Tired of decluttering constantly? Learn the basics of the KonMari Method of tidying and you’ll never have to declutter your home again!!
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Y’all, I don’t know what it is about January, but it seems like everyone on the planet is in decluttering mode!! I don’t mind though because I’ve been working on it off and on for a while now and I’m determined to get it finished once and for all!
I discovered the best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, over 2 years ago now. Yeah, I’m always late to the party!
I read through it back then and I jumped right in with lots of enthusiasm! Her concepts really resonated with me and I started off with the first category right away.
Here’s the problem though: I’m a recovering perfectionist. And those perfectionist tendencies (along with life) slowed me down big time. So, here I am, over 2 years later and I haven’t completed the tidying process yet (I’ve done three out of the six)!
But, that’s about to change!! I’m determined to get this process completed once and for all…and I’m hoping you’ll follow along with me.
Why the KonMari Method Works
Before we get started though, Marie Kondo believes there are some reasons why so many people struggle with decluttering.
First off, she believes that decluttering (or tidying as she calls it) is a special event, not a daily activity. My mind is blown already!! For so long, I’ve always thought it was better to “do a little bit each day.”
Secondly, she contends that many of us rebound because we don’t do it properly. Ummm, hello!! She might be onto something!! What I’ve been doing hasn’t worked so, I’m intrigued.
I’d encourage you to read the book for yourself (it’s only about $10 on Amazon) but until then, these are the main ideas from the book.
The KonMari Method of Decluttering
These concepts combined are what make up The KonMari Method, which is play on the author’s name:
1. Declutter by category – not location
I had never considered this idea before and it blew my mind! I’ve always worked on a certain room or space at a time. The KonMari method has you work through each category (ex. clothes, books, papers, etc.), one at a time. You don’t move on to the next until you’ve finished the previous one.
2. Declutter in the right order
Not only do you declutter each category one at a time, but you should follow a particular order when you do it. The idea is that you start with the “easier” categories first and end with the more challenging categories. She recommends this order: clothing, books, paper, kimono (miscellaneous), sentimental items.
By starting with the easier categories, you to hone your skill through the process. Once you get to towards the harder categories (hello pictures!), you should be on a roll and be able to tackle those items with more ease. We’ll see about that – ha!
3. Pull out – and touch – everything in the category
This seems drastic (and it is!), but pull out everything in the category and throw it on the floor or bed. This might mean checking multiples areas of your home to make sure you haven’t forgotten about items stored in a random place that you may have forgotten.
She mentions the importance of touching and holding each item in your hand. This allows you to closely examine each item and it will help you answer the next question…
4. Ask yourself, “Does it spark joy?”
My family teases me with this phrase, but I think it’s a total paradigm shift and is the main reason this method works!
Now that you have all the items pulled out, you need a way to determine what you keep. In the past, I had no concrete way to determine what to keep. Have I worn this lately? Does it still fit? Is this still in style?
Asking yourself this question encompasses all of those questions, but takes it a step further. Does the item actually make you happy?
Obviously, there are some items that will never spark joy (toilet paper!!) and must be kept because they are functional and serve a specific purpose.
You get the idea though. It’s really interesting to begin thinking about this question of whether an item “sparks joy!”
5. Discard the items that don’t – keep the items that do!
If an items “sparks joy” then you keep the item! Those that do not should be donated or discarded.
By thinking about it this way, the focus is on the items you keep rather then what you are getting rid of. To me, this seems like a more encouraging and positive way to view this process.
A Few Caveats
As with most books, I didn’t agree with every single thing mentioned. For example, she talks about thanking your home when you walk in each day. She says that you should thank your socks for taking care of your feet and providing them with protection.
While I love the overall idea of showing gratitude for your belongings, I just can’t bring myself to talk to my items. 🙂
She also mentions emptying out your purse every single day! Well…that ain’t happenin!! Some of her ideas may seem a little cooky at first, but that’s okay. Stick with the book and her main concepts and I believe you’ll glean a lot from it, even if you don’t agree with absolutely everything.
Let’s Get Started!
Even though I haven’t completed all the categories in my home yet (I have done three out of the six), I think these concepts are transformational!
Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing the process so you can see how it works for me. My plan is to work on one category each month, starting this Wednesday with my first post about clothes!
I believe that one category per month is a realistic deadline for myself. Not only that, but my hope is that you’ll follow along and declutter each category in your home right along with me. We can all do one category per month, right? 🙂
It’s a little overwhelming, but I’m really pumped to get this done…completely this time! And at the end, we should all have more organized homes!
Here are all of the posts in the KonMari Method series:
The KonMari Method Explained (you’re here)
The KonMari Method: Organizing Clothes
The KonMari Method: Organizing Books
The KonMari Method: Organizing Papers
The KonMari Method: Organizing Komono in Living Spaces
The KonMari Method: Organizing Bathroom Komono
