If you are confident that something brings you joy, keep it, regardless of what anyone else might say. Even if it isn't perfect, no matter how mundane it might be, when you use it with care and respect, you transform it into something priceless.

Only two skills are necessary to successfully put your house in order: the ability to keep what sparks joy and chuck the rest, and the ability to decide where to keep each thing you choose and to always put it back in its place.

When something sparks joy, you should feel a little thrill, as if the cells in your body are slowly rising. When you hold something that doesn't bring you joy, however, you will notice that your body feels heavier.

By letting go of the things that have been in your life, with a feeling of gratitude, you foster appreciation for, and a desire to take better care of, the things in your life.

Does it spark joy when you touch it?

Of course, if I need something badly, I will buy another, but having come this far, I can no longer buy something just to make do. Instead, I consider the design, the feel, the convenience, and every other factor important to me extremely carefully until I find one that I really love. And that means that the one I choose is the very best, something I will cherish all my life!

Feelings of fascination, excitement or attraction are not the only indications of joy. A simple design that puts you at ease, a high degree of functionality that makes life simpler, a sense of rightness, or the recognition that a possession is useful in our daily lives - these, too, indicate joy.

Discarding is not the point; what matters is keeping those things that bring you joy.

I'm convinced that things that have been loved and cherished acquire elegance and character. When we surround ourselves only with things that spark joy and shower them with love, we can transform our home into a space filled with precious artifacts, our very own art museum.

There are only two choices: keep it or chuck it. And if you're going to keep it, make sure to take care of it.

The rule off thumb for storage is 90 percent. Once you've chosen the things you love, the correct approach is to fill your drawers to the point where they look full but not stuffed.

The bento encapsulates Japan's unique storage space aesthetics. Key concepts include separating flavors, beauty of presentation, and close fit. If you substitute “separating flavors” for “separating materials”, packing things into a drawer operates on exactly the same principles as packing a bento box.

I tell them to work on storing until our next lesson and make sure they know the four principles: fold it, stand it upright, store in one spot, and divide your storage space into square compartments.

Using the palm of your hand is the key. If you've been folding with just your fingertips, try applying your palm, which emanates a sort of warm “hand power.”

Although the finer details will depend on-the design of your house, there are two iron rules for deciding where to store things: use built-in storage units first and store large things first.

When hanging clothes, be sure to arrange them so that they rise to the right. Keep the same category of clothes together: coats with coats, suits with suits, jackets with jackets and so on.

When you turn the panties over, they should be shaped like a spring roll with only the front of the waistband showing.

Light colors in front, dark colors behind.

If you fold the shoulder straps and side pieces inside the cups, you can reinforce the cups and easily extract a bra without disturbing the rest of the row.

First, panties and bras should be stored separately

Store bras like royalty!

Arranging them in color gradation will increase your joy when looking at them!
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Interestingly, all of my clients report that when they treat their bras with more respect, they also become respectful toward other things!

In general, the shelf in the top of the closet is for bags, hats, off-season komono, and sentimental items.

For example, if a dresser has several drawers, then it is more natural to keep the lightest things at the top and the heaviest at the bottom.

You can also make the drawer look neat and tidy by keeping the various clothing- related komono in a separate box inside it.

Personally, I feel that the essence of the storage process is to appreciate the things you own and to strive to make your relationship with them as special as possible.

In Japan, there is a saying that ‘beauty is not built in a day.’ Even if it takes time, make accessory storage as handsome as possible.

Mobilize small boxes as dividers.

Although using empty boxes you already have on hand is quick and convenient, you may worry that this could detract from the appearance. They must, of course, pass the test. A tissue box, for example, will not do because it's too ordinary. I recommend sturdy boxes covered in crepe or tissue paper.

From my experience in teaching how to tidy, most children who are three or older can choose what brings them joy!

Any pens that haven't been used for some time should be checked to see if they still write. this is the time to discard those that don't spark joy, including any received as promotional giveaways.

Divide them into snug, well-defined compartments, and store them vertically.

As for shelf-life, powders will keep two or three years once they've been opened. Get rid of lipsticks after about a year, when they start smelling oily.' three years once they've been opened.

When I asked the head chef what the secrets of tidying a kitchen was, he replied, “Tidying the kitchen means wiping away any water and oil.’ After that, I observed the kitchens in several other restaurants, but they were all the same. The focus was not on ease of use, but on ease of cleaning.

He takes out all the implements and ingredients before he starts to reduce any unnecessary movement during the cooking process. He puts away each implement or ingredient as soon as he has finished with it. … And finally, after cooking with oil, he immediately wipes everything down with hot water.

I recommend gradually replacing the tools in your kitchen with things that spark joy

The scenery reflected in the bathroom mirror is also very important. Mirrors tend to multiply the energy of whatever they reflect, so strive to make sure the background reflected in it is as beautiful as you can.

Instead, use things that appeal to the senses, such as aromas oils, flowers, a picture or ornament

Almost as important as adding more joy is eliminating essence of “un-joy”. By this, I mean things that spark no joy at all and are really just extraneous appendages. The thin transparent seal that covers the LCD of your audio equipment or the crinkly cellophane wrapper on the arrangement of dried flowers you received as a gift, for example, are really “I-can-do-without- it” items.

The more textual information you have in your environment, the more your home becomes filled with noise.

An entranceway that sparks joy.

Keep the desk areas relatively clear. Arrange books and materials according to your own rules.

Teach your children how to fold.

I want to line my life in such a way that it colors my things with memories.

mono no aware. This Japanese term, which literally means “pathos of things”, describes the deep emotion that is evoked when we are touched by nature, art, or the lives of others with an awareness of their transience, It also refers to the essence of things and our ability to feel that essence. As my clients proceed through the tidying process, I sense a change in the words they say, and in their facial expressions, as if they are sharpening their ability to feel mono no aware.