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

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

‘Am I having trouble getting rid of this because of an attachment to the past or because of fear for the future?’

We amass material things for the same reason that we eat – to satisfy a craving.

People commonly assume that it is cheaper to buy things in bulk when on sale. But I believe the opposite is true. If you consider the cost of storage, it is just as economical to keep these things in the store, not your home.

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

storage should reduce the effort needed to put things away, not the effort needed to get them out.

Start with clothes then move on to books, papers, miscellaneous items (komono) and finally things with sentimental value.

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.

Gathering every item in one place is essential to this process because it gives you an accurate grasp of how much you have.