“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or beautiful.”

These words by William Morris, the British designer and leader of the Arts and Crafts Movement, ring especially true at the beginning of each year, when we find ourselves eager to get organized. If we take a holistic approach, decluttering can be the highest form of self-care, providing us with clarity, more time and energy, and greater confidence. Here are three tips to make your 2019 tidying project a success.

It starts with a vision. Organizing your home is a highly personal process. Before you begin, dig deep to understand what you truly want to gain. What is your ideal lifestyle and how do you want to live in your newly organized space?

Declutter first, store second. Storage solutions can be a booby-trap, fooling us into thinking our things look pretty and tucked away. By first focusing on sorting and discarding we arrive at a quantity of belongings that is in alignment with the lifestyle we want. Often when we declutter thoroughly, storage decisions take care of themselves.

Declutter by category. Conventional wisdom has us decluttering one closet today, another closet tomorrow. But often the same type of possession may be scattered throughout the house. If we tidy room-by-room we are repeating the same work again and again — leading to a frustrating cycle. By focusing on one category at a time, we grasp how much we really own and can make the best decisions for each category.

Holly Bourne

The essence of putting our space in order is not about the things we own. It is about the self. The act of choosing what you love and releasing what no longer serves you is a muscle-building exercise of trusting yourself, being decisive and letting go. These skills can spill into other areas of your life, leading to profound transformations with your time, your relationships, your work, and your health.

Holly Bourne is North Carolina’s first Certified KonMari Consultant, trained by Marie Kondo, author of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and creator of the Netflix show “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo”. She helps clients in the Triangle create more space and transform their homes. Learn more at hollyhbourne.com.