As you now know, I set up a decluttering service at the start of the year and have been doing further research on how to improve my qualifications in that area.
I fell in love with Marie Kondo's book "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying, the Japanese Art", which has become a worldwide success thanks to her method, the KonMari - a contraction of Kondo Mariko, her name in the Japanese style!.. (AND I bought the Spark Joy by the same author too! Spoiled myself there!!!)
The KonMari technique is based on removal of unnecessary items, with one goal in mind: to create an organised, simple and well balanced home. If you use the method, Marie promises you that your mind can change drastically. But don’t get fooled: it isn’t about a simple “ménage de printemps” or “just” to get rid quickly of unwanted stuff. The overall system requires some effort: you will have to let go certain belongings, only keeping what is essential. As difficult as it sounds, the final result is outstanding.
I found a perfect way to organise your spirit by organising your life.
Let me take you now through Marie Kondo’s method and let’s see how it became “the big thing” in the recent years... Eh oui, TOUT le monde en parle!…
1. KonMari method explained by Marie Kondo.
"The KonMari Method is the tidying method I created out of my lifelong work and passion for organizing. Its most unique characteristic is the question “does it spark joy?” which is the determining factor for deciding what to keep and what to give or throw away.
When you use joy as your standard, you confront each of your things earnestly, and reflect on whether they make you happy in the present. Consequently, you will begin to realize what kinds of things you want to surround yourself with and what your idea of happiness really is.
Then, you can apply this decision-making standard of “joy” to your work and relationships. You will begin to feel more confident in recognizing and pursuing what makes you happy.
In fact, people who apply the KonMari Method take steps toward their ideal life by changing jobs, starting their own businesses, or improving their health and diet.
At its essence, the KonMari Method is a simple and practical guide to tidying. It tells you how to tidy up things all at once by categories, and the steps are clear. (For example, the first category is clothes, the next is books etc.) However, the Konmari Method is not only effective for tidying homes. It can also increase spiritual awareness and improve overall decision-making. It transforms individuals and truly enables them to spark more joy in their lives" (Marie Kondo)
2. The two lessons you will get away with, thanks to the technique
The first lesson is to avoid the storage of tonnes of things that you don't even need and use! I don't know you, but I've been amassing piles and piles of things (from books, to clothes, to magazines, Tupperware, etc) over the years... Cupboards and drawers are full of unwanted stuff, keeping them because "what if I may need them"... To effectively achieve that elimination, you have to discard and keep only the vital elements, that which makes us truly happy and generates feelings beyond the possession. Are you with me on it? Yes? And it should be done in one go, a bit like when you are removing a waxing pad... Ahaha... Wondering how many of you will understand the allusion AND the feeling... Quick and painless, right...? ...
Secondly, I learned how to classify my belongings. You put together everything you have in the same category. Every single item, regardless of the rooms where they are, get everything and put it all together. In each of these groups you will have to decide what to keep and what you do not need. (I personally would add a third category "what to keep to upcycle" but that is not part of the method. I will cover this in another post soon) In this visual way, observing and analysing everything as a full entity, it is easier to recognise what you do not use.
3. Folding your clothes with the KonMari method
Marie Kondo's folding technique is certainly one of the best techniques I came across. When I first came across it, I thought to myself “it makes sense” and “why have I been doing this to myself for so many years” (as PILING UP all my clothes and getting stressed out far too often when I could not find THE right piece when going out etc!!!) So instead of folding clothes into piles, Marie recommends folding them in rectangles and placing them next to each other. When a piece of clothing is folded correctly, it should be able to stand on its own. She really insists on that point and she is SO right. When the piece is folded correctly, it stands. Wow!
When it comes to hanging your clothes, the KonMari Method suggests going from the “heaviest” items (long length, dark in colour, thicker material) on the left to “lighter” items (shorter, lighter in colour and material) on the right.
4. What are the main benefits of the magic of order?
The Marie Kondo method showed me how to organise my house. But there are other more “spiritual benefits” to that method... The main one is happiness. Accumulating many things over the years (when really unnecessary!) felt like a heavy burden to carry around… As Marie explains it very wisely, you have to focus on the degree of satisfaction that each object produces. If it does nothing to you, then do something about it! (cf. all of the above and videos) I also felt more self-confident overtime… I had the impression to free my spirit, to have a more balanced mind and to really make the most of the present. I finally had the feeling of a little rebirth, if I can put it that way… I found that it took a lot to get to the very first step of doing it… But once you start it, the process is engaged… and you cannot stop until you get the right amount of folded clothes in one drawer, the right clothes hanged the other way… After watching many testimonials online and talks with Marie, I realised the massive impact her method had on people, who would go as far as divorcing their husband (!) changing jobs or doing something they always wanted to do (marathon etc) but were always hold back by something… And that something could have been the “load” connected to the state of the house…
By organising your space, you influence the “scenario of your life”.
And guess what? It is the scenario in which you are the main character!...
My advice is for you to do it with sincerity to see immediate results...
And if you are ever need a hand, I am here to help you.
Bisous, Urszula x
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