"The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life."

-Marie Kondo

I already discovered the power of decluttering in 2013 , and in hindsight, I can agree with a lot of what Konmari (her nickname) says. Tidying up isn’t just about being a neat freak. It’s much more than that. It’s a spiritual experience, and yo...

Some books just strike exactly the right nerve at exactly the right time. Marie Kondo ‘s surely did. Published in late 2014, The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying ...

• Does this thing make me happy when I see it/hold it?
• Do I see/hold it on a regular basis?

For example, gift cards are nice messages from friends and loved ones, bringing you joy and happiness. But even though you keep them around, you probably never look at them again....

What decluttering comes down to is examining your relationship with each and every single item in your home. Each relationship is different. Your history with your coffee maker has begun at a different point in time than your relationship with that postcard a friend sent you, and so on.

The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up takes you through the process of simplifying, organizing and storing your belongings step by step, to make your home a place of peace and clarity.

The 16 year old, who lives in a cluttered house, and tends to follow his parents’ example, the 29 year old fashion blogger, who often can’t decide what to wear the next day, and anyone who can’t remember the last time they did a proper spring cleaning.

1. Move from easy to hard items when considering what to keep.
2. YODO – you only declutter once (if you do it right).
3. Ask yourself a few simple questions for each item.

Do you know how thinking of some people instantly reminds you of the happy and exciting times you shared together? Possessions are the same, which makes some more worth keeping than others .

However, some relationships with things are more complicated than others. That’s why it’s best to start with easier categories of more functional items, like clothes, books, technology, documents, and other miscellaneous items. Most of these serve a clear purpose and don’t hold a...

I love all things Japan, and The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up is no exception. Konmari carries a spiritual sense of minimalism and simplicity into your life. If you haven’t done a big c...

Save photos and memorabilia for the very end, because by then you’ll already be in decluttering mode and figure out what to do with these special memories a lot faster. Keep those where you distinctly remember creating or getting them – those are your longest lasting memories, which you can re-li...

Most people don’t even get started on decluttering, simply because they think it’s a lifetime job. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Marie Kondo says you only have to tidy up once – if you do it right – to leave a lasting impact on your life.

It takes her around six hours on average...

Once you’ve thrown a thorough cleaning party, you’ll not only have the biggest part behind you, but also emerge with a new mindset . Chances are, you’ll buy a lot less in the future, to keep your space neat and clean, which makes future clean ups simple and easy.

For example, I threw out 75% of my clothes , all of my video games, DVDs and BluRays, some of my books and most of my old school supplies and notes in 2013. I felt so free afterward that the last thing I wanted was to fill up all those empty ...

Start with these:

• What is the purpose of this object?
• Has it fulfilled its purpose already?
• Why did I get this thing?
• When did I get it?
• How did it land in my house?