Tidy once. Keep it that way.

Before we touch a single thing, picture how you want your home to feel and how you'd like to spend your time in it.

Tip: Write it down, or make a vision board. It's the reason behind every choice you'll make, and it keeps you going when the piles are tall.

Clothes come first because they're the easiest. You choose them every day, so you already know which ones you love to wear and which ones you skip.

Tip: Pile every piece you own on the bed, even the coats and the box under it. Then hold each one and ask whether it sparks joy.

Your library should be your personal hall of fame. Take every book off the shelf, hold each one, and keep the ones that still mean something to you.

Tip: Judge each book by its cover: pick it up, but don't open it and start reading, or you'll lose your momentum.

Papers pile up quietly. Gather them from every drawer and bin, then sort them into what needs attention, what you must keep, and what can go.

Tip: Most papers won't spark joy. Keep what you need, and set aside love notes and children's drawings for sentimental, at the end.

Komono is everything else: the kitchen, the bathroom, the garage, the cords and the gifts. We work through it one small group at a time.

Tip: Choose a home for everything you keep, so putting things away takes no thought at all.

Photos, letters and keepsakes come last. By now you've practiced on everything else, so you know what joy feels like, and these choices come easier.

Tip: Keep what honors your past and the life you're living now. Thank the rest, and let it go.