neat HABITS

It’s time for a major reboot—here’s a quick crash course on wardrobe reorganization, the art of de-owning and re-owning, and the new staples for 2024

- MARIAN SAN PEDRO

"Contrary to what many people know, bins don't automatically make you become organized-setting up a proper system does," says Issa Guico Reyes, author, professional home organizer, and Konmari consultant-in-training. "Don't get me wrong, storage solutions are very helpful, but only if they're needed. One must understand how to use certain storage solutions, and they're not supposed to just 'hide your things." "

MOVING ON

In Reyes's book Neat Obsessions, there is a three-step method called "Homeward technique." This includes sorting, detaching, and rehoming. If you're planning to let go of things so you can start anew, the second step will help you understand the meaning of the things that you own in your life. In detaching, Reyes shares that there are two highly emotional, equally important subprocesses that happen: de-owning and re-owning.

De-owning is understanding that an item does not support your season, so you either find a new home for it if it's still functional, or you discard it if it's not. Re-owning is rediscovering the purpose of an item that you might not have seen for a long time. It is about seeing the item again, and using (or displaying) it from now on because it regained its meaning through your clearly defined season.

"Organizing is a personal journey," Reyes elaborates. "It doesn't have to be perfect. There should be a healthy balance between setting a standard and giving yourself leeway. Moreover, never settle for a setup that compromises your health. Make it a habit to do a little organizing every day so that you don't get overwhelmed and you don't share your space with dust, insects, and even roaches, too."

GET MOVING