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The Japanese tidiness guru has some tips for making your suitcase an example of practicality and wonderful organization.
A couple of years ago, in 2019, a new craze for tidying up and discarding unnecessary objects in our homes resurfaced around the world. The platform Netflix launched the series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, where a Japanese consultant (the famous Marie Kondo) came to tidy up the house of a family living in the middle of a disaster.
The smiling Marie is a relentless sergeant of order who imposed a method to give a place to each object and expel from our home anything that does not cause us “a spark of joy.” The strategy was half sketched in the series but explained in her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which has sold no less than three million copies and translated into 30 languages.
The Japanese order guru has also focused on specific situation in which part of her method can be used to wonderful effect. One of them is luggage preparation, an activity that requires a great capacity for planning, order, and organization to achieve the goal of traveling light without nothing missing. These are the steps to follow:
1. Think, then pack
A little research and planning are essential. What will the weather be like where you are going during the days you will travel? What is the itinerary you will follow? Make a list of what might work in those circumstances. Take nothing “just in case,” pack just only what will cover your needs. Remember Kondo’s main advice: take with you only what will make you happy.
2. Pack your suitcase on a single occasion
Don’t let yourself wander. Choose a day and a time to pack your suitcase. If you focus your attention on what is necessary and useful and put it away as quickly as possible, it will be more difficult for you to carry unnecessary items. Ideally, the packing day should be closed to the day of your trip so that you avoid having to take items in and out.
3. Use categories
Separate your luggage into four categories: documentation, personal care, clothing and footwear, and electronic devices. Each of them should store in a group, in a specific place.
4. Make the most of each space
Put jeans and shoes at the bottom of the suitcase (think of the bottom as the bottom when the suitcase is standing upright), which better supports the weight of the rest. Place the most delicate items on top of everything else. Put your underwear in the small corners that are free.
Source: Mandarin Oriental Magazine
