Tidy Up KonMari Style This Spring

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Our attempt at KonMari

 

Last year hubby started reading “The Life Changing Magic of Tying Up” by Marie Kondo. This year we decided to de-clutter our home using the KonMari method described in the book. This is a step by step guide to how we are de-cluttering our home and how you can also take the KonMari challenge this Spring. 

Step One: Read the Book

The book is almost pocket sized and it is a quick read by all means. It is also a great insight into the mind of Marie Kondo, creator of the KonMari method. De-cluttering and tidying up is so much more than just getting rid of stuff. According to Marie Kondo, it is a new perspective on the things that we choose to surround ourselves with and the way we look at our personal belongings. You may not agree with every line on this new perspective, I sure didn’t, but it leaves the reader with a deeper appreciation for our personal belongings and the space we share with them. I highly encourage everyone to take a good read through this small, yet wisdom filled little book. 

Step Two: Create a Plan

Hubby and I discussed taking the plunge about a month or two ahead of time. We knew we wanted to simplify our belongings and home space but we had to set a date. We chose to start on the new year and part of it was to plan out a schedule for each group of belongings in the book. This is an area where you can choose to go as quickly or as slowly as you want. We chose to go at a turtle’s pace by spacing each group of belongings a week apart. For the most part we have stuck to our plan, but of course some Sunday’s we are busy and can’t get around to it. That’s OK for us since it is important to be mindful through the process and not rush.

Step Three: Be Mindful

You may think de-cluttering is more about purging everything you don’t want in your home like you’ve watched on organization TV shows or the hoarding scenarios on TLC. All you have to do is toss it in the trash, right? Well this is where Marie Kondo makes a difference. She instructs the reader to set the designated group of belongings in a central location of their home where everything can be laid out and is visible to the owner. We chose our dinning table as our central location. There we place our belongings for the week (tops week one, bottoms week two, hanging garments weeks 3 etc.), we lay them all out and hold each piece individually in our hands while we ask ourselves mentally, “Does this piece spark joy in my life?” Then if the item no longer serves us, we mindfully give thanks for the item and its service as we place it in the donation pile. Asking that very important question is very helpful in making an adequate decision about your belongings. Also, if you feel uncomfortable thanking the item itself like Marie Kondo instructs, you can tweak it a bit by thanking God for blessing you with that particular item for the time in which it brought joy to your life. What a wonderful way to add a spark of thankfulness into our lives!

Are you ready to take the KonMarie challenge for spring 2017?