Getting Started with the KonMari Method
Having you seen Tidying Up with Marie Kondo yet? It’s taking Netflix over by storm and my Facebook newsfeed is falling in love with the Marie Kondo and the KonMari method. Here’s a guide to getting started with the KonMari Method.
KonMari Method
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I binged it back to back, then immediately ordered The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
Now I’m deep diving into the KonMari method and I’m so excited. (Next on my to order list is Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up.
What is KonMari?
Whether you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to organize your house once and for all, or you’re just in a cleaning mood, KonMari is going to flip your world upside down (in a good way!).
The KonMari Method™ encourages keeping only those things that speak to the heart, and discarding items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go.
If you’ve seen Marie Kondo’s Netflix special, you see her talk to the home before she shows her clients how to get started. When she lets go of clothes, she thanks them and gently sets them aside rather than just tossing them like trash. Some people think this is weird, but I’ve found it surprisingly calming. Do what works for you, but try it Marie’s way before dismissing it.
Marie Kondos’ Books:
- The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
- Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up. (The same as the original but with illustrations).
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix is great, but you will want to deep dive in one of the above books.
Basic Rules of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
The KonMari way is a way of cleaning and organizing your life. It’s inspiring, amazing, and different than other methods I’ve seen. I love the idea of pulling everything out and keeping only what brings joy to your life. It’s a lot of work, don’t get me wrong, but it’s worth it in the end. You’ll love how your house looks – and how you feel – once you’ve finished tidying up.
Commit. The first step in KonMari is to make a commitment. It’s not going to be easy to tidy your house from top to bottom, and it won’t happen in one day – it’s a process.
Imagine. Next, it’s time to imagine your ideal lifestyle. I feel this is important because of the amount of work you’re going to be putting in. If you don’t have a “why”, you’re going to burn out… fast.
Discard. It’s time to get moving. You’re going to discard by category and item, not by room. For example, if you’re discarding clothes, you need to gather ALL of the clothes and put them in one pile.
While you’re working on the pile of clothes in your room, make sure the kiddos are working on their piles of clothes in their rooms as well. Don’t mix and match (husband discarding kitchenware while you’re discarding clothes). Tackle one thing at a time (clothing, books, papers, then miscellaneous or “komono”). This ensures you won’t get (as) overwhelmed, and also helps you stay on track. It’s a snowball effect!
Tidy. Remember, we are tidying by category – not location. Hopping from room to room is probably how you’re used to cleaning up, but this time we’re going to follow a path and make sure we accomplish everything we set out to do.
Order. Order is important in the KonMari method. Follow the order Marie Kondo suggests (in her books and on her TV special on Netflix). Don’t go willy nilly and try to reinvent the wheel. KonMari works!
Ask. When tidying, you have to ask yourself “does this spark joy?” and if the answer is “yes”, keep it. If the answer is “no”, discard it. It is simple at its base, but some things are more difficult. Especially when you get to more sentimental items, making decisions can get exhausting. Take it one step at a time and if you aren’t sure, set it in a “maybe” pile. Then, once you’re finished with the rest of the clothes, you can go back and decide on the ones you weren’t sure of.
TBK’s Pro Tip: Don’t go out and buy a bunch of storage boxes and jars. The book does’t recommend it. Tidy first, then see what you need. This way you don’t have a bunch of boxes that don’t spark joy. When the time comes, you can use a any box (shoeboxes work great) or you can buy some pretty ones on Amazon.
Tidying by Category
I love the idea of cleaning up by category because it’s a fresh approach compared to going room by room. It’s less overwhelming, and it’s easier to see when you’ve made progress. Like I said before, it’s like a snowball effect: once you get started and see that you’ve accomplished something, you’ll be more likely to keep going rather than getting burnt out.
When you are going through clothes, for most of us I feel that it’s easiest to divide by person rather than just all clothes. Especially if you have kids, leaving the clothes in their room will help keep things more organized as well.
If you are only tidying one room for some reason, you can still work in categories. However, the KonMari method says you should tidy all at once. Junk gets moved from room to room and your house will never be organized if you only do one room at a time. Tidy intensely and completely. Take an entire day, weekend, or even week to tackle your entire home – you’ll be thankful you did.
By the way, check out how to organize the kitchen. I whole-heartedly believe an organized pantry and fridge equal healthy options. I cover this in the Healthified Life Club, which will be opening its doors to beta testers soon.
If you want to be notified when the beta test opens for enrollment sign up below:
Get Notified when the BETA TEST opens!
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Complete with my sass and charm.
Folding the KonMari Way
The most popular part of the KonMari method is how Marie Kondo teaches us to fold clothes, towels, etc. It is life changing! Check out this guide on Marie Kondo folding.
I’ll do a video on this soon.
Get Started With KonMari
KonMari is about keeping only items that spark joy in your heart. It’s not about storing things “out of sight, out of mind”. Moving everything to the garage and letting it collect dust isn’t going to spark joy. Think about this as you’re deciding what to keep and what to let go of.
My list of organizational tools.
- I love these pretty boxes for unboxing granola bars, crackers, etc. I call it the snack box.
- Bra and underwear organizers for your dresser or closet drawers.
- Acrylic Trays
- Drawer dividers
Make Money From Your Old Stuff
While you’re getting rid of things, consider donating them to a shelter, church, or even a thrift store. You can also sell items that are more valuable – including clothing, purses, and appliances.
Whether you use eBay or local buy/sell/trade groups, you can make quite a bit of extra cash depending on what you are letting go of!
Canadians – The Canadian Diabetes foundation will pick up from your house!
Using KonMari in Your Life
KonMari can translate to areas of your life other than just cleaning up your home! Organize your digital life to get rid of online clutter. You can even Marie Kondo your marriage. If something isn’t sparking joy in your life, remove it.
Look at your calendar. Are you booked full with events you don’t even like doing? Obviously, we have to do some things we don’t like, but if you’re planning lunch dates with friends who aren’t really friends, change your life by learning to say “no” to things that don’t spark joy.
KonMari is about changing your life and your mindset. It’s not about what others think, it’s about what brings you joy in your life. If someone else doesn’t like your favorite t-shirt, it doesn’t matter! It sparks joy in your life and gets to stay.
TBK’s Pro Tip: Apply the KonMari method to all areas of your life and you will be surprised at how much weight you feel lifted off your shoulders.
I can recommend you to read “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. Very cool book about time management. I’m talking this words about your calendar
Thanks for the recommendation James! I’ll check it out.
Yeah, homemade taco sauce is a game changer. Way better than store-bought crap. And it’s so friggin easy to whip up—just throw it all in a pot. Why haven’t more people tried this?