Ever feel like your office, your house, your briefcase or bag is a mess?
Or have you put all of these in order, only to find it cluttered again in a week or two?
If you’ve ever experienced this, or perhaps you are doing so now, it is time to meet one of the most internationally renown experts of messes and “decluttering” — Marie Kondo.
Her first bestseller, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” provides the cornerstone of her approach. “Spark Joy: AnIllustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up” continues this exploration to transform the art of decluttering.
Her books on organizing have sold 50 million copies and have been on the best-selling lists in the United States, Japan, Europe and dozens of other markets.
These books (as well as Kondo’s growing number of others) continue to show that her ideas have a growing appeal — and that there is a lot of mess to organize.
The KonMarie Method, named for a combination of the author’s first and last names, continues to gain popularity for its multi-use approach, whether at home or in the workplace. The principles of the method are based on Japanese values that focus on determining items that “spark joy.” Items that fail this test should be discarded.
“I have summed up how to put your space in order in a way that will change your life forever,” Kondo says of the method. “A dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective. It is life transforming.”
The method is based on one principle, the author says: “When you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past in order, too.”
While Kondo declares her mission is to do nothing save “organize the world,” she continually reiterates how simple this can be. Her approach, she says, is not simply a technique but a mindset.
People cannot change their habits without first changing their way of thinking — a difficult task for many. Kondo defines tidying as an art, with long-term effects. The method gathers and sorts everything one owns by category and keeps only those things that “spark joy.” Proper tidying includes two actions: discarding and deciding where to store things.
The KonMarie Method starts with an acceptance that tidying up by location is a fatal mistake. Instead, Kondo recommends to tidy by category, not place. One of the reasons we never succeed at tidying is because we have too much stuff. Tidying by category helps to stop this process, Kondo says.
Where to begin? The KonMarie Method gives advice for those who cannot let go of things, from books (discard everything) to credit card statements (have your shredder ready).
The first problem is the illusion of “storage,” which often can serve to create the impression that your clutter problem has been solved. Once your storage units are full, new ones become necessary, creating a negative spiral.
This is why tidying must begin with discarding, the author says. We need to exercise self-control and resist storing our belongings until we have identified exactly what we want.
“If you use the right method and concentrate your clutter thoroughly within a short period of time,” Kondo says, “you’ll see instant results that will empower you to keep your space in order ever after.”
The moment you start, you reset your life, Kondo says. “The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.”