THE KONMARI METHOD®

Konmarie Method®  – A system created by the influential Japanese organising consultant, Marie Kondo, who explains that in her native Japan, tidiness is a way of everyday living.

The Philosophy of The KonMari Method®

The KonMari Method® is a way of life and a state of mind that encourages cherishing things that spark joy in our lives. People are drawn to this philosophy not only because of its effectiveness but also because it places great importance on being mindful, introspective and optimistic.

The Magic of The KonMari Method®

The charm of the KonMari Method® lies in its power to change lives, going far beyond just a helpful guide to tidying your home.

A central part of the KonMari Method® process is about clearing out things that are no longer relevant and choosing things that you love. This can often transform lives; one of Marie Kondo’s clients quit her job and started a new business connected to the theme of the books she decided to keep – she realised that this subject was her passion and her calling.  Another of Marie’s clients enthused on how much happier she felt and how much she enjoyed inviting friends to her home.

The KonMari Method®

The KonMari Method® is a system and philosophy for tidying your home and leading a life that sparks joy. The concept is explained in Marie Kondo’s inspiring books Spark Joy and The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese art of decluttering and organising, both of which I highly recommend.

Here’s a quick summary of the method itself:

1) Commit to tidying up

Commitment is one of the most fundamental principles of success. Once you’ve made up your mind, all you need do is apply the right method.

2) Imagine your ideal lifestyle

Make notes or look at pictures in magazines or online. Relapse often occurs when we start to tidy, before deciding why we want to tidy and what lifestyle we aspire to. So, make a goal at the outset.

3) Tidy by category not location

This sparked a lightbulb moment for me. Gathering everything together in one place gives you the complete picture and the only way to see if you have more than you need.

4) Follow the right order

The recommended order is clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous and sentimental items. The principle is to start with a category that is easy for you to develop your ‘tidying-muscles’. As you come across sentimental items in any category, you can leave those to be tidied last of all

5) Hone your sensitivity to what ‘Sparks Joy’

In each category, start by selecting the three items you love most – hold them to you and discover the ‘Spark Joy’ feeling. Repeat this for all the items and then for each category.

6) Finish discarding first

Items that are ready to be donated or discarded are thanked for their service, they have done their job. During the tidying process, storage is temporary until each category is finished.  Worrying about where to store items or having enough space, will just slow you down, and usually, we have all the space we need already.

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