The KonMari method is a divisive topic. Some people love it, some criticise it, but even if you’ve only heard of it, you’re inspired by it. The method of the Japanese home organisation consultant, guru and superstar is in its heyday in our country. She writes from an approach that the objects in our homes and in our possessions can bring happiness, and we should only surround ourselves with stuff that bring joy – in some way.

On the other hand it is “just” a method. So it doesn’t work for everyone!

This has to be accepted.

So we should not have world-changing expectations about the method, because we can easily be disappointed. That’s why I would like to share with you some ideas that make you definitely want to get to know the KonMari method better.

If you feel your home is cluttered, you don’t know how to get started and you think you’ll never be able to declutter your home, let Marie Kondo inspire you:

“Aha” moments with the KonMari method

Shaping our perception of a “tidy home”

When you read her books (Marie Kondo: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing), you get an initial enthusiasm that gives you so much energy that you want to get up from your couch and start to declutter and organize stuff right away. You are instantly and completely sucked into the world of Marie Kondo and you are in a state of Nirvana for days.

Your dopamine level is skyrocketing, and you cannot wait to start to tidy your home.

Imagine the end results

You have to change your mindset and not to dwell about how messy your home is at the moment. Imagine your home the way you really want it to be:

clean surfaces,

clutter-free,

spacious spaces,

to name just the most common ones.

The KonMari method works by category, not by room

This is where the KonMari method is unique. Progressing by category is helpful in many cases because it confronts us with our objects. The fact of how much stuff we have accumulated over the years and how much stuff with the same function we have.

It is indeed hard work to have all our stuff of the same category in one place in our home, but it avoids the need to pack it back and forth within the home. And hoarding also works quite well in terms of clutter.

A joy, simple, yet great

Let’s just say it depends on what type of person you are. Some people can make a much easier decision about the legitimacy of an object in the home if they ask about its function – but many people can get completely absorbed in the question “Does this object bring you joy?” and be completely overwhelmed by it.

It is rare in our lives that we have to constantly make decisions about the objects we already own, whether to stay or go. What is the yardstick that decides? Marie Kondo settles this with a simple question: does this object bring you joy?

Focus on retention

What words do we have for sorting? Lots of negative words: spring/autumn clean-up, sorting, throwing away, sorting, sorting out, and I could go on. Each word is more negative than positive. We focus on what we want to get rid of. The KonMari method puts a twist on this too; according to Marie Kondo, we should focus not on what we get rid of, but on what we keep.

We need to choose our things to keep from a big pile and focus only on what makes us happy.

Respect your objects

Our relationship with the objects in our home changes with the KonMari method. Because we only keep objects that bring real happiness into our lives and have added value (for example, we don’t necessarily think of a screwdriver as bringing us joy), we start to feel better about our home.

Letting go is a GOOD feeling

A big part of the KonMari method is about letting go of objects. Marie Kondo turns letting go into a joyful moment, so that we can let go of our belongings with a good feeling – without feeling guilty. Our home and our thoughts become more free and the initial good feeling helps us to move on and let go of more objects.

 KonMari way of folding clothes

How do you foldyour clothes you ask? The KonMari method is considered groundbreaking: instead of stacking them on top of each other, the solution is to put them next to each other. Either with the aoolying baskets on your shelves, or you fold your clothes into the drawer, the KonMari way can be truly helpful.

For certain subcategories, the folding method is definitely recommended (for example: underwear).

Rediscover your style

With the KonMari method, you can really find joy in the little things. It gives you a new opportunity to rediscover your own style and shape your environment around it.

Long-term results with KonMari

Getting dressed in the morning is no longer a challenge

In the morning, you won’t waste time worrying about what to wear, there will not be any clothes you have but do not want to wear. The feeling of “I have too much but I don’t want to wear anything” will disappear and your mornings will start more smoothly.

Find out what’s missing from your home

Say goodbye to the “I’m just buying something because it was a hard day I can treat myself” feeling! You’ll also be more conscious about what you buy. Instead of buying the same repetitive things, you’ll be filling in the gaps in your wardrobe and replacing the missing stuff.

It’s also easier to keep things tidy

Cleaning won’t start with pitting random stuff away, you can grab your duster in a jiffy! While unicorns, who enjoy hours of tidying up before they can start cleaning must exist, most of us aren’t one of these wonderful creatures.

Less is more

I think it’s very important that Marie Kondo helps you know exactly what you’ve used up from your fridge storage box. It will be easier to find everything in your home with less searching. You’ll have fewer items on the surfaces, and your home will feel more spacious.

Other people’s opinions will be less important

The KonMari method is all about focusing on yourself. Don’t worry about what other people have, about what things the people you live with have that bother you. You create your own system, in a way that brings you joy. So you will not keep something because someone else thinks you should.

And remember, it’s a method. Tailor it to your own life, take the parts of the method that you like, shape it the way you want it. Take from it what brings you joy and moves you forward. As much as will help you achieve a stress-free and clutter-free home with stuff that brings you joy.

Read the rest of the KonMari series here – not to be missed!

• KonMari: Clothes
• KonMari: Books, papers
• KonMari: Komono1
• KonMari: Komono2
• KonMari: Sentimental

(Picture from: https://konmari.com/about/)