Spring is finally here. You are ready to scrub, sweep and sort to let the sunshine in. Before you flip your closets, take a few tips from the current decluttering Queen, Marie Kondo, and her KonMari method.

According to this poppess of the purge, whether you are tidying your house, condo, garage, cottage or office, it should be done one spark of joy at a time, even if you suffer from syllogomania, overconsumption.

Who is Marie Kondo?

Marie Kondo is a Japanese professional organizer. She is the author of The life-changing magic of tidying upand Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up. Her books have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold over nine million copies. She is also the star of the Netflix series Tidying up with Marie Kondo. At the head of a media empire, in 2015, Time Magazine listed her as one of the 100 most influential people on the planet.

What are the origins of the KonMari method

Marie Kondo founded her professional organization business at age 19, when she was a sociology student. For five years, she was a “miko”, a Shinto shrine maiden.

According to legend, one day, exhausted as she obsessed with decluttering, she fainted for two hours. As she awakened, a voice whispered thatbefore throwing out, she should pause and analyze each possession. Tadaaa! Her vocation was born: the KonMari method; only keep objects that spark joy.

The KonMari philosophy?

Sorting and tidying should bring joy and order in your worlds, to positively promote serenity and inspiration to all its inhabitants. 

The steps

1) Make tidying an event

Assign a day or a weekend to KonMari your home. Marie insists. Having a specific deadline is imperative. Without this end in mind, it will be chaos and ma never be finished.

2) Visualize and state your vision of your ideal environment

Define your lifestyle. Describe how you begin and end your days. Choose your words and your images. Write in a notebook, draw on a cardboard or paste photos. All forms are good. “I want to live in an environment that brings me joy and that makes me feel good.” “I want to live in a cozy and bright apartment, which comforts me.” “I want to work in a trendy and sleek office that inspires me in my creativity.”

3) Give thanks to your home

Come KonMari day, start your home purification ceremony by being grateful for your environment. In the Netflix series, we see Marie, priestess of decluttering and her new disciples kneeling, with hands joined in prayer. With reverence, they thank the house for its protection.

4) Tidy by category and not location

This rule is the key to your success. You must start by sorting everything before even store a single item. Go around your kingdom and gather all your belongings, one stack at a time. Confronted with the reality of these mountains, you will quickly overcome overconsumption and in the future will shop with intent.

5) Perfectly follow the purging protocol

• Clothing;
• Books;
• Documents;
• Komono (your cossins);
• Sentimental objects.

The KonMari method’s hierarchical order, allows you to develop your sensitivity to sparks of joy, or not. From socks with holes to the treasure of a tucked away love letter, you body’s cells will quickly learn to assess your sentiments towards each of your possessions.

6) Ask yourself if it sparks joy

Hold each of your item against your body. Spark of joy, or not? Then ask yourself:

• Does it work?
• Is it in good condition?
• Would I buy it now?
• When was the last time I wore it?
• Do I feel good when I imagine myself wearing it?

For your workworld, consider the usefulness of each object to ultimately bring you joy at work and in your life. Not happy with the vibration? Thank the object for its’ service and say “bye-bye”. Get rid of it quickly so you do not have negative energy. Assign it to one of five stacks:

• repair,
• sell,
• toss,
• donate, or
• offer to a loved one. Before you offer, make sure that the article will bring joy to the receiver, by also giving him or her permission to get rid of it.

7)Define the storage spaces

A place for every thing and every thing has its’ place, that is the KonMari mantra.

8) Give your closets and drawers visual appeal

• Fold your clothes and bedding like origami.
• Store your drawers vertically like bento boxes.
• Rainbow your clothes from left to right; from pale to dark.
• Hang blouses, skirts, pants, dresses, suits, from left to right; from long to short.

1, 2, 3, Go! Energize your cells. Open up to sparks of joy. Sort, stack, store and say “Bye-bye cluttered past and hello tidy and joyous future”.

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