Tidying Up with Marie Kondo recently debuted its first season on Netflix and within days, it was the topic of every conversation. In the series, Marie helps families get their homes back in order by teaching them The KonMari Method™, designed to optimize joy. Within the first 10 minutes of watching, you are instantly inspired to apply this method to your entire home.
THE KONMARI METHOD™ SUPPORTS TIDYING BY CATEGORY AND NOT LOCATION. MARIE’S DECLUTTERING CATEGORIES INCLUDES:
1 / CLOTHING
2 / BOOKS
3 / PAPERS
4 / KOMONO (MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS)
5 / SENTIMENTAL ITEMS
Demonstrated multiple times throughout the show, Marie is very patient and never makes anyone feel bad for keeping something or for getting rid of it. She encourages you to hold each item and feel if it sparks joy. If it does, you keep it and if it doesn’t, you donate it and thank it for what it’s brought to your life, even if it taught you that you don’t like items like those. The tidying process is about checking your priorities and deciding if those items are something you need in your life or not. Shortly after the show went viral, Thrift stores and various Goodwill locations noticed a large hike in donations.
Although the process of taking everything out and going through each item one by one may seem stressful and overwhelming, you feel lighter and more relaxed once the process is complete. Being able to see everything in your drawer at one quick glance, makes finding things much easier and saves a lot more space. There’s a very therapeutic feeling about taking something no longer being used that takes up space and getting rid of it.
Your home is your shelter from the world and where you can be your truest self. Marie reminds us that tidying is not the final destination, but a tool used to establish the lifestyle you want to live.
“Life truly begins after you have put your house in order.” – Marie Kondo