As we start a new year, it fills us with an urge to clean out, organize, and declutter our homes. Most tidying methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go.
“Your home is your sanctuary – it houses your spark-joy objects and supports you by keeping you safe. Dedicating time to express gratitude for your home is a powerful act that will heighten your sensitivity to joy and remove energy and objects that no longer serve you.” – Marie Kondo
Take a page from Marie Kondo’s book and discover the six basic rules of tidying:
Rule 01: Commit yourself to tidying up. Setting the intention to seriously tidy up – and resolving to put in the time and effort required – is the first rule of tidying. When you approach your tidying festival with a clear vision and a can-do attitude, you’ll find the energy and motivation you need to tidy all of your belongings in one go.
Rule 02: Imagine your ideal lifestyle. Marie’s tidying process is not about decluttering your house or making it look neat on the spur of the moment for visitors. It’s about tidying up in a way that will spark joy in your life and change it forever. Think about what kind of house you want to live in and how you want to live in it.
Rule 03: Finish discarding first. On a practical level, discarding first also allows you to have an accurate grasp of how much actually needs to be stored. Only after you’ve discarded can you turn your full energy and attention to that which brings you joy.
Rule 04: Tidy by category, not by location. People often store the same type of item in more than one place. When you tidy each place separately, you’re repeating the same work in many locations. Tidy by category – clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items) and then sentimental items – and you’re on the path to success.
Rule 05: Follow the right order. By starting with clothes (relatively easy) and ending with sentimental items (challenging), you hone your decision making skills as you go; by the end, choosing what to keep seems simple.
Rule 06: Ask yourself if it sparks joy. To determine this when tidying, the key is to pick up each object one at a time, and ask yourself quietly, “Does this spark joy?” Pay attention to how your body responds. Joy is personal, so everyone will experience it differently; Marie describes it as “…a little thrill, as if the cells in your body are slowly rising.” Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go.
Marie says, “Once you have experienced what your house feels like when it is completely tidy in the true sense of the term, you will never want to return to clutter, and the strength of that feeling will empower you to keep it tidy.”
People around the world have been drawn to this philosophy not only due to its effectiveness, but also because it places great importance on being mindful, introspective and forward-looking. Marie Kondo your space and tidy up!
Image credit: Marie Kondo on Youtube
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