Stuff. We’ve all got it – probably too much of it. Sometimes it seems to take over our living space. The KonMari Method will help you tidy up your space and keep it that way! No kidding! Before you reach a point of frustration and spend a weekend (or more) putting things back in order, give KonMari a try. Don’t get caught in the vicious cycle of tidying, cluttering, tidying, cluttering. You can break the cycle with the KonMari method!
What is KonMari?
On the surface, the KonMari Method is “just another organization method.” But at its core, KonMari is much, much more. In her books The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy, KonMari creator Marie Kondo explains her concept of tidiness. A native of Japan, Kondo grew up using feng shui as part of keeping her space tidy. As she puts it, “tidiness is a way of life in Japan.”
Here’s the basic idea. Keep only those items that spark joy in your life and discard everything else. For those items that bring you joy, assign them their own home within your space. Clearly, there’s a lot that goes into that, but once you’ve mastered the method, it becomes a way of life. If you’re ready to get started, follow the steps below. 
Visualize
Before you touch one single thing in your house, take a figurative step back and visualize the life you wish to have. When your space is clutter free, how will that feel? What will you be able to do that you don’t do now? Maybe you’ll be able to host more parties or spend more time on a hobby. The idea with KonMari is that when you discard things that no longer serve you (or the life you wish to have), you make more room for the things that matter.
Keep Only What Brings You Joy
Kondo talks a lot about only keeping items that spark joy, but how do you really know? As you walk through your home, don’t just observe your knickknacks and other possessions sitting on a shelf. Touch them. Pick them up. How do you feel interacting with each object? How would you feel knowing it was gone forever? Any items that don’t make you want to cling to them as fiercely as a drowning person would hold onto a life preserver can be considered discards. 
Get Rid of “Just in Case” Possessions
We all hold onto things we might need “just in case…” Just in case what, exactly? That’s simply an excuse we use to not truly let go of things we don’t actually need. It’s quite rare that those items we’ve been allowing to take up space in our lives are truly used or appreciated. Let them go.
Treat Your “Stuff” Like It’s Alive
We know. This sounds a little crazy, but it actually makes sense when you think about it. It’s super easy to casually toss coats on the backs of chairs and kick off shoes any place that seems handy. It’s just as simple to shove lesser used items to the back of a closet or shove shirts and socks you don’t love as much to the bottom of a drawer. This is how they build up over time and create an untidy mess. Instead, Kondo suggests treating your items with the same respect you would anyone else living in your space. Say a quick “thank you” to them before storing them in their assigned space. Kondo doesn’t talk specifically about this, but we’ve seen that this “attitude of gratitude” also has profound impacts on mindset.
And Speaking of Mindset…
According to Kondo, we hold onto possessions for one of two reasons. Either fear of the future or to preserve the past. While that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it doesn’t celebrate the present. Holding on to every memento or “just in case” item gives your stuff power over you, rather than the other way around.
Once you’ve made the KonMari method a part of your life, you’ll never waste time tidying up your space again. (And you might just find yourself buying less too!) We have wonderful nontoxic ideas to use for cleaning as you’re decluttering too!
