The KonMarie method is literally taking over the world, or so it seems! I can’t login to any social media without being bombarded by people shouting the phrases of tidying up. I’m right there with them! I literally watched one episode on Netflix, and was hooked. I feel the incessant urge to declutter, organize, tidy, and clean our entire house. Now I want to get rid of all of our unwanted stuff and keep only the things that spark joy!
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Overview: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
For those of you who have somehow missed it, the KonMari method is a Japanese method of organizing and tidying up your house. It was developed by Marie Kondo, and written about in her book: “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” I’ve heard of the book before, and always thought in the back of my mind that I would like to read it. However, this January, Netflix released an 8-episode mini-series. In the series, Marie Kondo herself goes to 8 different houses and helps families declutter.
Families all over are wondering, how can we get chosen for this??? I don’t have the answer to that, however my husband and I do plan to start our decluttering this weekend. I’ve been thinking about this nonstop for the past 5 days, and have a warning of sorts to those who are considering the KonMari method but haven’t yet started.
Here is how the method works:
Tidy By Category, Not Location
Instead of focusing on an entire room, focus on a category. So in your bedroom, first focus on clothing, then books, then papers, etc. Don’t try to tidy your entire room at once.
Discard First
The first thing to do is take everything out and make a big pile. It helps to see just how much of everything you have. Then, pick up each item, and ask yourself… “Does this spark joy?” If it does NOT, then discard it! It is very important that when you discard an item, you thank it for serving you. I thought that was so silly at first, but it truthfully made getting rid of things easier. I felt guilty getting rid of items that I’d spend money on, or that had been given to me as a gift. By thanking it, I felt like I was acknowledging thaActivate Plugint it had served it’s purpose and wasn’t a waste.
Have kids and wondering how it works? Here’s how to declutter when you have kids!
Store Things Properly
It’s important to store clothing standing up, instead of laying flat. By standing items up, you can see everything you have! How many times have you found something at the bottom of a drawer that you had completely forgotten you had? That doesn’t happen with this method.
Smaller boxes can be used to help separate things so that everything can be seen and easily organized.
Things to Know Before You Begin the KonMari Method
It’s Can Cost You Some Money
If you let it, following the KonMarie method can cost you some cash! You’re going to want to buy lots of new storage containers. There is nothing wrong with investing money into organizing your house, but it’s you should have an idea of your budget and how much you’re willing to spend before you begin.
It Will Take a Long Time
The series shows families completely decluttering their entire houses… I’m talking basements, garages, EVERYTHING… over the course of 30-40 minutes. Watching this makes it not seem that bad. They put an entire 30 days into 30 minutes, basically. I don’t think we can fully grasp the depth of the work that goes into each house. Prepare yourself: it will take a LONG time to fully tidy up your entire house.
Things Will Get Worse Before They Get Better
Marie Kondo says herself that your house will be in more disarray before it is organized. The reason is simple: you’re taking your mess that’s out of site and putting it in the middle of the room. Then before you’re done, you have to decide
There Will Be a Learning Curve (especially for children that help)
Theo (our almost 5-year-old) has been putting his clothing away and choosing clothing independently for almost a year. He will definitely need to practice putting clothing away with this new method… or let’s face it, any method other than cramming it in.
I’ve spoken to friends with older children who fold their own clothes completely. Their reaction is that there is no way they want to teach their children to do something completely new. I totally understand that! So, just know that there will be a learning curve for everyone involved, but especially children.
Related: How to Keep Your House Clean in Ten Minutes a Day!
Some Things Won’t Spark Joy, But You Still Need Them
Socks don’t spark joy in my life. Neither do my worn out clothes that I wear when I paint, or my dish sponges… but I am certainly keeping those things!
Are you interested in tidying up your home? My husband and I are going to start tomorrow! Check back next week to see how it went!
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