Stop treating cleaning like a punishment
Many of us perceive cleaning as something depressing and gnawing. Parents still punish their children by urging them to clean their rooms. However, this approach is fundamentally wrong. Try Mari Kondo’s method for cleaning. With it, you will be able to organize yours by category. Try to feel the joy of cleaning. For example, while you are putting your closet in order, you can get nostalgic and reflect on the pleasant memories associated with your belongings. Turn cleaning into a festival where you celebrate the opportunity to touch memories again, declutter, and organize them! Read more of Kondo’s advice in our summary of Marie Kondo's Kurashi at Home.
Visualize it right to get it for real
Imagine your ideal home. What would it be? A castle by the sea or a small comfortable apartment where you can relax from the mundane with your cat. Thinking about the perfect home can be ineffective when we just think about it. Still, you have to go for it. Change your lifestyle so that it matches your dreams. When you transform your daily routine and plans in such a way that it leads you towards the goal, then you will definitely achieve it. Most importantly, maintain your visual image of a happy home in your head. Perhaps your motivation will take you to incredible places.
Actively communicate with your home
When it comes to your home, you should treat it as a living being. Of course, you should not literally speak to your home. That would be weird. On the other hand, you can hear the voice of your home and optimize its features. Some houses lack pots of greenery; others look great with paintings on the walls. You have to find the very thing you need. And if there's one thing your home doesn't need, it's junk. Junk in the corners doesn't look good for anyone. Consider your interior decor. Look for things that inspire you, and get rid of things that are just taking up space.
Become a minimalist, and give up material things
We think that a new phone will make us happy. However, once we get it, we don't feel joy for long. Capitalism has turned us into a consumer society. Today, people want to consume more and more material goods without finding peace among them. However, if anything really matters, it is spiritual goods. Stop hoarding junk and instead start hoarding positive emotions and memories. Fumio Sasaki gives great advice on becoming a minimalist in our summary of Goodbye, Things.
Get three boxes and start cleaning
When you're faced with throwing things away, you may start to panic. Taking the first step to free yourself from material shackles is always challenging. However, you don't have to worry. Here's a tip on how to organize your home: take three boxes and start cleaning. Now, put things into these three boxes. One of them will be for Trash, things you'll never use again. There's going to be a box for Transfer. These are things that you don't need, but others may need. The last box is Treasure. This is where things that you can never throw away will go. Giving up material things doesn't mean you have to throw absolutely everything away.
Be minimalist at home and at work
Many things hold value to us. You can't throw away an old, useless set of cups because it reminds you of your grandmother. On the other hand, by leaving these things behind, you fill your home with more trash. Become a minimalist who realizes that memories are stored in your head, not in material things. You can also use the example of Steven Jobs, who introduced minimalism at the core of his company by firing the old staff and abandoning conservative schemes. Traditions and memories are good, but for the sake of innovation and progress, sometimes you have to give it all up.
Meditate, do yoga, and get your head straight
Being a minimalist can be difficult, but at the same time, the concept of minimalism is straightforward. Put your house and your soul in order. Working on your mental problems is just as important to you as organizing your space and clearing out your cluttered house. Try yoga and meditation – learn to focus your attention, clear your mind, and get rid of the noise in your head. With these techniques, you can better understand yourself, find harmony, and learn to value the spiritual over the physical. If you want to explore the topic of self-reflection, here’s our summary of How to Do the Work.
Romanticize your life and live it to the fullest, even when you’re just cleaning
Create an enjoyable atmosphere in your home. Let your home be your place of strength, which will fill you with energy and inspiration. To do this, you should learn to find joy in even the smallest things, like a cup of coffee in the morning or a jog. Start romanticizing your routine instead of avoiding it. It will be difficult but remember to dilute your responsibilities with something you enjoy. No one is stopping you from sitting down with a book and coffee after cleaning. On the contrary, thinking about your favorite book will keep you going during the whole cleaning process.
When it comes to clearing your home of junk, you may be at a standstill. First, you'll probably procrastinate and put off cleaning until the end. To overcome this feeling, you need to learn how to get joy out of cleaning. It’s a good idea to romanticize your life and the small parts of it. Second, giving up physical goods can be hard because they are all filled with memories. Here, the situation is a bit more complicated. You should become a minimalist. This includes not only giving up material riches for spiritual ones but also getting your head and your house in order.
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