Emptying Your Bags

I love to be prepared. I always want to have everything I need in every situation. To make sure I don’t forget anything, I never take my items out of my purse so that it is always ready to go. I had no clue that this was a problem since the only time it created trouble was when I either changed bags or filled it with too much stuff. According to Marie Kondo, in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, you must empty your bag every day (Kondo 154). To be completely honest, when I first read this section, I thought it was such a waste of time. Yet, Kondo has had consistently effective methods, so I decided to go through with it.

I still was curious on why it was important to do this. It didn’t seem like it would make much of a difference. However, Kondo convincingly states that, “If you treat your handbags like this, they will soon look tired and worn” (Kondo 153). In saying this, she means that if you never empty your bags, they won’t get a break from carrying all your stuff. This leads to a faster deterioration. Along with being prepared, I love to save money. If emptying my purses and bags helps them last longer, I’m all for it.

The first step to make this a habit is easy, just take everything out of your bag (Kondo 154). I had quite a collection of stuff, ranging from gloves to lip balm to sticky notes.

The next step is to find a way to store all of your things. Kondo suggests, “Find a box and place your train pass, company ID, and other important items vertically inside it. Then put the box just like that into a drawer or cupboard” (Kondo 154). Like all of her tips, I’ve found it extremely important to follow exactly what she says. When I first tried this, I ignored the part about vertically organizing things, which made my shoe box very crowded. As soon as I switched it, everything fit much better.

This strategy has helped my organization greatly. I often change bags and this helps speed that process up. It makes me get rid of any trash I have right away, instead of letting it build up as well. I’ve also found that I carry just what I need instead of everything I have. For example, if I’m going to work, I don’t need to bring my gloves or hair ties, but I do need to make sure I have my keys. This has helped me stay much more organized while still being prepared.

What kind of stuff do you always need to have? Do you think this strategy would help you stay more organized? Also, if you try it, let me know how it goes!

Kondo, Marie. The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Trans. Cathy Hirano. Berkeley: Ten Speed, 2014. Print.