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Are you familiar with Marie Kondo? How about the show Tidying Up on Netflix? If so, you most likely know what the KonMari method is! If you haven’t until now, join the club!! Apparently it’s been in existence for years now but I’ve only been recently introduced to it.
The first time I ever heard / saw it was maybe two or three weeks ago while I was having my lunch break at work and I was watching Strahan and Sara on TV. They introduced a woman to the show by the name of Marie Kondo, a lovely Japanese woman who was supposedly the master of tidying up and organizing things. The way she went about organizing and determining what went vs what stayed was really intriguing and somewhat magical. Cleaning and organizing can be pretty boring (to me anyway) but watching her go about it made it seem really fun! Ever since then, I’ve been seeing her pop up in most, if not all my social media feeds and figured to look into it a little further.
Organization isn’t new to us – some of us are better at this than others, but this post is not intended for pointing fingers at others! How many of you need to declutter and organize things in your life? The KonMari method might help you do just that!
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Who Is Marie Kondo?
Marie Kondo, Image taken from konmari.com
First of all, who is Marie Kondo? Marie Kondo is a tidying expert and the bestselling author of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up“, which has now been published in over 30 countries. Furthermore she is the founder of KonMari Media, Inc. She was born and raised in Japan but now lives in Los Angeles, California and still continues her business of being an organization consultant, a business that she started since she was 19 years old while attending college! You can look up the KonMari method and you’ll find a lot of YouTube videos of how people have managed to really tidy up their house using this method, which is spectacular!
The KonMari Method
There is so much more to the KonMari Method than just cleaning and organizing – a lot of thought and emotion goes into it, and Kondo believes it can help you accomplish other things such as lose weight and more. There are many other things that Kondo did during the process of helping her clients tackle their clutter.
Upon entering a house, she would sit on the floor in the middle of the room and greet the space. Our household items are important in what they do, and Kondo believes we ought to thank them for their service and any lessons they may have taught us (like maybe thank the blue shirt for teaching you that blue isn’t actually your favorite color because of it?). She also wants you to override the reasoning to keep an item because a magazine, TV show, or a certain celebrity says that it makes your space look good, but wants you to keep items on your own terms – because YOU want it and it makes you happy!
By summary, this method has 6 rules:
1. Commit yourself to tidying up
This includes discarding things, not just organizing all that you currently own. Kondo states that this event should be a “special event”, and should be done in one go, not little by little, as if to commit to never continue in that old lifestyle again!
2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle
You are asked to imagine yourself and what you wish to do, and break down that wish by thinking why you want to do it.
3. Finish discarding first
Discarding should be done before any organizing takes place.
4. Tidy by category, not location
Some if not most people organize things room by room. However, Marie suggests that you clean up by category, such as tidying up your electronics or clothes, regardless of where it is. Start from your drawer or cabinet, then to the storage closets in the hallway, then the clothes in the boxes in the basement, and so forth. Similar items should be stored together and not scattered about throughout the house. Stacks of anything should be avoided!
5. Follow the right order
Supposedly, there is an order you must follow – clothes, then books, papers, miscellaneous, and mementos.
6. Ask yourself if it sparks joy
I found this rule the most interesting out of all. It was even more interesting to watch how she did it on TV because this was by no means a step you can just skip or do quickly! Marie wants you to hold that item, whether it be a clock or an old piece of jewelry, or sit on a piece of old furniture, and ponder over how it makes you feel. Do you feel happy and content? Do you feel sad or pained? If it doesn’t spark that joy, toss it out! She suggests that you carry out a dialogue with your house and the household items themselves as you tidy up.
These are just the basics, or a small preview of what the KonMari Method is. Kondo gives us more detailed information in her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, as well as her follow-up book, Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up, which is a book of illustrations of how to fold various items, from shirts to socks, as well as drawings of organized drawers and closets.
What do you think of the KonMari Method? Leave your thoughts below! ♡
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Carina Mazur says
February 28, 2019 at 12:53 pmThis is hilarious because I just heard someone on the radio this morning talk about just this!!!! Getting rid of things and keeping only what sparks joy!!! You have me inspiration, I would love to do a video on this! My closet it crazy cluttered and ugh I need to do something to feel like I’m organizing my life lol! The beginning part “she would sit on the floor in the middle of the room and greet the space” kinda made me LOL ’cause I can just picture it haha. The part about categorizing is genius!!! Thanks girl <3
Geraldine says
February 28, 2019 at 1:20 pmHAHA YESSS GIRL I would love to watch your YT video about this if you make it!! It’s so crazy and funny, I saw her do it and I was like “is she for real?” It’s amazing what can be done if we use that method and are truly serious though!!
Marie says
February 28, 2019 at 2:12 pmI’ve watched a couple of episodes and I think she’s very good. I’m folding a few bits differently now 🤣
Geraldine says
February 28, 2019 at 4:54 pmShe is such a wonder to watch!! I must try the folding for myself 🙂
Sarah Winton says
February 28, 2019 at 2:12 pmI love Marie Kondo! She’s so inspiring.
Geraldine says
February 28, 2019 at 4:55 pmShe is such a bundle of joy 🙂 I agree!
Chloe Chats says
February 28, 2019 at 3:09 pmI have heard so much about the tidying up Netflix show but I am yet to see it, but so many people love it! As I haven’t seen it, I hadn’t heard about what this method is, I love the idea of going into a room and thanking your household items for their service and thinking about what they do – it’s definitely different and something that isn’t what many people do! Omg I always tidy room by room, I hadn’t thought about tidying in categories! I only have 3 rooms in my flat though so to me it makes more sense haha. Love this post though, I have learnt something new!
Chloe xx
http://www.chloechats.com
Geraldine says
February 28, 2019 at 4:58 pmApparently people get hooked on that show haha! It definitely is different… i feel like it would take long for me to thank every single item for their service but I guess it’s just really being thoughtful about what each item’s purpose is 🙂 Me neither!! I am glad you learned something new today hehe <3
BeautyBlissandChaos says
February 28, 2019 at 3:43 pmI am obsessed with her new Netflix show! I binged watched it and have reorganized some parts of my home. So when I came across your post, I was excited to see you talking about the MarieKondo method. There are a few spots in the house that still need some decluttering. I was unsure of where to start but #5 gave me direction to where to start. Will also be checking out her book, thanks for sharing!
Geraldine says
February 28, 2019 at 5:02 pmHahaha YES!! You should make a before-after post with reorganizing your space haha! I’m excited to do that to my own place 🙂 I’m glad the post helped, thank you for reading!! x
Pinar says
February 28, 2019 at 5:23 pmOh I love Marie!! I loved her Netflix show too and I have always been one for organising and I love to clean and deep clean my house regularly. Great post.
Pinar xo
Geraldine says
February 28, 2019 at 11:06 pmShe is such a cute lady haha. That’s amazing you got to utilize her methods to clean your own house! Thanks for reading lovely xx
Fi says
February 28, 2019 at 5:33 pmInteresting! I’ve never heard of the Marie kondo method before! Looks very methodical and I love the reasoning behind it! Great post!
https://fifuelsfitness.wordpress.com
Geraldine says
February 28, 2019 at 11:20 pmThank you so much! She has only recently been popping up all over the place haha but yes her ways are a bit different from the traditional. Thank you for reading 🙂
Soph says
February 28, 2019 at 6:31 pmI was actually kind of let down by Tidying Up given how much hype it got- but I still find her methods really useful. I love the concept of considering whether your belongings spark joy and imagining your ideal lifestyle! We don’t have much space at the minute so its something I definitely need to implement!
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
Geraldine says
February 28, 2019 at 11:23 pmI’m actually not that into the show myself! Determining whether things stay or go based on your happiness with it is a great way to organize everything. Thanks for reading lovely ❤
Kat says
March 1, 2019 at 4:42 amI really need to watch this show! I think it’s always such a relief to get rid of things that you don’t really need anymore. It always makes me feel organised! I’m definitely going to use some of these tips, especially the ‘does it spark joy’ one. It is so easy to hold onto things because you’ve had it for ages! My wardrobe needs a massive clean-out, but I find it really hard to let go of things!
Geraldine says
March 1, 2019 at 9:32 pmI think in the end we become really satisfied and happy with how we de-clutter our space 🙂 I definitely need to clean out my wardrobe too girl!
Ruth says
March 1, 2019 at 6:32 amI’ve watched the show on Netflix and what I love about it is the fact she just gives people the advice then leaves them to it. I was expecting it to be a makeover type of show where she does it and you see the transformation, but I think it’s awesome that the families have to do it themselves! I haven’t actually used the method myself, but it seems others have had amazing results from it.
Geraldine says
March 1, 2019 at 9:34 pmYeah that was a nice aspect about the show and how people are moved to transform the house themselves into the way they want! Thank you for sharing xx
Lauren says
March 1, 2019 at 11:24 amSo I still haven’t read or watched about this method. I think I need to read up and watch all about it, it sounds very organised. I could always have more organisation in my life. Thank you for sharing Geraldine xxx
Geraldine says
March 1, 2019 at 9:36 pmI think she has just recently started becoming popular so her methods aren’t that known yet but it’s certainly something new we could try 🙂 Thank you Lauren!
Rachael says
March 2, 2019 at 5:11 amI am so in awe of this tiny little woman! She’s amazing isn’t she? I keep saying I’ll get around to Marie Kondoing my house but I haven’t quite got there just yet… I will though, I will, I promise! Haha!
The Newbury Girl says
March 1, 2019 at 4:49 pmI love Marie Kondo so much!! I have both of her books lol and I used her method when I moved this past fall! I was honestly so shocked at how much I was able to get rid of using this method. Love how you provided this breakdown of her methods! 🙂
Geraldine says
March 1, 2019 at 9:36 pmWow you are ahead of the game girl!! I really want to use this method for my clothes because I have TOO MUCH stuff!
Nancy says
March 2, 2019 at 12:36 amI still haven’t watched Tidying Up yet but I LOVE how she inspired people to clean up after themselves, not by tossing EVERYTHING out but by tossing things out that doesn’t bring you value. I love that she came up with the KonMari method and she is SUPER respectful from the snippets I’ve seen. Ok, I should probably watch it this weekend, hehe. Thanks for sharing!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
Geraldine says
March 2, 2019 at 8:31 pmShe totally is such a cute character! Not sure if you saw in those snippets but she greets every room first and talks to the items and furniture! It’s funny to watch but I guess it works! Thank you for reading girly 🙂
kiki | soyvirgo.com says
March 2, 2019 at 12:53 amI used to think KonMari was a japanese word for tidying up, but then recently found out it was from Marie Kondo and I was shook. I never expected a cute lady like her could start something so HUGE. She’s super inspiring!
Me and my husband used her methods after watching her show in one day lol
she has the best methods but I still plan on reading the book so I can really start to learn and enjoy cleaning and only having things in my life that spark joy lol
Geraldine says
March 2, 2019 at 8:34 pmLOL I KNOW RIGHT? I thought it had a deeper meaning LOL oh well. OMG how was it?! That’s so amazing you got to try it. So glad she’s inspired you too haha!
Alison says
March 2, 2019 at 9:00 amI read the book a few years ago. Some of the concepts such as ‘does it spark joy’ have stuck with me and I’m pretty good at getting rid of stuff. The folding and doing categories all in one go soon became overwhelming to me. Many missing socks later I gave up folding them 😂 I found another book called decluttering at the speed of life which has worked better for me 🙂 that said I definitely think Marie kondo is worth a read, just don’t feel you need to apply everything she talks about
Geraldine says
March 2, 2019 at 8:37 pmI can’t imagine going through everything like my clothes in one day!! Like holy cow I probably can’t finish a room in a day??! I can see what you mean Alison! It’s a lovely read and it opens up your mind to new and fresh ideas but it won’t work for everyone!
Bookmarks and Ink says
March 3, 2019 at 10:21 amAmazing! This is so interesting, I am so enthusiastic when it comes to organizing and creating a clear space, especially when it comes to productivity. I struggle to be productive in a cluttered space, so try to keep my desk tidy at all times. I’ve heard of the KonMari method but didn’t know much about it until reading this, thanks for sharing! x
Shannen | https://bookmarksandink.com
Geraldine says
March 5, 2019 at 4:53 pmI definitely agree! It’s pretty hard to be productive in a messy work space so order is so important. I’m glad you were able to learn something from the blog post! 😁
Sophie Wentworth says
March 3, 2019 at 6:20 pmUnpopular opinion but I can’t stand Marie Kondo. I’m not a fan of the joy question, I think it oversimplifies a lot of things, but that’s just me, I know so many people are obsessed with her. I do like the idea of organisation by category rather than rooms, that makes so much sense to me x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
Geraldine says
March 5, 2019 at 4:55 pmThat is totally valid! It’s just one of many different ways you could organize a space and it works for some but definitely isn’t for all. 🙂
Mariya says
March 4, 2019 at 11:16 amOh, yes, I think I watched here explain this a few weeks ago on daytime TV!
Mariya | http://www.brunetteondemand.com/dior-saddle-bag-dupes/
hanmwill says
March 4, 2019 at 2:05 pmI’ve seen so many people talking about that show on Netflix! The method sounds really effective, I think Mike would be eternally grateful to you if I took some tips from this post because I’m not a very tidy person, haha! He’s always picking up after me! I might try it this weekend!
Geraldine says
March 5, 2019 at 4:59 pmHaha definitely try watching it and see if her methods work for you!! Mike might be amazed haha!
Kate says
March 7, 2019 at 1:33 amI’ve heard of Marie Kondo a few years back — KonMari was huuuge in the Pinterest DIY/organization niche back in 2016 and I’m happy she’s getting even more noticed now 🙂 She is such a bundle of positivity and joy but also very dedicated and focused. I have The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up on my tbr and I’m reading it next, after I finish the nonfiction/self-help book I’m reading currently. Awesome post, Geraldine!!!
Kate | https://allthetrinkets.com
Geraldine says
March 7, 2019 at 11:36 amHahah I’m one of the latecomers with getting to know her!! She is very upbeat which I love 🙂 Thank you so much for reading Kate!
Nay says
May 16, 2019 at 3:19 pmGeraldine this an awesome method! Why? Because it connects you to a specific item, making you feel in tune to that piece. You truly discover if that piece has any value to you or if it’s just taking up space. I like it! I’m curious to see how this plays out with losing weight🤔
Natonya | https://justnatonya.wordpress.com
Geraldine says
May 16, 2019 at 8:22 pmYess you are totally right!! Omg I’d liketo see how it works out for you! 🙂