I have cleaned out and organized a lot of drawers and cupboards in my 39 years, but when I started my latest cleaning project I really had no idea how much it would change me.  I knew it would make my house less cluttered; I certainly didn’t realize it would bring such peace and harmony to my personal life.

Let me explain.

Last fall, I began to “Kon-Mari” my house – that is, I read and applied the tidying principles outlined in “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo. Kondo’s approach is unique enough that it warrants its own term – The Konmari Method.  Among the distinctive techniques described in the book are such tactics as tidying items by category, folding and arranging items vertically to maximize storage space and visual appeal, and keeping all items of a certain category in the same storage place.  The pinnacle of Kondo’s approach, though, is her emphasis on keeping only items in your home that spark joy.  In short, you’re supposed to gather all of your household items together, touch each one, and decide if it sparks joy or not.  If it does, you keep it.  If it does not, you thank it for the time it spent in your life and you toss it, sell it or give it away.

Okay, a lot of people think that part is kind of hokey.  Touch an object and see if it sparks joy?  What the what?  I admit it’s a bit touchy-feely, and that can turn some people off.  I happen to be pretty darn New-Age-y so I was on board with feeling sparks of joy in my dish towels, and in fact I found it to be the cornerstone of the entire process.

By the end of the process, I was a pro at feeling joy – or not feeling joy – in my personal belongings.  It took about six months, but now I legitimately enjoy perusing my closet and seeing only clothing that I love, finding rubber bands or ink cartridges in my office in less than 20 seconds, and enjoying my treasured childhood trinkets that were previously buried in storage bins with no rhyme or reason.

The immediate change in our house was a sudden expansion of space.  Suddenly, there was space on the shelves.  There were empty storage bins in the basement.  There was even an entire empty drawer in my bedroom!  The space was liberating.  I felt like I could breathe in my home again!  I didn’t even realize how suffocating the clutter was until it was gone.

It felt so good that I decided to clear the clutter from the rest of my life, too.

First, I cleaned out my house, keeping only those material items that sparked joy and only buying new items that truly sparked joy or had a clear use.

Then, I became pickier with what I ate, choosing only nutrient-rich or truly delicious food at meals.

Next, I began to be more discerning with my calendar and commitments.

Then, I started to clear out the difficult, challenging and outright toxic people from my life.

Now, I’m looking at everything in my life and determining what I am truly willing to spend my energy on.

From a simple house decluttering project, I’ve now pruned my entire life and the result is that I finally have space for the things that matter.  Today, I don’t just have a tidy silverware drawer.  I find myself with more time, more energy, and better relationships.  I’ve even lost a few pounds!

I used to think there wasn’t enough time to do everything I wanted to do or see all the people I wanted to see.  Now that the clutter has been removed, I can see much more clearly.

I do have the time!  I do have the energy required to get through the day!  I’m no longer wasting all my energy on the superfluous activities that used to drain me.  I can’t get rid of all my obligations, of course, but paring down even one event a week, or not eating one dish that I didn’t even enjoy eating, has freed me immensely.  I feel lighter, clearer, and at risk of sounding totally cheesy – I really feel more joyful.

And all because I wanted to organize my closet.