Sometimes, the mere thought of having to tidy up our home can feel like a huge mountain to “climb.” Regardless of a home’s size or the number of rooms it has, keeping it tidy depends on many factors, so if we don’t have the time or willpower needed, we may not even try to make a change.
This is because we usually associate the idea of cleaning and tidying our home with marathon sessions of work and effort. It’s not something that’s pleasant at first, even if the result will be worth it. That’s why stepping out of that “comfort zone” is quite difficult in most cases.
But, fortunately, the problem often really lies in the methodology. There are techniques, such as those outlined in the so-called Kaizen method that show us it’s not necessary to really “push ourselves to the limit” to gradually get our home organized. And today we’re sharing several examples that prove it…
What is the Kaizen method?
The word “Kaizen” is made up of two terms of Japanese origin. On the one hand, “Kai, ” which means “good.” And on the other, “zen,” which means “change.” So, its essence is to help us make positive changes in our lives without having to exert a great deal of effort in the process.
Although the terminology is Japanese, its philosophy actually originated in the United States. There, during World War II, a training program called Training Within Industry (TWI) began to be developed to help companies train their employees with the goal of improving their performance. This program was so successful that it was soon exported to and adapted by Japan as the country began its recovery process following its crushing defeat in the war.
From the principles of TWI—which involve a thorough understanding of the job, a positive work environment, and continuous improvement of production methods and processes— companies like Toyota drew on the most important concepts and gradually developed their own Kaizen methodology. This enabled them to achieve continuous improvement in their work and business processes, and it wasn’t long before the approach was applied to other aspects of life, such as organization at home.
What are the principles of the Kaizen method?
According to this philosophy, it is possible to achieve major changes through small, gradual improvements. Specifically, if we gradually get into the habit of doing tasks that require little effort, we will make great strides. Therefore, the key to success lies in consistency.
It is based on five pillars or premises known as the “5 S’s”:
- Seiri, or sorting: this means we should keep only what is useful to us and discard what we don’t need. It’s very similar to what Marie Kondo proposes in her KonMari method, because both approaches agree that letting go of what we don’t need is the first step toward achieving a clean, tidy, and comfortable home.
- Seiton, or sorting: This involves finding a place or space for each item and using it to achieve order. The key here is to keep the things we use most often within easy reach, so they are fully accessible.
- Seiso or cleaning: Once everything is neatly organized and sorted, it will be easy for us to start cleaning. The more days we repeat this process, the easier it will be to make it a habit—which is essential for keeping our home clean at all times.
- Seiketsu, or standardization: the simpler and more reproducible our method’s ideas are, the easier it will be for us to learn. If we create rules consisting of just a few steps that we can easily repeat over and over, there will come a point when we’ll carry them out every day without even realizing it.
- Shitsuke, or discipline: To be able to fulfill the four previous principles, we’ll need strong willpower. If we put them into practice for just a couple of weeks but then lack the motivation to maintain them over time, all our previous effort will have been for nothing. The fact is, order doesn’t maintain itself; it requires constant effort on our part.
Examples of How to Apply the Kaizen Method at Home
What are some small tasks we can do every day to gradually bring order to our home? Here are some ideas to get you started on these activities by spending just a minute a day on them, and then, little by little, spending a bit more time on them if necessary:
Clear the table and wash the dishes and silverware right after lunch or dinner
It’s important that we do this as soon as we get up from the table, because otherwise it will be harder to clear everything away and clean up later.
Put away the clothes we take off as soon as we get home
The idea of changing clothes and leaving them on a chair or on the bed can be tempting, but if we take just a minute to put them away or put them in the washing machine (or the laundry basket), we’ll avoid clutter.
Prevent clutter from building up in the entryway
The small table or piece of furniture in the entryway is often another problem area, because we tend to leave the things we bring in from outside on it. Grocery bags, clothes, wallets, purses, receipts… This is something we can do as soon as we walk in the door, but once we’ve changed, we’ll need to tidy everything up to leave it just as it was.
Make the bed shortly after getting up
For example, if we have to go to work, don’t leave it undone before leaving the house.
Set aside one day a week to tidy up each room
If the house isn’t very big, we can set aside short periods of time to clean and tidy up each room. For example, on Monday we can focus on the living room, on Tuesday on the family room, on Wednesday on a bedroom, and so on. It’s enough to start with the most important things, such as putting away anything that’s out of place, and later we can take care of other details, such as a deep clean.
Throw away everything that has piled up over the week
Each week, we can set aside some time to go through everything that has come into our home and doesn’t deserve to stay there. Magazines, food packaging, advertising flyers, bags, cardboard… Throwing these items away regularly will keep them from piling up.
Tidying Up the Closet
Closets get messy easily because we’re constantly taking things out of them, and then, when we’re in a hurry, we might not pay attention to where we put each item. However, if we establish an organizing system (such as by category) and then spend a minute each day sticking to it and making sure we put each item where it belongs, we’ll ensure that our closet is always tidy.
Here are a few ideas to help you start applying the Kaizen method in your home. But there are many more you can use to enjoy a tidy and clean home with little effort. All you need is consistency and just a few minutes a day!
And remember, if you want to learn about other methods that will also help you keep your home organized, don’t forget to download our free guide below. It has all the tips you’re looking for!:
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