The Basic Foundation For Organizing Anything
I’ve broken down the plan of tidying action into five basic steps. Of course, everyone’s journey is their own, and you are free to take this foundation and use it as you please. I’ve chosen these five steps in this particular order because they work. The “method” of Bear Method Organize is inspired by Marie Kondo’s formula for a transformative Tidying Festival.
A Tidying Festival is an annual Japanese tradition in which everyone declutters, cleans, and reorganizes their belongings in total in their home and//or office. It’s similar to the American philosophy of “Spring Cleaning” but it is more focused on decluttering and tidying items, rather than just cleaning them. It involves the process of letting go of items that no longer bring you joy. That detail is vital. Let me tell you why.
It’s no secret that the majority of Americans are consumers by definition. Just like with most things, we have a habit of “super sizing” our consumption in all the ways. Clutter is a very real, very serious issue that is often directly related to anxiety, depression and dis-ease. It seems that the more stuff we hang on to as we age, the more emotionally entangled we can get in the web of mental disarray, combined with a refusal to let go of stuff and live in denial of why we think we need more than we actually do.
How can we expect ourselves to get through the discomfort of a negative emotion when we can’t let go of our star-studded homework from the first grade? The first red flag here is having clutter with little to no concern. The downward spiral from there can get very dark and I’ll leave it to you to research or to schedule a session with me to discuss further. Without judgment, we can guide you into a new way of living, helping you to release [literal and emotional] baggage that might be preventing you from living how you want to.
Only just now are we starting to debunk the toxicity of following “The American Dream”, which has evolved into owning more and bigger. I bring that up to clarify that there is no goal to be a minimalist here. We do not go through a Tidying Festival of sorts to meet society’s standards or expectations. We do not have to be defined as “minimalist” or “maximalist”. We embark on this journey to live a life that sparks and spreads joy by our own personal definition. The way that looks and feels is entirely up to YOU. YOU get to decide what you keep and what you discard. The Bear Method Organize community is here to guide and support you throughout.
The KonMari categories for the Tidying Festival are :: 1. Clothing 2. Books 3. Papers 4. Komono [miscellaneous items such as electronics, kitchen, garage] 5. Sentimental. For the majority of people this order works the best as it starts with the least emotionally-charged items and allows you to build your decluttering, decision-making muscle as you work towards what is typically the hardest to let go. Starting with the decision of what sparks joy and what doesn’t can pave the path to make other decisions in life!
This is just a baseline for the categories included in the Tidying Festival. You may be a costume designer whose closet items are incredibly sentimental, in which case you may want to try starting with books or papers. Like I said, this is your journey and you must do what feels best for you. Schedule a session with us if you are in need of more guidance and support.
The following is the five step process to guide you through decluttering in the category order of your choice, organizing the items you’ve chosen to keep, and letting go of anything that no longer sparks joy.
- Clear your space set your intentions. Find an area - your bed, a large table, or large for space, and clear it out. Visualize your ideal lifestyle and make note of how it feels.
- Choose a category and bring everything in that category out into your cleared space. Touch and hold to see if each item sparks joy.
- Clean the emptied out space to prepare it for homing your kept items. We love non-toxic cleaners like Branch Basics and Cymbiotika.
- Organize and implement a tidy system. Discover what works best for you - whatever system you’ll maintain is the best system for you. This is something we help you uncover in tidying sessions.
- Discard, donate, up-cycle, or sell. Take action with the items that no longer spark joy. If you know of someone in particular who wants your items - arrange for pick up or drop off. For anything else, decide if it’s worth selling or donating to a specific center or shelter. What Goes Around Comes Around and The RealReal are fantastic for valuable resell items.
When feeling overwhelmed or anxious or anything ::
- Go for a walk.
- Grab a coffee or tea.
- Listen to calming music.
- Call a loved one.
- Take a break.
EMPATHIZE.
Emotions can be very real during this process. Sometimes we have been living a certain way and it can bring grief, shame, guilt, etc. Practice empathy and hold space for yourself and be gentle with the process.
DO NOT RUSH THE PROCESS.
Follow the method no matter what - that will give you a sense of control and order. When distractions or delays arise, come back to the steps. Set a reasonable expectation in the beginning - often it takes TWICE as long as you think. For many, Tidying Festivals can take a year or longer. Give yourself time.
TREASURE SENTIMENTAL ITEMS.
If you have a special collection of items that mean something to you, but they aren’t useful or joy-sparking on an every-day level, rest assured we can find a solution. For some, this looks like repurposing these specialties as interior decor. For others, this can include appropriate preservation and storage. Whatever your preference, we can organize it, display it and//or store it so you can find joy in having it in your home or office.
Tidying can be so much more than just clothes folded neatly or an organized spice drawer to more easily prepare food - it can be a total life transformation. Like turning a house into a home, you are building a life that is safe and joyful for you, Go from just getting by to actually LIVING. Go from uncertainty to clarity, from stress to peace, from overwhelm to joy. Start your organizing journey today.
Bear Method Organize provides in-person decluttering + organizing sessions for Los Angeles, California; Orange County, California; Malibu, California; Denver Metro, Colorado and all of the United States. We are available to travel to you nationwide. We also offer virtual declutter + tidy sessions worldwide.
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