In this post: Find out why everyone is obsessed with the KonMarie method and why the simply, yet genius, Marie Kondo organization tips are literally life-changing.
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Marie Kondo Organizational Tips That Will Change Your Life (seriously)
Hi girls, happy new year!
As you may have noticed, I am really getting into being more organized lately and learning decluttering methods. Especially after living with Cris for two years now, I am starting to understand that OCD is contagious and addictive.
However, as a naturally disorganized girl myself, I need to make conscious decisions if I want to be even 1/10th of what Cris is – Just so you know, his ‘’dream’’ is to buy the Dyson vacuum (spoiler alert: it costs 400 USD) – Yep, that’s just how insane my dear OCD boyfriend is… (bless him, the house is always spotless just like a hotel).
Last week I went for lunch with an old friend and she recommended that I look into Marie Kondo’s Netflix show ”Tidying Up With Marie Kondo”. Needless to say, I was immediately hooked and watched all episodes in 2 days, followed by instantly purchasing her book ”The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up’‘ (Cris couldn’t be prouder, lol).
If you’re totally lost and never heard of Marie Kondo, I am so excited for you!!! Your life is about to change, girl!
Plus, there is no better time to be on top of your organization and declutter mode than January. What’s best than starting the year on top of your game and with a clean mindset?
Let’s get into it straight away!
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RELATED: Creative Ways to Declutter Your Entire Home in 1h
Who is Marie Kondo & What is The KonMarie Method?
Marie Kondo is a Japanese tidying expert, bestselling author of the book, ‘‘The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” (said to have revolutionized the way we approach organization), and star of the Netflix’s popular show “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo”.
Personally, I found the book way more helpful and inspiring than the show. So if you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of being more organized, don’t miss out on her books Spark of Joy and Joy At Work: Organizing Your Professional Life
The KonMari Method is a form of discipline for organizing your belongings, and, by extension, your life. It’s Marie Kondo’s minimalist-inspired approach to tackling your stuff by category, rather than room-by-room.
The goal of the KonMari Method is to have a house full of items that spark joy and according to this brilliant method, if you follow the steps and organize your space, you’ll never have to worry about decluttering again.
Sounds too good to be true? It’s not, I promise you! The KonMarie method is, after all, a spiritual mindset shift on how you approach your belongings and your day-to-day life.
The Simple Marie Kondo Organization Tips Formula
In both the book and the show, Marie Kondo outlines how to get your belongings in order by following a simple formula (the KonMari Method earlier mentioned in this post).
This method consists of 6 basic rules for tidying up your space better:
- Imagining what is your ideal lifestyle
- A commitment to being a tidier person
- Discard old thing before bringing in new items
- Tidy by category, not by location
- Follow the right order
- Ask yourself if it sparks joy!
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You can probably tell by now that Marie Kondo’s decluttering method isn’t just a method; it’s an entire philosophy. According to Marie Kondo herself:
‘’The approach is rooted in a single question: Does this item spark joy? Identifying what sparks joy leads to a tidy home filled only with items you cherish. It’s also a path to self-discovery, mindful living, and fulfillment.’’
The KonMarie Checklist
In her brilliant book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, Marie Kondo stresses the importance of following an exact progression of tidying categories in her book, the famous KonMarie checklist.
What is the KonMarie Checklist?
- Clothing
- Books
- Paper
- Komono (Miscellany)
- Mementos
CLOTHES, BOOKS, AND PAPERs
Starting with clothes, papers, and books as they are easier to control your emotions.
KOMONO
Komono stands for all the miscellaneous items inside your home. That means kitchen items, the dreaded garage, beauty products. In short: anything that doesn’t fit within the first three categories.
MEMENTOS
Memento items (or sentimental items) are the last piece of the KonMari process (and as well the hardest).
Why is following the order of items so important?
The KonMarie checklist exists for a good reason!
Kondo’s reasoning behind this is that by starting with items you have the least amount of attachment to you increases your probability of success in letting go as you move towards more difficult categories.
In her other book, Spark Joy, Kondo explains “Clothes are ideal for practicing [the tidying up] skill first.”
Now that we got the basics out of the way, let’s dive into these 10 most helpful organizational and decluttering tips from Netflix’s hit show and discover how the KonMari Method can help save you time and live a happier everyday life.
GENIUS MARIE KONDO ORGANIZATION TIPS
How to Start Decluttering, according to the KonMarie method.
1. Tackle one category every day until you’ve gone through everything!
Sometimes, when we have so many things to organize, decluttering can be overwhelming and a reason for anxiety.
Kondos starting method involves piling up every item you own by category, not by room.
In simple words: if you’re planning on organizing your clothes, for example, pile ALL of your clothes together (the ones that are stored, winter and summer clothes, fancy clothes, etc).
Even though this tip can make things look pretty disastrous (while you’re in the process of sorting through your possessions), it’s important to realize that this horrible mess is a normal part of the process.
Think about it this way: You probably have a lot of towels scattered throughout your entire home. By taking all the stock from your bathroom, kitchen, and guestroom at once, you can get rid of any duplicates or towels that look old.
2. One day at a time
Expecting to get through all of your possessions in just a day or two is not realistic, girl! Take it one day at a time and watch as your house transforms right before your eyes.
3. Get a perspective of each category.
Next, after you’ve put everything you own from each category into a massive pile, it is time to start deciding what to keep and what to get rid of.
Her trick is to take a step back and get a better perspective of what you own.
This will inevitably help you to realize that maybe you don’t need 10 mugs in your cubby or 4 different bottle openers.
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7 Best Marie Kondo Organization Tips You’ve Gotta Try
KonMarie Lesson 1: Make sure everything has its place
I find it funny that just last week Cris was lecturing me that I should always put my handbag in the same place. He went as far as literally taking my bag, and placing it where it should be (according to him), which is at the entrance, on top of our front door table, close to the keys and his wallet.
Cris can’t understand why I always leave my handbag at different places of the house, lol.
While it is easy to make fun and laugh off Cris’s maniac ways, this was one of the basic things in KonMarie’s method (don’t tell my boyfriend though).
In simple words, Marie Kondo’s daily after-work routine is extremely methodical. Everything she owns has its own designated space.
According to Cris…Oops, I mean, according to Marie Kondo, if you properly store things away after using them (rather than being left out), it will help you to find things much easier and you’ll know exactly where they should be every time.
Cris Kondo knows…..
If you have difficulty remembering certain storage areas, be sure to label cubbies and boxes so that everyone knows where their things are.
KonMarie Lesson 2: Use clear boxes so you can see everything
While it might be tempting to store all of your extras inside containers that hide your items from sight, Marie Kondo suggests exactly the opposite.
According to Marie Kondo, it’s best to be able to see what is inside each box so that you can easily find and access what you’re looking for when you do (this means opting for transparent containers rather than colorful ones).
Marie also recommends storing things vertically (which is applied to items and clothes, as you’ll see in item 4). Kondo says that by having your items stored standing upright, they’ll ultimately be easier to grab and use on the go, while also maintaining an organized storage space at all times.
Genius!
KonMarie Lesson 3: How to get rid of papers
We’re all guilty of opening bills and shoving them into a drawer. I am sure we would all love living with less paper, however, we simply don’t know how to even start.
What should be tossed away? What should be kept? How to store paper? Aaaaaarrrgh!
Here is a paper storage tip that will revolutionize your life (no, really!).
Separate all your paper into 3 categories:
- Needs short-term attention – Bills to pay, paperwork to submit, forms to sign, store receipt etc
- Needed indefinitely – Birth certificates, marriage certificates, social security cards, etc
- Miscellaneous – all other papers (photographs, letters, birthday cards) – If you have many of the same, be sure to keep only the one that ‘’sparks you joy’’
KonMarie Lesson 4: Don’t let nostalgia blind you
We are all guilty of saving a movie ticket from that special date we had, or that t-shirt from graduation trip that barely fits you anymore. These items are not useful and are not doing your spaces any favors, so why keep them around?
We know what you’re thinking: What if one day these things bring you joy? Find a way to consolidate your items instead. This means that, as opposed of having a box with old birthday cards from your Grandma or from school friend that you NEVER read (be honest), place them in a scrapbook that can fit on your newly organized bookshelf
KonMarie Lesson 5:Use vertical space for optimal storage (i.e. the infamous KonMari folding method)
Alright, this might be my favorite lesson from Marie Kondo’s clothes organizational tips.
According to Marie Kondo, arranging clothes vertically will not only save space, but it also allows you to find your belongings more easily (thus avoiding making a mess every time you need to get ready).
If you decide to do this, you should be aiming to fold your clothing into thick rectangles, which are then turned upward, allowing for a neat and organized drawer.
Once you get the hang of it, it will actually make your drawers much neater and you’ll be able to find things to wear in a breeze!
Below is a useful Marie Kondo clothes folding video that I am sure will help you.
If you are into minimal packing, you will become obsessed with Marie Kondo organization tips for folding clothes.
KonMarie Lesson 6: Store similar sized items together every day.
Most organizational practices often state that you should group together items with similar utilities. However, Marie takes this a step further by saying that not only should you store together with the items with similar utilities, but also items with a similar size.
By keeping small items with other small items you ensure that nothing gets lost. Furthermore (and the BEST part of it): this also easily ensures that you always know where things are in your home.
Looking for a USB stick, or a pair of scissors? Guess where they could be?
Lastly, Marie recommends that whenever possible these items should be stored in drawers in a neatly organized manner (such as inside separate containers).
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KonMarie Lesson 7:‘’Does it bring you joy’’?
While many people make fun of this question, I find it incredibly helpful.
It’s so simple and has been something of a guiding star since I read her book.
Picture this, girls: Rows of forgotten clothes (some with the tags still on – yikes) hanging in your closet and piles of scuffed shoes lining your entryway and laundry room.
Sounds familiar?
Kondo’s decluttering method is to hold each item in your hand and ask the question: “Does this bring me joy?”
According to this method, Kondo suggests that the majority of the objects in your life should spark joy when you touch them, or whenever you use them. Don’t keep anything that induces negative thoughts.
This may seem ambitious, but what Marie describes ultimately makes sense.
Unless something makes you happy in your life, why would you hang onto it?
Try this out! Kondo insists you’ll know the answer right away when you do and this will make your life sooooo much easier.
If the answer is no, you know what you gotta do.
PS – Many people have equated the KonMarie tidying method with minimalism, but it’s quite different. Minimalism advocates living with less, while the KonMari Method encourages living among items you truly cherish.
KonMarie Lesson 8: Give thanks to every item you discard
Adding further to the point above, Marie Kondo also suggests that for every item that you discard, that you thank it for its service. If the item brought you joy and served its purpose the thankful energy you have towards it when releasing it, will allow positive space for something else to take its place!
Really take a moment to be mindful and to appreciate the joy that each item gave you at a time in your life, the person that gave it to you, and just to be thankful to have owned it.
Keep in mind that the KonMarie method is much more than organizing, it is about being mindful about what you possess.
This means that not all of Marie Kondo’s advice is strictly practical and hands-on. Many of the things she suggests actually lean towards the more emotional (or even spiritual) side of cleaning and organizing your home and belongings.
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Marie Kondo Organization Tips | To Conclude
As grown-up women, being more organized with our things and our homes is not only a positive quality, but it is also expected from us.
Try and keep these classic principles in mind on a daily basis. Success comes from practice, so don’t be too hard on yourself during the process of becoming a more organized woman. Soon enough you will inevitably achieve the KonMarie method to its fullest potential!
For more information about the KonMari Method, you can check out Marie Kondo’s website for more information here.
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Marie Kondo’s Books
If interested, simply click the image below to be directed to Amazon.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up
Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life
Other Organizational Posts that Might Interest You:
- How to Be a More Organized Woman Daily
- 10 Clever Ways to Organize Your Entire Home in 1h
- Brilliant Habits of Women Who Always Have a Clean Home
- 8 Tips for a Productive Home Office
- How to Be a More Minimal Woman in 10 Easy Steps
- 6 Types of Minimalists – Which One Are You?
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Which was your favorite Marie Kondo organization tips? I personally am obsessed with her folding methods and how to store items according to their sizes (ah yes, and the genius 3 categories of papers to keep). LOVE IT.
FIND ME ONLINE
Which was your favorite Marie Kondo organization tips? I personally am obsessed with her folding methods and how to store items according to their sizes (ah yes, and the genius 3 categories of papers to keep). LOVE IT.
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