Contrary to what we may have been taught, the BEST way to tidy a home, is to tidy by CATEGORY not location. For example, when tidying the paper category, the first step is to gather every item of loose paper from the entire house in one spot. This allows you to visualize exactly what you have - and how much you have of it. Facing a giant pile of paper items, you will also have the opportunity to toss items that you just don't need anymore, and don't spark the same joy they used to.
When organizing, it’s very important to get an accurate view of what you have in each category in order to decide where each item will live more permanently.
However, and this an important one, it is not sufficient to only tidy by category... following the correct order of items to tidy is JUST as important. While this may seem like a trivial factor, it actually prevents many hours of distraction down the line that will hinder noticeable progress in the tidying process. We've all stumbled upon a box of miscellaneous travel souvenirs and spent hours reminiscing memories only to forgo the task at hand a few hours later when it seems too late to get the now overwhelming job done.
Not sure where to start? Here are the Marie Kondo approved steps to follow when tackling an organizational project:
1. clothes
2. books
3. papers
4. komono (miscellaneous)
5. sentimental items.
Happy Organizing!
XOXO
Fresh Spaces PDX Team
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