How To Spark Joy In Your Home By Using The KonMari Method

I never thought that decluttering is a worldwide problem until everyone was talking about KonMari on Netflix. I was a self-confessed obsessive-compulsive and I have a process in everything I do. My memory is not as sharp as before due to operations. To help myself, I put things in the same place for me not to have a hard time finding it. I have seen friends doing KonMari but have never attempted to even try it.

Luckily, I was invited to attend an event about the KonMari method on 16 March at the Ascott Hotel in Makati. The event aims to teach attendees how to apply the KonMari method at home especially for Montessori families. During the event, I learned about the Montessori way from Karen Pacia and the KonMari Method from Renelyn Tan-Castillejos, Konmari-Consultant-in-Training, and owner of the World of Yorokobi.

Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizing consultant and famous author. One of her best selling books entitled “The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up” has been published in over 30 countries. She is best known for the KonMari Method which many people from different parts of the globe are trying to practice. The KonMari method requires 2 skills. First is the ability to determine and keep what sparks joy and second is the ability to decide where to keep these things.

During the session, I learned the KonMari techniques that are useful in our daily lives. There are 6 basic rules of tidying according to Marie Kondo.
1. Commit yourself to tidying up
2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle
3. Finish discarding first
4. Tidy by category, not by location
5. Follow the right order
6. Ask yourself if it sparks joy

If you are confused as to what order to follow in tidying up, let me share with you the correct order.
-clothes
-books
-papers
-komono items
-sentimental items

Tidying your clothes:
I am pretty sure that I am not the only one with a closet full of clothes that I haven’t worn in years. And yet, I have the guts to say that I have no clothes to use on a daily basis! So how can we start cleaning our closet?

• Take out all your clothes and pile like a mountain.
• Touch it and see how you feel about it.
• Ask yourself when was the last time you used it, how you feel when you are wearing it and the condition of the clothes.
• Store by type or category. You can even arrange according to the color.
• For discarding, you can donate or sell it.

Tidying your books:
I am a self-confessed book worm. I have a huge collection of books that I want to keep with me. Sharing with you what I have learned in tidying your mini library.

• Take out all the books and pile in one place.
• Remove the books from the shelves.
• Sort by category like school books, cookbooks, workbooks, etc.

Tidying your paper:
I know it’s the digital age but I still have paper bills coming in every month. I also keep important documents. Here are some tips on how you can organize your paper documents.

• Separate personal from work documents.
• Make sure to shred papers containing tor personal information for safety reasons.
• Deal with documents as you see it. Do not delay.
• Better to store papers vertically.

Tidying your Komono items:
Your Komono category will largely depend on your lifestyle. The kitchen is one of the locations that have a lot of subcategories.Follow these tips and your Komono items will look organize in no time.

• Stores items by using either dividers or shelves.
• Go for storage with depth, are firm and stiff, and always choose storage that appeals to you or sparks joy.

Tidying your sentimental items:
Whether it’s a key chain, ref magnet, pens, mugs or other souvenir items, some things are just so special that you want to keep them for as long as you can. So how can you organize these precious gems?

• Don’t force yourself to discard sentimental items if you are not ready yet.
• When arranging photos, it’s best to arrange it according to the year it was taken.

Here is my take on the KonMari method. I started with my collection of makeups. One thing I realized is that there are so many products that have been sitting on my makeup kit, some already expired and others are still in good condition. I will give those that can still be used and hopefully this would spark joy to the recipients of these beauty loots.