If you want to start the year on the right foot, you have to do the 'Oosouji' cleaning ritual: bye bye 2021, top 2022!

The time has come to say goodbye to 2021 and, with it, the time to set new goals. However, a study carried out by the University of Scranton (United States), reveals that only 8% of people will fulfill their New Year's resolutions. But don't worry, because the interior designer and official consultant for Marie Kondo, Amaia Elias, tells us her secret to achieve it.

"Doing 'Oosouji', the Japanese ritual that is celebrated every December 28 and which means "the great cleaning", both of our house and of our inner world. The objective? Remove everything old and useless from home to make room for the good that 2022 will bring and thus facilitate the start of a new year", confesses the expert. Do you dare to try it? She tells you herself!

How to do the Oosouji ritual step by step

1. Know your purposes well

Before starting this ritual, as is done with the Marie Kondo Method, it is important to capture our ideal lifestyle for the coming year. How do we want to feel? What habits do we want to implement? What goals do we want to achieve? You can go further and think about what job you want to have, what kind of relationships or what person you want to be.

If you don't know where to start, just try writing how you want to feel in 2022. That will give you the guidelines for everything else: it will be the roadmap for our Oosouji. That is to say, it will guide us in the choice of objects, routines or even people that we want in our lives.

2. Do not leave any "just in case"

Japanese philosophy has respect for the environment, not only for living beings but also for objects. This is clearly seen in the Marie Kondo Method with the philosophy of “before saying goodbye, say thank you”. Saying thank you for the moments you have spent with that object, for what you have learned with it, for making your life easier... helps to remove those objects without guilt.

Human beings by nature have a tendency to accumulate. And throughout life this pile of accumulated objects gets bigger and bigger. And many times, without being aware. For this reason, this ritual also helps to get rid of objects, materials and experiences that you no longer need. Taking everything out of your house and your life, to be clear about the reins of your life again.

And when I say everything, I am not only referring to the objects that we do not need, but also to bad experiences, bad habits, toxic relationships... If they do not bring you anything in life, the Oosouji will help you say goodbye to they!

3. A thorough cleaning from top to bottom

It is important to review the corners that are not cleaned on a daily basis. Like the bedding, the sofa, the windows, the lamps... But it also involves putting life's tasks in order, how to pay the pending bills, throw away expired tickets, etc.

It is best to start cleaning from top to bottom and from the furthest to the entrance. That is, you begin to remove dust from the windows or cabinets until you finish cleaning the floor. And from the furthest point to the entrance, with the intention of removing all the bad emotions and all the dirt from the house.

When cleaning, use natural, non-toxic products. You only need vinegar and baking soda to make your homemade cleaner and, if you want to give it a touch of smell, you can add a squeeze of lemon.

4. Involve the whole family

This ritual is a family thing and all members must participate. Including the children. This way they will feel important at home and they will know the effort that the whole process means, being able to keep the house cleaner during the year. It is also a way to involve the little ones in the effort and make them feel fulfilled and important in the family.

The Montessori method always says that from about 2 years old they are able to help with housework. I say approximately, since each child has his own process and for this reason the adult's observation is important.

In this way we are not only educating our children, but we are fostering their confidence and self-esteem. And as I said before, it is important not to use toxic products so as not to put the little ones at home at risk.

5. Transform cleaning into meditation

The ritual is not just about cleaning the house by dusting some shelves or ordering the closet. Try to clean the inside. That is why you need to clean intentionally, practicing mindfulness.

The external is directly related to the internal. By getting rid of objects we get rid of the emotional charge that they carry on us. Instead, by calmly and lovingly cleaning the objects we decide to keep in our lives, we are showing them respect. For this reason, you have to think very carefully where to store each thing that will contribute to our lives. Because saving is also a form of care!

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With mindfulness applied to cleaning, cleaning is transformed into that moment of meditation. For this reason, I recommend turning off the mobile during this process because we have to concentrate 100% on what we are doing. Since it is a cleaning without distractions or interruptions. With this ritual, transform your home into your own sanctuary. A place of worship, an important place.

6. The last step: decorate the house to achieve your goals

Once you have finished cleaning I recommend decorating. That is, put those objects that will help you achieve your dream lifestyle in sight, memories of past trips that remind you how much you like to travel or photos of those people you want to accompany you this 2022. Fill your house! of happiness and incentives so that this year you do achieve your goals!

*Thanks to Amaia Elias from Amai Studio, an interior designer specializing in renovations based on the Marie Kondo and Montessori method.