5  Essential Tips to “Marie Kondo” Your Home

A petite Japanese woman invaded various homes across the globe. Her miracle methods have shifted the lifestyles of many and have brought joy with every step. Marie Kondo is coming to your doorstep today!

Want to bring the KonMari magic to your home? Here are 5 tips to do just that:

1.Divide and conquer

When combating clutter, most people go from room to room, such as clearing the bathroom first then moving to the bedroom. Contrary to common practice, Marie Kodo recommends breaking the task down into categories instead of doing it by location.

By putting your items into categories, systematically getting rid of clutter becomes much more efficient. One person who owned a disorganized garage with 28 bikes found this method helpful in working through his collection. At the end of it, he had more space in his once-cramped garage bike storage area. 

Marie Kondo recommends starting with clothes as they typically hold the least sentimental value. Under each category are more specific subcategories. Items like albums and photographs come later in the process as more memories are associated with them. 

Eventually, you will be able to store similar items together and locate them with ease. Gone will be the days of rummaging around the house in search of another missing object. 

2.Does it spark joy?

The famous catchphrase comes from the Japanese word “tokimeku,” which is translated as “your heart beats” or “heart aflutter.” So in essence, when something sparks joy, it excites you or inspires positive feelings that make your heart beat a little faster.  

Going through the items and determining which ones to let go of is arguably the most challenging part of the process. Be warned, attachment and nostalgic feelings may get in the way. But do not be thwarted! 

By simply asking the golden question, minimizing waste and saving space can be actualized. It just might take a whole lot of sweat, time, and soul searching. However, once the purging process is over, the relief that comes after will be all worth it. 

3.Storage is not the solution

Decluttering your home is more than just throwing stuff into big storage boxes and hoping for the best. While it creates an initial feeling of neatness, Kondo recommends a more long-term approach. 

Throwing everything into a bin will only make it difficult for you in the future. For example, finding specific items will become extra taxing if this system is continued. If you keep storing items in hopes of cleaning up, the accumulated clutter will only come back to haunt you soon enough.

Marie Kondo recommends reducing your belongings before even attempting to organize your items in their designated areas. You must first accomplish the discarding stage before moving on to the next. By doing this, you will be able to save time and money. 

Instead of buying new storage, Kondo likes to use shoe boxes or any other available box as an alternative. So, think twice before throwing those boxes away because they might save you a trip to the bin store. 

4.Put them in their place

The step that comes after the discarding stage is another leap towards a clutter-free home. Each item must have a place with others of its type. More than just putting belongings in their assigned spots, Marie Kondo cares as much about how they are placed. 

One odd practice under the KonMari Method is to consider the object’s feelings. While you may not care about how your pants feel about being left on the floor, you can still learn a thing or two from the way she respects and cares for her belongings. 

From the way she folds her clothes alone, her conviction is evident. The vertical folding technique reduces the amount of space that clothes typically take up. By mastering Kondo’s folding procedure, you too could avoid misplaced clothes and towering piles of crumpled outfits. 

5.Commit to the task

Marie Kondo suggests finishing the task in one large leap rather than little increment steps. The Japanese phrase “ikki ni” or “on one go” encapsulates this concept. 

Kondo claims that tidying up in one shot can drastically change your mindset. Since this will take some time, set aside a day for just finishing the task. According to the tidying expert, spreading it out over a whole month might not be the most effective approach.

Takeaway

Seeing these drastic changes in your home could lead to a transformation in mindset as well. After all, maintaining a tidy space begins with personal decisions.

Do you want to see real lifestyle changes today? Then let Marie Kondo in your home! You can hear more of her tips through purchasing her book or watching her videos on YouTube and Netflix. 

Indeed, the journey of letting go and learning to grow is a destination in itself.