I know most of the youth who have the busiest schedule sometimes do not have time for tidying up their home or room. Most of the Youth who are in college, living in a dormitory or rent a room. Some others who work in a city, living in apartments. How can they be tidy even they are so busy?

Maybe all of you ever heard about the Konmari Method by Marie Kondo. After I read her book “The Life-Changing of Tidying up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” I feel like some stuff I had it does not spark my Joy. Youth like to buy so much stuff when there are so many discounts or great offers like buy one get one. I am sure some of us will directly buy it without thinking. Even there is no question anymore inside us. Do I need this? Where should I put this stuff? 

Let me share with you what I learned about the Konmari method. Start by discarding, then organizing your space one hundred percent thoroughly, in one go. I start to see my home like there no much space again to put new stuff I buy. Why I feel like, even I have done tidying, but the next day it becomes a mess again. Because a person’s awareness and perspective on his or her lifestyle are far more important than any skill at sorting, storing, and so on, clutter the stuff, especially the sentimental one, and let them go, both are the hardest part of this. But when you have finished putting your room or home in order, your life will change dramatically. Why? Because the Konmari method is not just a technique. It is more than that. It will touch your feelings because you will start to thank some stuff that no longer sparks your joy.

Here is the list of what you are going to do by using this method:

1. Do not try to tidy your entire room or home all at once time. You will just rebound but make a habit of doing a little time. For example, the first day you start to tidy your clothes. Remember, starting to tidy by their category, not by location. It sounds too difficult, but honestly, I can say it is quite easy. You can do it step by step because you will clutter some clothes you love or a sentimental one. Maybe your loved one gave it to you, and it becomes a memory for you.

In Konmari method, we know four-part, or it is the best sequence : 

• Clothes
• Books, papers
• Komono ( kitchen, garage )

2. For this reason, I recommend that you separate the stuff in terms of category, not place. Before starting, keep collecting everything in the same category. Take every item, feel it, and touch it, and then ask yourself, “Does it spark your joy? Am I use it within 3 or 6 months?”. If the answer is no and you want to let it go, please don’t forget to say thank you to it, and then let it go.
3. Remember this every object has a different role to play. Not all clothes or stuff have come to you to be worm and used. It is the same with people. Not every person you meet in life will become a close friend or lover. Some you will find hard to get along with or impossible to like. But these people too teach you precious lessons of whom you do like so that you will appreciate those special people even more.
4. Putting your house in order is fun. The process of assessing how you feel about things you own, identifying those that have fulfilled their purpose, expressing gratitude, and bidding them farewell is really about examing your inner-self. 

You can start categorizing, such as:

1. For the clothing, you can make subcategories if you are confused, such:

• Tops (shirts, sweaters)
• Bottoms (pants, skirts)
• Clothes hanging (jackets, coats, suits)
• Socks
• Underwear
• Bag 
• Accessories

2. For the books, you can start the category based on the genre.
3. For the komono such gifts, cosmetics samples saved for trips, electronic packages, photos, you can start by categorizing them then put them on storage. For sentimental stuff, you could keep them or start to let them go slowly. 

After you do all of these things above, feel it! Your life begins after putting your home in order. 

Article by Mastin Rusmala
Edited by Hanifah