First I'd like to boast that I was on the KonMari train long before mainstream media made it go even more viral so I speak from a lot of experience when I give this advice. So yea, I'm sure you have heard of the KonMari Method (KM for short) and you may be interested. KonMari is named after Marie Kondo, the author of the book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. So if you are one of those people wanting to get started and you want to ask someone (me) all about it, this is what I have to say.
|Read The Book|
Seriously.... don't ask anyone what it is or how it works. It can not be explained without reading the book for yourself. It's an easy read. I read it in 2 days. READ THE BOOK READ THE BOOK READ THE BOOOOOOOK!!!! Everything is explained in full. There are no shortcuts by googling or trying to read blog posts. Looking at pictures with the #KonMari hashtag for inspiration won't fully explain how people are doing what they are doing. If there's one thing you do just read the damn book! You will NOT regret it. I promise you!
|Focus on what to Keep|
This is of course explained in the book, but if you already read the book just keep this in mind. KonMari is not about purging or organizing. It's about keeping ONLY what sparks joy. Somethings are kept for practical reasons which is fine but of course in the long run they spark joy. Plenty of people overthink it and then ask "Well why would I keep a first aid kit if it doesn't bring me joy and just makes me think of pain and injuries?" Well.... does it bring you joy to fix the injury up and feel better? Uhhh yea. So don't get all huffy puffy thinking the concept is stupid and unrealistic. It works. Just read the book and it explains it even more.
|Go by Category NOT by Room|
Once again, this is in the book but trust me it has to be done like this to work correctly. If you round up all the office supplies at one time from every room it will work. If you don't you'll end up finding random office supplies here and there throughout other parts of your house and you'll end up keeping them just because they aren't part of the category you are working on now.
|Start with Your Closet|
She says this in the book but trust me, it's the easiest way to start and it gets you so motivated for the rest of the process. If you feel overwhelmed just thinking about what to KM in your entire house, stop!! Just do your closet and clothing first so you can see how the process really works.
|Don't Look Back|
Don't think about the items that don't bring you joy. You'll start second guessing yourself. If at the time you are unsure and you think something brings you joy, then okay, keep it. If it stops bringing you joy someday you will be able to discard it.
|Don't Make it about Money|
It's great to get extra money for things but if you make that the whole point it'll take forever and you won't end up finishing the process because you'll be exhausted and discouraged from all the work you have to do to try to sell every single little knick knack and article of clothing. If you have some high end designer brands of clothing go ahead and try to get some cash for it. Otherwise, donate donate donate.
|Don't Try to Konvert|
Just because you love this method doesn't mean your spouse or children will. Do it for yourself first. Don't try to push it on anyone else. Respect what is theirs and only do your items.
|Accept that KM is Life Changing|
Your house will look and feel different. Your body and soul will feel different. Your shopping habits will completely change. The things you let in your life and the things you put back on the shelves are all part of KM. Don't laugh at it or mock it. Follow the book and fold things how they should be folded. You'll see how good it feels. Trust me.
And for more tips and to see how it went with me, here are my KonMari Posts.
The Many Benefits of the KonMari Method + Tips
KMing Beauty Products
KM Basement Storage
KMing My Closet
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