Many people view tidying and organizing as simply the work of a homemaker. In reality, the principles of organizing extend far beyond household chores. In our lives, they can be applied to relationships, work, personal growth, and virtually any other area where structure and efficiency matter.
A home environment is an excellent practical example for honing organizing skills. Actively shaping our living spaces is profoundly beneficial for both mental and physical health, as well as personal development.
Learning the art of organizing is not just useful—it’s essential.
First, we need to understand that disorder in our homes is a natural law. Any system left to itself will inevitably move toward higher entropy—that is, chaos will increase over time without external intervention. Recognizing this principle allows us to set realistic expectations: organizing is not about achieving a one-time, permanent state of order. That is impossible, and it defies the natural law. To maintain order in our environment, consistent effort is required.
Our goal should be to create a functional organizing system—one that makes our living environment comfortable and even supports the life goals of household members. The objective is not to prevent disorder permanently but to restore order efficiently when chaos arises, using minimal time and energy.
The concept of “learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to fall back” is something we encounter in elementary school. As adults, we realize that this principle applies far beyond academics: organizing, fitness, skill development, and relationships are all subject to the same reality. There is no “set it and forget it.” Like Sisyphus pushing his boulder, we eat and get hungry again, clean and face mess again, lose weight and regain it, learn and forget. Life is an ongoing cycle.
As James Clear writes in Atomic Habits, “We think we need to change our results. But the results are not the root cause of the problems. What we really need to change are the systems that lead to these results.” If your home is constantly messy, simply aiming to make it look neat is insufficient. Instead, you need a system capable of maintaining tidiness effortlessly.
This system has two essential components:
- A well-designed organizing system, which structures the environment itself.
- Sustainable maintenance habits, which allow order to persist with minimal effort.
These two components are deeply interconnected. A thoughtfully organized environment encourages good habits, while established habits make it easier to maintain and optimize the organizing system.
It is important to note that what counts as “reasonable” is subjective. Everyone’s habits, tolerance for disorder, and personal goals differ. Only the person living in the system can truly know what works. Organizing, whether of your home, relationships, or knowledge systems, cannot be delegated entirely. You must be actively involved—no one else can do it for you.
Once we understand this foundational principle, we can explore the practical “methods” of organizing. While similar to many other guides on the subject, the framework here focuses on five progressive challenges:
- Not knowing what you have
- Difficulty letting go
- Inaccessibility or poor usability
- Lack of aesthetic appeal
- Lack of personal attachment
Addressing these five challenges establishes a foundational organizing system. To do so, we follow four steps: Gather, Categorize, Purge, Store.
Step 1: Gather
This step addresses the “not knowing” problem. Often, we have no clear understanding of what we own or where items are located. The solution is to bring all items together in one place—lay them out where you can see them. This breaks the hidden relationships between items, the environment, and our life. Sometimes, order can only emerge through disruption.
Displaying everything is an externalization process that requires significant mental energy. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, you can prepare yourself psychologically or lay out items category by category. The key is to make everything visible, which prevents the mental stress of hidden clutter.
This step has parallels in time management and relationship management: to improve, you first need awareness. You must know what you have, how much time and energy you spend, and what your current habits are. Conscious awareness is always the first step toward meaningful change.
Step 2: Categorize
Categorization is a sophisticated process with deep implications. Its goal is to establish a logical structure that anyone—including yourself—can easily understand and remember. A well-crafted categorization follows the principle of Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive (MECE).
A common mistake is the “Other” category, which accumulates items we don’t know how to classify. Over time, it becomes a catch-all that defeats the purpose of organizing. A proper categorization has no overlaps and fully accounts for all items.
In household organization, the logic depends on context:
- BE classification: Group similar items together (all tissues, all laundry detergents, etc.). Items are easy to locate and retrieve sequentially.
- DO classification: Group items based on activities (all items needed for going out, all craft supplies, etc.). This makes daily routines more convenient and supports complete restoration of order after use.
At the lowest level, categorization involves observation and combining like items. For example, if all items have colors, you might group them by color. The broader the category, the higher the inclusiveness; the narrower, the more detailed. Categorization should balance your habits and convenience—neither too broad nor too narrow is inherently “better.”
Step 3: Purge
This step addresses issues of excess—too many items make organizing difficult. In today’s world of abundance, possessions can easily become burdens rather than assets. The principles of decluttering in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Danshari apply here.
The core idea is to establish boundaries:
- Protect your personal belongings—you have the right to manage your items without guilt.
- Respect others’ belongings—don’t reorganize or discard someone else’s property without consent.
- Respect individual spaces, especially for children or family members. For example, a child’s desk belongs to them; organizing should only occur if they request help. Boundaries reduce conflict and naturally support classification.
Step 4: Store
This step addresses usability, accessibility, and aesthetics. The author proposes a top-down planning model: Life → Items → Containers.
- Plan life first: Map out your living spaces according to activities (e.g., balcony may serve as laundry/drying space or study/relaxation area).
- Plan items: Items should reside where they are used. Storage must align with daily activities.
- Plan containers: Only after knowing what items go where, choose containers that fit both the space and the items. Never purchase containers in a vacuum—doing so leads to unnecessary clutter.
This activity-centered planning model ensures that the organizing system genuinely serves your life.
After building the system, maintenance is the second half. Without it, even the best system will deteriorate.
- Establish a maintenance rhythm:
- Daily: clean kitchen, prepare for the next day
- Weekly: full-home cleaning, refrigerator organization
- Monthly: change bedding, clean storage areas
- Annually: deep cleaning
Adjust rhythms according to your family’s lifestyle. A fixed rhythm makes maintenance effortless.
- Cultivate good habits: Items returned to their proper places, immediate cleaning after use, and other routines eventually become subconscious behaviors, minimizing effort to maintain order.
Finally, all systems are dynamic. As children grow, elders age, interests change, jobs evolve, and new possessions arrive, your organizing system must adapt. Change and uncertainty are life’s constants—resist the urge to resist. Embrace them.
The influence of our environment is greater than we often realize. Proactively constructing an environment that supports personal growth is far more effective than relying on willpower in a random setting.
May we all live in convenient, beautiful spaces. May the environments we actively build support us in becoming our ideal selves and living the lives we aspire to.
