With most of us stuck at home we're looking to our closets and wanting to organize them better. A few years ago Marie Kondo and her KonMari organization method took America by storm. Lots of us have read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up given her KonMari method a go but there are lots of people who might think it's too hard or too much work.
I've worked to KonMari my wardrobe a few years ago and with the extra at home time am working through it again now as well as reading her second book, Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up. I haven't binge watched her show on Netflix yet but it's in my queue. Having gone through the process several times now it's gotten easier and I've understood it even more. Beginning can be tough but there are tricks and tips that will help.
In a quick nutshell the KonMari technique has you look at every single thing you own and ask yourself the simple question "Does this spark joy?" You start with easier items like clothing and books moving through until you get to the very difficult sentimental items. Even though it seems like an easy thing to decide if something sparks joy it can be very difficult especially when you get to those sentimental items.
Sparking joy might seem silly at first
After my mom read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up the first time we had a long discussion about the idea something sparking joy. She couldn't get past the idea and wasn't sure the method would be helpful for her. Sometimes reframing it instead of sparking joy maybe think of it as do I love this?
Do you look at that top and do you love wearing it or do you think how frustrating how it makes your arms look and you're just not comfortable even though you love the color? If it's the second then it probably doesn't spark joy.
Break it up even more
Part of the process is to pull together everything in the single category. Say your tackling clothes. Pull everything together from every closet, drawer and bin from everywhere in the house.The first time around I did that and we ended up with a massive pile of clothes on the bed for two days.
I've learned that it's helpful to break up the larger categories into smaller ones. So I took one day and pulled out all of my tops and tackled that smaller category first. If you've never done a massive purge and reorganization this can help it not feel so overwhelming too.
Commit to the process
One of the biggest problems with any organization project is that it's never seen through to the end. You start on your kitchen cabinets but then get part way through and half a dozen things remain on your counters since you didn't finish. Make a point to commit to the process it's a simple one that I know you can tackle!
Pick a good time
I sort of hinted at this with breaking up the categories but making sure you start at the right time is really important. If you start at 7pm pulling out everything in your closet unless you have insomnia you're probably going to frustrated since you didn't give yourself enough time. I feel like I say this about everything under the sun but a little bit of planning makes a big difference. Plan your time!
Embrace the folding method
This is probably my favorite thing I learned from her book. I absolutely love the folding method. It's made a huge difference in my drawers. My t-shirts used to be in piles and I'd pull one out with the rest of it becoming a mess. Now it's so much simpler and I can see everything.
Read the book then read it again
No matter how much we try and concentrate there is always something we miss. While you can find information about the KonMari method all over the place and you'll be seeing more here there is nothing like reading the book. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up is a simple read or listen it's only 224 pages so it's a pretty quick read.
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