Decluttering allows you to figure out what fits and functions within your current lifestyle. The newest trend in organizing is “sparks joy”. Marie Kondo has hit the world of organizing in a big way. She talks about the feelings that you get from a possession when it “sparks joy.”

This idea of sparking joy may seem mystical to some. Sometimes it’s hard to identify. Learning what fits and functions in your life is important because it allows you to drown out the noise of items that do not belong. This gives you a functional way to feel the difference between clutter and deeply loved and necessary possessions.

If there are a lot of clothes in your closet with tags on them or that you never wear this may spark feelings of joylessness. Did you purchase fancy black tie attire while daydreaming about wearing them one day, when in reality you are a jeans and t-shirt kind of person?

If this is the case, at some point, you’ll have to admit to yourself that you’re really not that fancy person. This can be the discrepancy you’re feeling for the guilt of holding on to the unused items. Sometimes purchasing a fancy outfit with a dream in mind is where the joy is found. But what happens when the dream is never realized?

It’s okay to have loved something that you do not love anymore. Maybe something had a purpose in the past but now lays dormant. It’s okay to have bought the fancy clothes that now sit untouched and unloved in your closet. It’s okay to admit a mistake and work towards avoiding making the same mistake in the future. Allowing yourself the right to accept that you made a mistake, or that an item has served its purpose in your life, is how you start to identify and experience joy.

If you never reflect to understand what fits and functions in your life, it’s safe to say this is going to initially feel like an uphill battle. But once you start the trek and begin to discover little joys you’ll be motivated to continue to the top.

I’ve been a professional organizer for years and I am a generally organized person. I only allow things that make me happy, and that are functional, in my professional and personal spaces. When I’m organizing for clients and myself, I have learned to recognize the repetitive thoughts running through my head.

• How will I use this?
• Why am I letting this go?
• Does this item have meaning beyond face value?
• Does this item enhance my life?
• Where will this item live in my home?

Once you have determined what “sparks joy” in your life, or in simpler terms, what makes you smile and what makes you frown, it will become easier to not repeat the same mistakes when purchasing items. Once you learn to let things go, the next lesson is learning not to do it again. Just like a diet, you must retrain your lifestyle to stay clutter-free. It’s a habit worth learning.

What are your biggest organizing struggles? Comment below.