From Chaos to Serenity: The Complete Marie Kondo Method

Marie Kondo’s process follows a unique selection criterion: keep only what sparks joy.With firm roots in the Japanese Shinto religion, I find that her method is a balanced mix of practical tidying advice and a philosophical approach to simple living.

When decluttering, she suggests you regard each item individually, asking yourself, “Does it spark joy?” This technique will help you to identify the value each item holds in your life. As a result, you’ll end up keeping only the things you cherish most, and your home will become a space you feel deeply connected to.

By intentionally taking steps to spark joy with every action, you can make more thoughtful decisions in all areas of your life.

Being grateful for the things we own and the objects that once served a purpose in our lives is one of the best ways to start living in the moment. When I got started with minimalism, I became highly conscious of being thankful for my belongings, and it changed my outlook on life.

Incorporating gratitude in your life can make decluttering easier and help you feel content with the items you keep.

Marie Kondo recommends tackling clothes first, followed by books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, lastly, sentimental items. There’s a reason for this: when you move in this order, you progress from the least to the most emotionally challenging items. It’s different from most decluttering methods in that you tidy by category and not by location.

An important note here is that minimalism isn’t a way of living that’s set in stone. You should work through this method in a way that you feel comfortable with, and that fits with your lifestyle.

Her system is known for making life simpler, and a little bit of guidance may be just the inspiration that you need. Try these tips to clear out your home and start living a more joyful life.

That, I learned, is the beauty of her work. If you’re like me, you probably focus on choosing what to discard. What I learned from Marie Kondo is that shifting perspectives and focusing on keeping what makes you happy — rather than what you want to discard — gives your decluttering project a new sense of purpose.

The KonMari process is led from the heart, encouraging you to keep only items that bring you joy.

It can be challenging to tell sentimental items apart from clutter, though, which can cause a little bit of panic in the last leg of your tidying journey.

It’s a whole lot easier to part ways with sentimental items when the time comes if you can recognize what they are and how they play a role in your life.

Visualizing your ideal lifestyle, sorting your belongings into subcategories, deciding what to keep, and finding homes for your belongings are a few of the steps you’ll take when decluttering like Marie Kondo.

I really enjoy her tidying method and have replicated this sequence in my own home. I’ve found that working through all these steps can make it easy for you to achieve a clutter-free and tranquil home.

One of the things I like most about Marie’s work is that she has specified six main rules to follow when tidying up. They’re quite valuable when finetuning how you declutter and organize your home.

Remember to stay flexible, though. Use these rules to your advantage and allow them to guide you, but remember that you can adapt them to your lifestyle as needed.

Folding can be more than a household chore; it can be an uplifting activity that contributes to the neatness of a space, making it more visually appealing. The KonMari folding method can also offer you a new way of caring for and storing your clothing, linens, and more.

It has helped me optimize closet space, avoid wrinkles, and keep my house in order.