Emptying Your Backpack

I am definitely the type of person that has an extremely messy workspace and I've come to a realization that it is because I empty my backpack every day. Marie Kondo in her book, The Life-Changing Magic of  Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing alludes that I am on the right track with how I take out my notebooks and binders on a daily. Kondo states, "Many people see no point in taking [items in your bag] out when they come home because they will use them again the next day, but this is a mistake. The purpose of a purse or a messenger bag is to carry your things for you when you're away from home." (Kondo 153). Many disagree with this idea initially because it seems like it will take too much time or too much work to put things back in. The reason I've actually been taking things out of my backpack for the past few years is because it's actually easier for me to think when everything that I could possibly work on is laid out in front of me but it also helps the backpack not become as worn out as fast.

My desk quickly gets incredibly messy and cluttered even though my desk is quite large. It's probably because I have two monitors and a laptop.

This is actually how my desk looks at the end of the night. Definitely not exaggerating or enjoyable to clean up. 

The part I definitely don't like the most about emptying my bag is trying to find everything I need for the next day and then repacking. Kondo, however, gives us an extremely easy solution for this and states that I simply just need to, "Make a place for the things inside it. Find a box and place your train pass, company ID, and other important items [inside]...Or you can make a space in one corner of a drawer without using a box at all." (Kondo 154). I found that this was a great solution to my problem of digging around for things and I tested it out for a week or so and it has worked really well for me. I have a box for my pencil cases and graphing calculator and I frequently leave reminders on top of the box for myself. For larger items that don't fit the box such as the two binders and three to four notebooks I carry, I've designated a space for them next to the box and it definitely reduces my searching and packing time by a lot so I don't have to rush to get to the bus stop on time.

By following this method, I definitely feel more relaxed and along with the mood is more time to plan the following week in my planner in the morning instead of trying to dig through my desk and try to find a worksheet that I know I completed the night before.

Do you think unpacking and repacking your backpack is too much work? Or do you like the idea of this method and if so, will you try this out?

Kondō, Marie. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Trans. Cathy Hirano. N.p.: Ten Speed, 2014. Print.