1. Do Things in Steps

Marie Kondo recommends putting everything in one category on your bed and tackling it all at once. When it comes to clothes, the huge mountains I've seen in YouTube videos give me a bit of anxiety. Personally, I think it's better and easier to do clothing in sub-categories. Or, if you do take every item of clothing out and put it on your bed, at least section it so you're able to see how many of each thing you have and donate/throw out based off of how many you have of each thing. To jumble everything together and approach it that way is so daunting and personally I would hate the process.

This is supposed to be a stress relieving activity, not stress inducing, so adapt it to whatever works best for you!

Additionally, I've seen many a Youtuber do their entire house or apartment in one twelve hour day. I think this is the absolute worst thing you could do to yourself and definitely recommend sectioning everything out and doing it in increments. In any lifestyle change book it is recommended you take little steps not jump the gun so to do one room or category at a time is a much better approach.

2. Be Mindful of Seasons

Personally, I organized and cleared out my clothing based on the season. So first, I went through my spring and summer clothes when it was spring/summer time. Then I waited for fall/winter to go through those clothes. The reason you should do this is because it is hard to tell what you like / don't like when it's not that season and you may end up getting rid of things and later regret that decision - which is not the goal.

3. Make a Maybe Pile

If there is anything you are unsure of, make a maybe pile. Maybe there's a few books or shoes that you haven't really worn but want to give a bit more time to to see if you will wear or read them. Keep them for another 6 months or so and then make the call. This was helpful for me when it came to jackets. I had so many jackets and hadn't worn a lot of them in a while, so I waited through the fall and winter and then made the decision based off of what I wore and didn't wear.

A maybe pile is a great idea just to ensure that you won't regret any of the decisions you made. Sometimes it's okay not to make rash decisions and sleep on the thought!

4. Cleaning Out Doesn't Exactly Mean Get More Stuff

The biggest insight I have gained from Marie Kondo'ing my room and my life is that just because I cleaned out space doesn't necessarily mean I need to go out and buy a bunch more stuff to refill that space.

Marie Kondo'ing my belongings has made me much more aware when I am spending and I really take the time to think: will I really use this, will this last me a long time, is this worth the money, do I have something similar already. Asking myself these questions and being more aware of my spending and belongings has helped me save so much money and stay organized!

5. Go At Your Own Pace

Whether you want to go through your whole house in a week or take a weekend every month to do it in increments is totally up to you. Fortunately, with most of us being in quarantine right now, there should hopefully be lots of time to dedicate to organizing your life!

Whatever pace you may take, do whatever is right for you! You definitely don't want to regret the decisions you made or do too much for you to handle at once!