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Ahhh,
spring cleaning! One of my favorite things to do (organization-wise, not actual
cleaning). I saw a video on YouTube of Jennifer Ross decluttering her closet using the
“KonMari Method.” I was intrigued as I love to organize and I love to get rid
of stuff. Weird, I know, but it’s refreshing to me to clear out old clutter and
make room for something new. After watching the video, I decided to read Marie
Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of
Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. I was already
planning on going through all our “stuff” so I figured I would try Kondo’s
KonMarie Method.
The
KonMarie Method focuses on purging one category at a time (as opposed to the
ever popular one room at a time or X number of minutes a day) in a short period
of time. Her method has you gather all you have of one item (e.g., clothes) and
put them in a pile so you can see all you have. Next, you discard. She suggests
using feeling over logic here. No, “I may use that for…” If it doesn’t bring you joy it goes. After you discard
and are left with only things that “spark joy,” you organize. I’m usually a
person who works more rationally than emotionally so this was an interesting
exercise for me.
Kondo has
you start by visualizing your ideal lifestyle, why you are motivated to
declutter and what will bring you happiness. If it doesn’t “spark joy” it goes.
Kondo makes a very good point—focus on what you want to keep, not on what you
want to throw away. That way, you are left with only what you really want (and
don’t feel bad for throwing away so much because you are left with what makes
you happy). You can also donate what you are no longer keeping!
There is a
strict order to what you declutter: Clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous stuff
and lastly, mementos. The rationale to this order is that by the time you get
to mementos you will have mastered the art of decluttering and will be able to
part with items that may at one time had sentimental value.
Kondo gives
good organization tips in regards to clothing: Fold clothes and store them
vertically (as opposed to piled on top of each other) to save space and put
less wear on your clothes, put heavier clothes on the left side of your closet
and shorter, lighter clothes on the right side to make your closet seem airier
(I tried this, it worked) and organize based on ease of storing, not ease of
use (so that you actually put stuff away).
For books, “sometimes means never.” So, if you think you will read a book at some point, chances are you will not. And I’ll just add that if you change your mind down the road, you can always go to my favorite place—the library! Kondo also advocates throwing out basically all paper, unless it is something important like a contract or needed for taxes. She pulls no punches.
Kondo can
use judgmental language at times (e.g., people are lazy, if you wear sweats you
will end up being unattractive) and talks in metaphors a lot. I’m assuming the
metaphors are a little off because of cultural differences. She also encourages
you to talk to your possessions every day. For example, you should thank your
shoes for protecting your feet and your bag for carrying your stuff. Again,
this may be more of a cultural difference but I don’t see myself doing that.
She also makes a bunch of health and fortune claims based on this method of
decluttering. These claims are based on anecdotal evidence and not research.
Decluttering
videos and tips on a minimalist lifestyle are very popular right now, so it’s
easy to see why this method has caught on so quickly.
My husband
and I go through our stuff at least once a year and donate what we don’t need
or want so I wasn’t sure we would have much to get rid of using the KonMari
Method. Boy was I wrong! We have four bags of clothes to donate, in addition to
throwing a bunch out. We are donating
almost 100 books, 62 DVDs and 13 DVD TV series. I’m sure there is more we will
get rid of in the near future too. We’re not people who accumulate things or
buy random things, but this method really forces you to really pare down to the
essentials that bring you joy. As far as my clothing/closet goes, I definitely
feel lighter. Just about everything in my closet is something I want to wear
and I’m not bogged down by seeing things that I never wear.
This is a
very strict method of decluttering. It will probably be hard for people to
stick to Kondo’s exact rules, but I suggest giving it a try and modifying the
method to best suit your lifestyle. Just make sure you don’t get caught in the
trap of only keeping something for sake of keeping it. I think it’s most
important to follow the joy rule—only keep things that “spark joy.” Chances are
you’ll feel lighter and happier. I know I do.
Now, what
to do with all these empty hangers….
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