I am compulsive–with shopping, task completion, cleaning, etc.–to no end. As I gain a better sense of myself, my compulsive nature sophisticates, and I learn to prioritize the important things in my life.

For the longest time, I was a hoarder. Yes, a hoarder, like the ones aired on TV (but not nearly to the same degree). Admittedly, I don’t recall when I began hoarding; I just started compulsively collecting everything I could. I would hold tight to anything that crossed my path. Everything became important and developed sentimentality over time.

I would classify myself as a “closet” hoarder because it was in my closet where the majority of my problem existed.

From top to bottom, my closet was filled to the brim with an abundance of items. It was sickening to see the mess, and it was even worse trying to clean it. I would spend each weekend trying to organize and give everything a home. Despite all efforts, the pile would never shrink– and I would feel just as hopeless as I did when I started.

It was only this last summer that I was exposed to the “magic” that would forever change my life and, thereafter, my cleaning problems.

Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing inspired me to pursue a minimalist lifestyle, driving home the hitting points through her simple texts and illustrations. The most important of those points: everyone should take note of what they own, and see if it sparks joy.

If you keep this mindset as you look at the room surrounding you, you may find yourself asking, To what extent do the items that I own bring me happiness?

“The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life,” Kondo states in her book.

The piles of books on your shelves, the collection of school work, and the abundance of clothes that litter your room no longer seems normal or necessary. Contrastingly, the stuffed animals you have had from a kid or the shirt your grandfather used to wear infinitely glows; it holds an abundance of importance compared to the items that surround it.

Take a moment to focus on the scent, the colors, the overarching feeling you have and hold that feeling close to your heart. Let it engulf you.

That warm fuzzy feeling of appreciation is the center of the minimalism lifestyle.