Businesswoman

The objects you decide to keep, the ones that gave you the spark of joy? Treasure them from now on. When you put things away, you can actually audibly say, 'Hey, thank you for the good work today...' By doing so, it becomes easier for you to put the objects away and treasure them, which prolongs the spark of joy environment.

Attachment to the past and fears concerning the future not only govern the way you select the things you own but also represent the criteria by which you make choices in every aspect of your life, including your relationships with people and your job.

Being packed all the time, even when not in use, must feel something like going to bed on an empty stomach.

I recommend tidying by category, not by place. For example, instead of deciding that today you'll tidy a particular room, set goals such as 'clothes today, books tomorrow.'

It's easy to get rid of things when there is an obvious reason for doing so. It's much more difficult when there is no compelling reason.

I used to clean my brother and sister's rooms. And I would go to friends' houses and clean their rooms, too.

It's going to be labor-intensive and time-consuming, but you need to take all the books down and put them on the floor. Take them down and spread them in one area. Physically pick each book up, one by one. If the book inspires you, keep it. If not, it goes out. That's the standard by which you decide.

If you fold your clothes in the formal spark of joy, you can actually make the joy last longer.

It's human nature to take the easy route and leap at storage methods that promise quick and convenient ways to remove visible clutter. Putting things away creates the illusion that the clutter problem has been solved. But sooner or later, all the storage units are full, and the room once again overflows with things.

Changing lifestyle habits acquired over many years is often extremely difficult.

My head was full of tidying tips, and I had complete, albeit misguided, confidence that I could tidy any place.

Quite a few books about decluttering are published in a year.

People cannot change their tidying habits without first changing their way of thinking.

In my case, my size is so small that if I want it but don't buy it, I might miss the opportunity.

I had a slight hope the phrase 'spark joy' might become popular, as it was the keyword that I wanted to put forward in the first place.

I had been so focused on what to discard, on attacking the unwanted obstacles around me, that I had forgotten to cherish the things that I loved, the things I wanted to keep.

A lot of people agree that tidying is connected to how we live, and even though, outside of Japan, houses might be bigger, people have more things than they need.

The inside of a house or apartment after decluttering has much in common with a Shinto shrine... a place where there are no unnecessary things, and our thoughts become clear.

To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose. And if you no longer need them, then that is neither wasteful nor shameful. Can you truthfully say that you treasure something buried so deeply in a cupboard or drawer that you have forgotten its existence?

Effective tidying involves only three essential actions. All you need to do is take the time to examine every item you own, decide whether or not you want to keep it, then choose where to put what you keep. Designate a place for each thing.