Hello Reader,
Decluttering isn’t just about stuff.
Here’s what living in 20 sqm in Japan taught me about focus.
I confess I am a huge fan of Marie Kondo. Do read her book.
Having lived in Japan for 2 years I have been amazed by how I was able to get by in a much smaller apartment and still have all the things that I needed.
𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲. 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱.
One small habit I swear by — especially when life feels overwhelming:
👉 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸. A drawer. A shelf. A corner of your desk.
As a family, we now have both a yearly general declutter as well as the daily routine glance if anything can be donated, repurposed, or sold.
It doesn’t have to be a big clear-out.
But each time you clear physical space, you’re also creating 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦.
👉 You are finally choosing to let go of old hobbies. This creates space for new ones.
👉 You are finally throwing out old work documents. This creates space for the new things that you want to learn and grow into.
I was able to finally part with all of my cold-water scuba diving gear after years of feeling guilty that it was sitting in the basement. Priorities have changed and I can always get back into it at a later stage of my life.
And you will be able to appreciate the things that you DO choose to keep and why.
🧠 Tidy home → calmer brain
💡 Fewer distractions → more clarity
📦 Donate what you don’t need → help someone else
We often think we need a new strategy or productivity tool.
But sometimes what we really need is to let go — physically and mentally.
Start small.
Stay consistent.
And watch what happens when your environment finally matches your current focus.
You can do it! 🙋♀️💪
Mareike
