-step instructions, how to create game-changing digital record-keeping systems (2^nd Brain).
Consider writing a book about what I learned, and learn, running intelligence experiments on myself and others.
Consider whether Involgize should have a certification process that grades Involgizers.
Acknowledge that if a person discovers, then masters, their unique genius; then the right business or career will inevitably find them.
Recommend that Involgizers read Marie Kondo’s book to see first-hand what can be achieved when a person continues to pursue their unique genius.
Continue to grow Involgize relatively under the radar, one person at a time.
Remember that because tidying up properly enables a person to feel contentment (enhanced gratitude) this will always make it a spiritual exercise.
Acknowledge that anything that enables a person to feel deep contentment from within may always be classified as a spiritual activity (i.e. weekly planning).
Continue to cherish everything, and everyone, around you so that they shine as a natural by-product.

Smart Learning Points (Elaboration)

Marie Kondo has spent 80% of her life focusing on the subject of tidying up. Just like I have spent more than 80% of my life reading books to explore and experiment with building the highest levels of intelligence. Just as putting everything in order within one’s home positively affects all aspects of our lives, putting everything in order intellectually builds off of this, and has a similar profound effect. This book has allowed me to acknowledge that reading books the way I teach others will, literally, transform a person’s life, and it is something that I have not spent anytime thinking about per se, but it seems like it is now time for me to do so.
I read my first personal development book when I was 14, and it started my process of reading seriously and assessing the strengths and weaknesses (intelligence) of everything around me that lead to the creation of Involgize.
Involgize is a name that we made up due to the running of an intelligence experiment, and the shortcomings of existing words in the english language. I can now be though of as an intelligence consultant (thought-leader) that spends some time each week teaching people how to develop their different intelligences quickly, and become super-human.
So How Do I Find My Genius, Purpose and Get Smarter Quickly? Most people rely on the education system to decide how smart they are, and what they can achieve. However, educational institutional were not designed to truly empower the individual. To achieve our true capabilities requires the use of self-education (individualised and customised education).
Tidying up is like weekly planning: it is better done all in one go with everything being organised into a system as soon as possible.
Everything is actually about our psychological state. To tidy up our house we first have to tidy up our psychological state. The same is true in regard to our intelligence. To get smarter and smarter, we must first address our limiting beliefs (psychological state). We have to earn the right to believe in another way of getting smarter (book count).
The writer informs us that the ultimate goal of tidying up is to be able to live our ultimately lifestyle. The same applies to intelligence. The over-aching goal of getting smarter and smarter is to be able to master our unique genius and fulfil our special purpose in life (lifestyle).
“Tidying starts with discarding.” This is why it is so important to read, as there is no way that we would be able to draw such conclusions without spending years focused on mastering this specific subject. It is only when we know what we want to keep that we then start storing our stuff. The other important element of this is asking ourselves “… ‘Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep it. If not, throw it out. This is not only the simplest but also the most accurate yardstick by which to judge.”
To prevent myself from having to regurgitate everything written below such as Sort by Category, Not by Location, I have to remember to refer back to this book review (to refresh my memory) when in doubt about the best approach to tidying up.
Going through this book is really revealing to me that my next major task is, truly, to provide others with specific, and precise step-by-step instructions (digital assets) on how to build limitless intelligence quickly with an extra-ordinary level of thoroughness. That said, creating digital content also requires an element of trial and error and experimentation. Refinement will, inevitably, come over time. So just continue creating, thoroughly, in the knowledge that further improvements will come as a natural by-product of the learning process.
Even though the tidying process starts by deciding what we want to throw away, it must be carried out by thinking about what we want to keep that actually brings us joy. If not, then the process of tidying up will become neurotic which ultimately will lead to unhappiness. In reverse, thinking about what brings us joy will inevitably lead to feelings of happiness. The same applies to weekly planning. By planning out the week in relation to our dreams and special purpose in life, this will naturally lead to feelings of happiness. Whereas, to carry out the same weekly plan with only the details of the coming days ahead will cause us to become neurotic and lose sight of the bigger picture. This too, ultimately, will lead to feelings of unhappiness.
The primary importance of ensuring that we are only surrounded by the things that touch our heart in some way.
The best order for sorting out the different categories is (1) clothes, (2) books, (3) papers, (4) miscellaneous items, then (5) sentimental items. Again, there is just simply no way that we would have been able to come up with this without years and years of experience tidying up. Hence the crucial importance of reading.
The above sentence allows me to see that if I wrote a book about intelligence, it would enable the reader to learn stuff about the subject that it is almost guaranteed that they will never know, because they would have need to dedicate their lives to intelligence in order to find out.
It is crucial that we make sure that we are 1000% organised before even considering criticising the tidiness of others.
To organise our clothes, we should use the following sequence… (1) Tops, (2) Bottoms, (3) Clothes that should be hung, (4) Socks Underwear Handbags, etc., (5) extra items such as scarves, belts, hats, etc., (6) Clothes for specific events like swimsuits, uniform, etc., and (6) Shoe. Funny enough, this is the sequence I find myself tending to follow intuitively anyhow!
I definitely have to upgrade my nightwear at some point for sure. The question is what Pjs would I like to where? Something black and silky immediately comes to my mind.
Hanging clothes instead of folding them is definitely a bad habit that I have fallen into that has resulted in less wardrobe space for sure. As we “… can fit from 20 to 40 pieces of folded clothing in the same amount of space required to hang 10.”
I failed to previously, really, appreciate the point that when it comes to folding the clothes, the number of folds should be adjusted so that the folded clothing when standing on edge as “… every piece of clothing has its own ‘sweet spot’ where it feels just right – a folded state that best suits that item.”
What is missing from this book is introducing people to the possibility of keeping superior digital record-keeping systems for all of their books, notes, etc. I guess this would be the natural next step for a person who advances from tidying up brilliantly to creating a perfect storage free digital lifestyle. Hmm… this gives me food for thought. Arguably, am I becoming a fine example of what the lives of many people may look like in the future (those who achieve a high level of digital mastery)?
One of the immediate benefits that I derived from reading this book was the willingness to throw away all of my papers (daily journaling notes along side any manuals, booklets, etc.) without hesitation. This is because I know that I tend to make full use of the knowledge contained within my notes immediately on a daily basis, and have a process of incorporating anything that needs to be retained long-term into other parts of my digital systems.
The most important thing about this text, which applies to books in general, is that they allow us to really think through the things that we would not ordinarily think about. The things that are vital to pay attention to if we intend to maximise ourselves. So, now, I can see that I want any book that I write to have the same immediate effect.
Following Marie Kondo’s example, it may make sense for us to have an approach where we have to graduate Involgizers. So, if they fail to achieve certain conditions such as making sure that every book that they have read will solve a major problem, then we will refuse to pass them. This test may involve us picking books randomly from their entire booklist in order to ask them to recall from memory exactly how this book has help them.
All sentimental items contain a psychological weight that can hold us back if we do not let them go. So holding each sentimental thing one at a time and deciding whether they bring us joy, and whether we want to keep them, is such an important process.
“Never Pile Things: Vertical Storage Is Key.”
Even though Marie Kondo had been tidying up since she was 5 years old, she only realised that she liked organising more recently around 2014. This makes the point that all a person has to do is discover their Genius, then seek to perfect it over time. The rest, in terms of the right business or career for them to pursue, will take care of itself in time.
My intelligence course would encourage students to look into, and study, all those who have found and mastered their genius in life in order to prepare and condition their minds to achieve the same thing effortlessly.
“At their core, the things we really like do not change over time. Putting your house in order is a great way to discover what they are.” This makes me think of the fact that I have been drawing, training, thinking strategically, and reading my whole life. Therefore, it seems true that the things I really like to do have not changed over time.
Significantly, Marie Kondo’s tidying business fits into the perception of what Japan or Japanese people are known for internationally: minimalistic interior and culture. Naturally, this would have increased the potential branding success of her brand. In my case, the UK is known globally as a nation of highly intelligent or sophisticated people (ruling elite); therefore, the branding success of Involgize may be at an advantage in regard to a US audience. However, because Involgize was founded by a black man, the initial perception of the brand will be that it is not, and will never be, of the highest quality or effectiveness. This reality may provide a tremendous opportunity for us to hide in plain sight, and enables the brand to not become disadvantageously affected by the status quo in any shape or form.
Tidying up properly teaches, and increases, contentment with the things that we have already (gratitude). This is why, spiritually, it is such a powerful process to embark upon, and something that totally undermines the orientation of the current system.
When organising your clothes form a gradation from dark to light, placing clothes that are lighter in colour at the front of the drawer and gradually progress to darker colours at the back.
The things that are cherished shine.
The only ones who need to spend their lives, year in and year out, developing limitless intelligence are people like me who find joy in it, and who are passionate about creating super-human intelligence to make the world a better place.

Key Strategic Sentences and Paragraphs from ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A simple, effective way to banish clutter forever‘

Preface

“Putting their house in order positively affects all other aspects of their lives – including work and family. Having devoted over 80 per cent of my life to this subject, I know that tidying can transform your life too (p 1).”

“I started reading housewives’ magazines when I was five, and it was this that inspired me, from the age of 15, to undertake the serious study of decluttering and tidying that led to the KonMari (p 2).”

“Method (KonMari is my nickname, taken from my first and last names). I am now a consultant and spend most of my days visiting homes and offices, giving hands-on advice to people who find it difficult to tidy, who tidy but suffer rebound, or who want to tidy but don’t know where to start (p 2).”

“So how can you acquire the right kind of mindset? There is just one way and, paradoxically, it is by acquiring the right technique (p 5).”

1 Why Can’t I Keep My House in Order?

“Yet in most societies tidying, the job that keeps a home liveable, is completely disregarded because of the misconception that the basic ability to tidy is acquired through experience and therefore doesn’t require training (p 12).”

You Can’t Tidy If You’ve Never Learnt How

Tidy once and properly

“Rebound occurs because people mistakenly believe they have tidied thoroughly when in fact they have only partially sorted and stored things. If you put your house in order properly, you’ll be able to keep your room tidy always, even if you are lazy or messy by nature (p 16).”

Tidy a little a day and you’ll be tidying forever

“When people return to clutter no matter how much they tidy, it is not their room or their belongings but their way of thinking that is at fault (p 19).”

“So I can tell you from experience that you will never get your house in order if you only clean up half-heartedly. If, like me, you are not the diligent, persevering type, then I recommend aiming for perfection just once (p 21).”

The Moment You Start You Reset Your Life

“If you let the temporary relief achieved by tidying up your physical space deceive you, you will never recognise the need to clean up your psychological space (p 23).”

“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 (p 24).”

Storage Experts Are Hoarders

“This is why tidying must start with discarding. We need to exercise self-control and resist storing our belongings until we have finished identifying what we really want and need to keep (p 26).”

Sort by Category, Not by Location

“I was sorting them by category, putting them in boxes and returning them to the drawer just like I had the day before. It was at this moment that it hit me: tidying up by location is a fatal mistake. I’m sad to admit that it took me three years to see this (p 28).”

“When we tidy each place separately, we fail to see that we’re repeating the same work in many locations and become locked into a vicious circle of tidying (p 28).”

“To avoid this, I recommend tidying by category. For example, instead of deciding that today you’ll tidy a particular room, set goals like ‘clothes today, books tomorrow’. One major reason so many of us never succeed at tidying is because we have too much stuff (p 28).”

Don’t Change the Method to Suit Your Personality

“In retrospect, however, I can see that I had an ulterior motive (p 30).”

“Somehow I imagined that a complex approach consisting of different methods for different character types would make me look (p 30).”

“My point is that tidying must begin with getting rid of things regardless of personality type (p 31).”

“Effective tidying involves only two essential actions: discarding and deciding where to store things. Of the two, discarding must come first. This principle does not change. The rest depends on the level of tidiness you personally want to achieve (p 31).”

Make Tidying a Special Event

“By successfully completing this once-in-a-lifetime task, you will achieve the lifestyle you aspire to and be able to enjoy a clean and uncluttered space of your choosing (p 32).”

“Although not large, the space I live in is graced only with those things that speak to my heart. My lifestyle brings me joy (p 36).”

2 Discard First

Start by Discarding, All at Once

“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 (p 40).”

“To summarise, the secret of success is to tidy in one shot, as quickly and completely as possible, and to start by discarding (p 41).”

Before You Start, Visualise Your Destination

“… which way I turned, all I could see was clutter. The cupboard was so stuffed the doors wouldn’t shut, and clothes oozed from the set of drawers inside like the stuffing in a hamburger (p 42).

“Her description was as vivid as if she actually lived that way. It’s important to achieve this degree of detail when visualising your ideal lifestyle and to make notes (p 43).”

“As you continue to explore the reasons behind your ideal lifestyle, you will come to a simple realisation. The whole point in both discarding and keeping things is to be happy. It may seem obvious, but it is important to experience this realisation for yourself and let it sink into your heart. Before you start tidying, look at the lifestyle you aspire to and ask yourself: ‘Why do I want to tidy?’ When you find the answer, you are ready to move on to the next step: examining what you own (p 44).”

How to Choose: Does It Spark Joy?

“If I had been a little smarter, I would have realised before I became so neurotic that focusing solely on throwing things away can only bring unhappiness. Why? Because we should be choosing what we want to keep, not what we want to get rid of (p 47).”

“… ‘Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep it. If not, throw it out. This is not only the simplest but also the most accurate yardstick by which to judge (p 47).”

“You may wonder about the effectiveness of such a vague criterion, but the trick is to handle each item. Don’t just open up your wardrobe and decide after a cursory glance that everything in it gives you a thrill. You must take each outfit in your hand. When you touch a piece of clothing, your body reacts. Its response to each item is different. Trust me and try it (p 48).”

“Are you happy wearing clothes that don’t give you pleasure? (p 48).”

“Do you feel joy when surrounded by piles of unread books that don’t touch your heart? (p 48).”

“Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest (p 48).”

“By doing this, you can reset your life and embark on a new lifestyle (p 49).”

One Category at a Time

“DECIDING WHAT TO keep on the basis of what sparks joy in your heart is the most important step in tidying (p 49).”

“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 (p 50).”

“The best sequence is this: clothes first, then books, papers, miscellaneous items (komono) and, lastly, sentimental items and keepsakes (p 53).”

If You’re Mad at Your Family, Your Room May Be the Cause

“I realised with a shock that I was guilty of exactly the same thing I had been so bitterly accusing my family of doing. Not being in a position to criticise others, I sat down with my rubbish bags and focused on tidying my own space (p 60).”

“It may sound incredible, but when someone starts tidying it sets off a chain reaction (p 61).”

“The urge to point out someone else’s failure to tidy is usually a sign that you are neglecting to take care of your own space. This is why you should begin by discarding only your own things (p 61).”

Tidying Is a Dialogue with Oneself

“For this reason, it is essential to create a quiet space in which to evaluate the things in your life. Ideally, you should not even be listening to music (p 67).”

3 How to Tidy By Category

Tidying Order: Follow the Correct Order of Categories

“Let me share a secret. Putting your house in order is fun! The process of assessing how you feel about the things you own, identifying those that have fulfilled their purpose, expressing your gratitude and bidding them farewell is really about examining your inner self, a rite of passage to a new life (p 76).”

“For the first category – clothing – I recommend dividing items further into the following subcategories to increase efficiency: Tops (shirts, sweaters, etc.) Bottoms (trousers, skirts, etc.) Clothes that should be hung (jackets, coats, suits, etc.) Socks Underwear Handbags, etc. Extra items (scarves, belts, hats, etc.) Clothes for specific events (swimsuits, uniform, etc.) Shoes (p 76).”

Loungewear: Downgrading to ‘Loungewear’ Is Taboo

The real waste is not discarding clothes you don’t like, but wearing them even though you are striving to create the ideal space for your ideal lifestyle. Precisely because no one is there to see you, it makes far more sense to reinforce a positive self-image by wearing clothes you love (p 82).”

The same goes for pyjamas. If you are a woman, wear something feminine or elegant as nightwear. The worst thing you can do is to wear a sloppy sweat suit. I occasionally meet people who dress like this all the time, whether waking or sleeping. If sweat pants are your everyday attire, you’ll end up looking like you belong in them, which is not very attractive. What you wear in the house does impact on your self-image (p 82-83).”

Clothing Storage: Fold It Right and Solve Your Storage Problems

“Hanging just can’t compete with folding for saving space. Although it depends somewhat on the thickness of the clothes in question, you can fit from 20 to 40 pieces of folded clothing in the same amount of space required to hang 10. The client described above had only slightly more clothes than average. If she had folded them, she would have had no problem fitting them into her storage space. By neatly folding your clothes, you can solve almost every problem related to storage (p 85).”

How to Fold: The Best Way to Fold for Perfect Appearance

“Then fold again in halves or in thirds. The number of folds should be adjusted so that the folded clothing when standing on edge fits the height of the drawer. This is the basic principle. If you find that the end result is the right shape but too loose and floppy to stand up, it’s a sign that your way of folding doesn’t match the type of clothing. Every piece of clothing has its own ‘sweet spot’ where it feels just right – a folded state that best suits that item (p 89).”

“This will differ depending on the type of material and size of the clothing, and therefore you will need to adjust your method until you find what works. This isn’t difficult. By adjusting the height when folded so that it stands properly, you’ll reach the sweet spot surprisingly easily (p 89).”

Arranging Clothes: The Secret to ‘Energising’ Your Wardrobe

“Of course, there are some types of clothing that are better stored on hangers. These include coats, suits, jackets, skirts and dresses (p 91).”

“The most basic rule is to hang clothes in the same category side by side, dividing your hanging space into a jacket section, a suit section, etc. Clothes, like people, can relax more freely when in the company of others who are very similar in type and therefore organising them by category helps them feel more comfortable and secure (p 91).”

“… that when you draw an arrow rising to the right it makes you feel lighter? Lines that slope up to the right make people feel comfortable (p 92).”

“As you move towards the right side of the hanging space, the length of the clothing grows shorter, the material thinner and the colour lighter. By category, coats would be on the far left, followed by dresses, jackets, trousers, skirts and blouses. This is the basic order, but depending on the trends in your wardrobe, what counts as ‘heavy’ in each category will differ (p 92).”

“But don’t forget that you must first reduce your wardrobe to only those clothes that you really love (p 93).”

Storing Socks: Treat Your Socks and Tights with Respect

“Let me state here and now: never, ever tie up your tights and stockings. Never, ever ball your socks (p 94).”

“For low-cut socks that just cover the feet, folding twice is enough; for ankle socks, three times; for knee socks and over- knee socks, four to six times (p 96).”

“It’s easy. Just aim to make a simple rectangle, the key to folding. Store the socks on edge, just as you did for clothing. You’ll be amazed at how little space you need compared to your ‘potato ball days’, and you’ll notice your socks breathing a sigh of relief at being untied (p 97).”

Seasonal Clothes: No Need to Store Off-Season Clothes

“The custom of storing seasonal clothes is behind the times. With the introduction of air conditioning and central heating, our… (p 98).”

“It’s not uncommon now to see people wearing T- shirts indoors even in winter. So it’s time to abandon this custom and keep all our clothes ready to be used year-round, regardless of the season (p 99).”

Storing Books: Put All Of Your Books on the Floor

“If you ask yourself, ‘Does this spark joy?’ when you are just looking at the things on your shelves or in your drawers, the question won’t mean much to you. To truly decide whether you want to keep something or to throw it away, you must take your things out of hibernation (p 102).”

Unread Books: ‘Sometime’ Means ‘Never’

“Books are essentially paper–sheets of paper printed with letters and bound together. Their true purpose is to be read, to convey the information to their readers. It’s the information they contain that has meaning. There is no meaning in them just being on your shelves. You read books for the experience of reading. Books you have read have already been experienced and their content is inside you, even if you don’t remember. So when deciding which books to keep, forget about whether you think you’ll read it again or whether you’ve mastered what’s inside. Instead, take each book in your hand and decide whether it moves you or not (p 105).”

“People with large book collections are almost always diligent learners (p 107).”

“Many of my clients also keep their old textbooks all the way back from schooldays and notebooks from practising writing skills. So if, like many of my clients, you have any books that fall into this category, I urge you to stop insisting that you will use them someday and get rid of them today. Why? Because the odds are very low that you’ll ever read them (p 107).”

Books to Keep: Those That Belong in the Hall of Fame

“Recently, I have noticed that having fewer books actually increases the impact of the information I read. I recognise necessary information much more easily. Many of my clients, particularly those who have thrown away a substantial number of books and papers, have also mentioned this. For books, timing is everything. The moment you first encounter a particular book is the right time to read it. To avoid missing that moment, I recommend that you keep your collection small (p 111).”

Sorting Papers: Rule of Thumb: Discard Everything

“My basic principle for sorting papers is to throw them all away. My clients are stunned when I say this, but there is nothing more annoying than papers. After all, they will never inspire joy, no matter how carefully you keep them. For this reason, I recommend you throw out anything that does not fall into one of three categories: currently in use, needed for a limited period of time, and must be kept indefinitely (p 113).”

All about Papers: How to Organise Troublesome Papers

“One of my clients was a woman in her thirties who worked for an advertising company. The moment I entered her room, I felt like I was in an office. My eyes were assaulted by rows of files with carefully printed titles (p 116).”

“If they have a problem, they can usually fix it themselves by fiddling with the machine, and they can find solutions for anything they can’t figure out on their own from the Internet or the place of purchase (p 120).”

Komono (Miscellaneous Items 2): Disposables – Things You Kept ‘Just Because’

“unopened or have been used only once. Admit it. They simply don’t suit your taste. The true purpose of a present is to be received. Presents are not ‘things’ but a means for conveying someone’s feelings. When viewed from this perspective, you don’t need to feel guilty for throwing a gift away. Just thank it for the joy it gave you when you first received it. Of course, it would be ideal if you could use it with joy. But surely the person who gave it to you doesn’t want you to use it out of a sense of obligation, or to put it away without using it, only to feel guilty every time you see it. When you throw it away, you do so for the sake of the giver too (p 128).”

“Boxes are surprisingly bulky. Discard the box your phone comes in as soon as you unpack it (p 128).”

Sentimental Items: Your Parents’ Home Is Not a Haven for Your Keepsakes

“I contacted A and announced, ‘You and your mother won’t graduate from this course until you have both dealt with the stuff you left at your parents’ house’ (p 136).”

“That’s right. By handling each sentimental item and deciding what to discard, you process your past. If you just stow these things away in a drawer or cardboard box, before you realise it, your past will become a weight that holds you back and keeps you from living in the here and now (p 136).”

Photos: Cherish Who You Are Now

“In contrast, once you have followed the correct order for tidying (i.e. clothes, books, papers, komono then sentimental items), sorting will proceed smoothly and you will be amazed by your capacity to choose on the basis of what gives you pleasure (p 137).”

“A picture your son drew that was selected by the teacher to hang in the school hall or an ornament your daughter made. If these things still bring you joy, then it is fine to keep them (p 140).”

“Discard all those letters you received years ago from a girlfriend or boyfriend (p 140).”

“It is not our memories but the person we have become because of those past experiences that we should treasure. This is the lesson these keepsakes teach us when we sort them. The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past (p 140).”

Astounding Stockpiles I Have Seen

“You may find these accounts hard to believe, but I’m not kidding. The strange thing is that none of these clients realised how many items they actually had until they began putting their house in order (p 143).”

Reduce Until Something Clicks

“As you put your house in order and decrease your possessions, you’ll see what your true values are, what is really important to you in your life. But don’t focus on reducing or on efficient storage methods, for that matter. Focus instead on choosing the things that inspire joy and on enjoying life according to your own standards. This is the true pleasure of tidying (p 146).”

Follow Your Intuition and All Will Be Well

“If you have read this far, you have probably noticed that in my method your feelings are the standard for decision-making. Many people may be puzzled by such vague criteria as ‘things that give you a thrill of pleasure’ or ‘click-point’. The majority of methods give clearly defined numerical goals such as, ‘Throw away anything you haven’t used for two years,’ or ‘Seven jackets and ten blouses is the perfect amount,’ or ‘Throw one thing away every time you buy (p 146).”

4 Storing Your Things For An Exciting Life

Designate a Place for Each Thing

“The reason every item must have a designated place is because the existence of an item without a home multiplies the chances that your space will become cluttered again (p 153).”

“You only need to designate a spot for every item once. Try it. You’ll be amazed at the results (p 154).”

“The essence of effective storage is this: designate a spot for every last thing you own (p 154).”

Discard First, Store Later

“The amount of storage space you have in your room is actually just right. I can’t count how many times people have complained to me that they don’t have enough room but I have yet to see a house that lacked sufficient storage (p 155).”

“This is the true magic of tidying. It may seem incredible but my method of keeping only what sparks joy in the heart is really that precise. This is why you must begin by discarding. Once you have done that, it’s easy to decide where things should go because your possessions will have been reduced to a third or even a quarter of what you started out (p 155).”

Storage: Pursue Ultimate Simplicity

“Although plain and conventional, according to my client this method was far easier to use. From this experience, I came to the conclusion that storage methods should be as simple as possible (p 159).”

“Most people realise that clutter is caused by too much stuff. But why do we have too much stuff? Usually it is because we do not accurately grasp how much we actually own. And we fail to grasp how much we own because our storage methods are too complex (p 159).”

Don’t Scatter Storage Spaces

“Of the many people I’ve met that are not good at tidying, often their mothers cleaned their rooms for them or they never had a space that they felt was their very own (p 163).”

Forget About ‘Flow Planning’ and ‘Frequency of Use’

Forget about ‘flow planning’ and ‘frequency of use’ SERIOUS BOOKS ON tidying commonly advise their readers to consider the flow plan when designing storage. I am not saying this advice is wrong. There are many people who choose practical storage methods based on careful consideration of the line of traffic in the house, so what I am saying here is intended to apply only to the KonMari Method. And I say, forget about flow planning (p 164).”

“When we use something, we have a clear purpose for getting it out. Unless for some reason it is incredibly hard work, we usually don’t mind the effort involved. Clutter has only two possible causes: too much effort is required to put things away or it is unclear where things belong (p 165).”

“Take the contents of a drawer, for example. You will naturally start keeping the things you use less in the back of the drawer and those you use more in the front. There is no need to decide this when you first lay out your storage space. When you are choosing what to keep, ask your heart– when you are choosing where to store something, ask your house. If you remember to do this, you will instinctively know how to proceed with organising and storing your things (p 168).”

Never Pile Things: Vertical Storage Is Key

“THERE ARE PEOPLE who stack everything in piles, be it books, papers or clothes (p 168).”

“I even store my laptop in the bookcase as if it were indeed a notebook (p 168).”

“In contrast, when things are stored vertically, any increase takes up space and you will eventually run out of storage area. When you do, you’ll notice, ‘Ah, I’m starting to accumulate stuff again’ (p 169).”

“Try taking a pile you already have and standing it up. Just by doing that you will become more aware of the volume of things in that pile. Vertical storage can be used anywhere (p 170).”

No Need for Special Storage Items

“I was once a storage fanatic myself, so at one period, I tried just about every item there was on the market, including the weirdest and most exotic. Yet there are almost none left in my house (p 170).”

“The built-in cupboards and shelves, far from being large, are smaller than average. Basically, the only storage items you need are plain old drawers and boxes – you don’t need anything special or fancy (p 171).”

“The lid of a shoebox is shallow and can be used like a tray. It can be placed in the cupboard to hold your cooking oils and spices, keeping the floor of the cupboard clean (p 172).”

Empty Your Bag Every Day

Decorate Your Cupboard With Your Favourite Things

Don’t Underestimate the ‘Noise’ of Written Information

“In the case of my client, every time she wanted to choose her clothes, she was assailed by such messages as ‘Iyo Oranges’ and ‘Freshens Air Instantly!’, almost as if someone were muttering constantly in her ear. Strangely, just closing the cupboard doors does not conceal the flood of information. The words become static that fills the air. From my own experience, the storage spaces of homes that feel ‘noisy’ even though they look very neat on the surface usually are overflowing with unnecessary information (p 193).”

Appreciate Your Possessions

“A few minutes later, I opened my old phone and was surprised to find that the screen was blank. No matter what button I pressed, the screen did not respond. My phone, which had never broken since the day I first got it, had gone dead after receiving my message. It never worked again as if the phone, realising that its job was done, had resigned from its post of its own accord. Of course, I know some people find it hard to believe that inanimate objects respond to human emotion, and it could indeed just have been coincidence (p 195).”

5 The Magic of Tidying Dramatically Transforms Your Life

Put Your House in Order and Discover What You Really Want to Do

“When I share this story, people often say, ‘You’re so lucky you knew what you liked at such a young age. I’m jealous. I have no idea what I’d like to do…’ But I actually only realised quite recently how much I like organising (p 202).”

“Tidying was such an integral part of my daily life that it wasn’t until the day I started my own business that I realised it could be my profession (p 202).”

“Think back to your own school days and the things you enjoyed doing. Perhaps you were responsible for feeding the pets or maybe you liked drawing pictures. Whatever it was, the chances are that it is related in some way to something that you are doing now, as a natural part of your life, even if you are not doing it in the same way. At their core, the things we really like do not change over time. Putting your house in order is a great way to discover what they are (p 202).”

“Although we can get to know ourselves better by sitting down and analysing our characteristics or by listening to others’ perspectives on us, I believe that tidying is the best way. After all, our possessions very accurately relate the history of the decisions we have made in life. Tidying is a way of taking stock that shows us what we really like (p 204).”

The Magic Effect of Tidying Dramatically Transforms Our Lives

“The magic effect of tidying dramatically transforms our lives ‘UP TO NOW, I believed it was important to do things that added to my life so I took seminars and studied to increase my knowledge. But through your course on how to put my space in order I realised for the first time that letting go is even more important than adding’ (p 204).”

“Whereas before she had been into spirituality, when the course concluded she said contentedly, ‘Tidying has far more effect than feng shui or power stones and other spiritual goods.’ Since then, she has leapt headlong into a new life, quitting her job and finding a publisher for her book (p 205).”

Gaining Confidence in Life Through the Magic of Tidying

“It was material things and my house that taught me to appreciate unconditional love first, not my parents or friends. To tell the truth, I still don’t have a lot of self-confidence. There are times when I am quite discouraged by my inadequacies (p 208).”

“I want to help others who feel the way I once did, who lack self-confidence and find it hard to open their hearts to others, to see how much support they receive from the space they live in and the things that surround them. This is why I spend my time visiting people’s homes and instructing them in how to tidy (p 209).”

Learning that You Can Do Without

Your Possessions Want to Help You

Your Living Space Affects Your Body

“Your living space affects your body ONCE THE PROCESS of tidying is underway, many of my clients remark that they have lost weight or that they have firmed up their tummies. It’s a very strange phenomenon but when we reduce what we own and essentially ‘detox’ our house, it has a detox effect on our bodies as well (p 224).”

“But I think the main reason tidying has this effect is because through this process people come to know contentment. After tidying, many clients tell me that their worldly desires have decreased. Whereas in the past, no matter how many clothes they had, they were never satisfied and always wanted something new to wear, once they had selected and kept only those things that they really loved, they felt that they had everything they needed (p 226).”

“From observing my clients, I have noticed that when they discard excess clothing, their tummies tend to slim down, when they discard books and documents, their minds tend to become clearer, when they reduce the number of cosmetics and tidy up the area around the sink and bath, their complexion tends to become clear and their skin smooth (p 226).”

Tidying Increases Good Fortune

“Feng shui is a method for increasing good fortune by organising one’s living environment (p 227).”

“For example, when I fold and stand clothes on edge in the drawer, I arrange them by colour to form a gradation from dark to light. The proper order is to place clothes that are lighter in colour at the front of the drawer and gradually progress to darker colours at the back (p 227).”

“The philosophy of feng shui is really about living in accordance with the rules of nature. The purpose of my approach to tidying is exactly the same. The true purpose of tidying is, I believe, to live in the most natural state possible (p 228).”

How to Identify What Is Truly Precious

“When a woman is in love, the change in her is apparent to everyone around her (p 232).”

“In the same way, things that are loved by their owner and treated with care are vibrant and radiate an aura of wanting to be of more service to their owner. Things that are cherished shine (p 232).”

Being Surrounded by Things that Bring Joy Makes You Happy

“These are the types of things you should boldly hang on to. If you can say without a doubt, ‘I really like this!’ no matter what anyone else says, and if you like yourself for having it, then ignore what other people think (p 234).”

Your Real Life Begins After Putting Your House in Order

“The only ones who need to spend their lives, year in and year out, thinking about tidying are people like me who find joy in it and who are passionate about using tidying to make the world a better place (p 238).”