The KonMari Method: A Professional Organiser Investigates
Unsure what KonMari decluttering really is? Read on to understand more than just keeping items that 'spark joy'
Coined by global decluttering sensation Marie Kondo, the KonMari method is all the rage again, prompting many across the world to declutter. If you’ve missed her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and her TV series on Netflix, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, here’s a summary of the KonMarie method’s key principles. As someone whose job is to help others declutter and get organised, I’ve added my own views and some alternatives to help you decide whether or not this is the best method for you.
In fact, Australian professional organiser Peter Walsh, author and host of TV shows including Extreme Clutter and The Living Room, had already written about this principle in his 2006 book It’s All Too Much. “The key to getting – and staying – organised is to look beyond the stuff and imagine the life you could be living,” says Walsh.
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KonMari Principle: Discard first, organise second
This principle too makes sense. There’s no point in organising things you won’t be keeping. And it’s only after you’ve decluttered that you can decide on the optimum location and storage system for the items you’ve decided to keep.
This principle too makes sense. There’s no point in organising things you won’t be keeping. And it’s only after you’ve decluttered that you can decide on the optimum location and storage system for the items you’ve decided to keep.
This principle is common to the various methodologies that have been developed over the years by long-established professional organisers. These include Julie Morgenstern’s SPACE (Sort, Purge, Assign a home, Containerise, Equalise) method and Sara Pedersen’s PEACE (Process and sort, Edit the clutter, Assign a home, Containerise and label, Ensure success) approach.
KonMari Principle: Discard all at once, intensely and completely
This principle is not always realistic, in my humble opinion. If, like many, your clutter is the result of years of accumulation, discarding it is unlikely to be a one-time affair.
Think about all the items you will need to face and all the decisions you will have to make that you may have been postponing for years. It can be overwhelming, paralysing and result in decision fatigue. Under the pressure to discard, you might make decisions that you eventually regret.
This principle is not always realistic, in my humble opinion. If, like many, your clutter is the result of years of accumulation, discarding it is unlikely to be a one-time affair.
Think about all the items you will need to face and all the decisions you will have to make that you may have been postponing for years. It can be overwhelming, paralysing and result in decision fatigue. Under the pressure to discard, you might make decisions that you eventually regret.
On the other hand, if you start small and let go of the possessions you feel confident letting go of, without any pressure, you’ll build your ‘decluttering’ muscle, learn to make tougher decisions and will let go of items you thought you would never be able to.
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KonMari Principle: Sort by category, not by location
Although it may be overwhelming to see how many clothes, kitchen utensils or stationery items you own, sorting by category is an eye-opener that will motivate you to act on your clutter and help you decide what and how much you should keep.
However, this principle won’t be practical if you have a large volume of possessions scattered throughout various areas of your home – some that you can’t even remember or are not easily accessible – as you’ll have to scout around your home to find all the items belonging to the same category.
Although it may be overwhelming to see how many clothes, kitchen utensils or stationery items you own, sorting by category is an eye-opener that will motivate you to act on your clutter and help you decide what and how much you should keep.
However, this principle won’t be practical if you have a large volume of possessions scattered throughout various areas of your home – some that you can’t even remember or are not easily accessible – as you’ll have to scout around your home to find all the items belonging to the same category.
If you face this situation, I’d advise you to do a first round of decluttering moving progressively through your home, room by room, area by area. At that stage, let go of the obvious items such as broken toys, faded/stained/torn clothes, old magazines and newspapers, and expired food and cosmetics.
During this process, consolidate like items together and assign a home to each category of objects you decide to keep. Once you’ve completed that first round, review each category, go through another round of decluttering, and if need be, relocate the category to a more suitable home.
During this process, consolidate like items together and assign a home to each category of objects you decide to keep. Once you’ve completed that first round, review each category, go through another round of decluttering, and if need be, relocate the category to a more suitable home.
KonMari Principle: Sort in the correct order – clothes, books, documents, miscellaneous and sentimental items
There cannot be a one-size-fits-all order. It has to be the correct order for you. We all relate differently to our possessions. I had a client who was extremely attached to her books and couldn’t imagine getting rid of any of them although she knew she had to. We had to tackle them towards the end of the decluttering process, otherwise it would have been a much longer and more difficult experience.
There cannot be a one-size-fits-all order. It has to be the correct order for you. We all relate differently to our possessions. I had a client who was extremely attached to her books and couldn’t imagine getting rid of any of them although she knew she had to. We had to tackle them towards the end of the decluttering process, otherwise it would have been a much longer and more difficult experience.
Think about these criteria to help you decide where to start:
- Consider your level of attachment to various categories of items. The less attachment you have, the easier it will be to let go of possessions and build momentum in your decluttering efforts. If you have less attachment to your clothes than other categories of items, start there. Otherwise, think about your kitchen, your desk or your store room and begin there.
- Assess your stress levels in relation to some areas. For example, your bedroom might be a high-stress area because it’s the first thing you see when you open your eyes in the morning and the last when you close them at night.
- Consider your objectives for getting organised. If your aim is to be able to entertain at home, you may want to start in the living room. If it’s about easily putting a meal on the table, you may want to start in the kitchen.
KonMari Principle: Keep only those things that spark joy
That’s the one principle that, in my perspective, is ground-breaking in the KonMari method. More traditional approaches tend to focus on letting go of things that we don’t love, need or use, or that are no longer in working or good condition. But focusing on keeping instead of letting go makes the whole decluttering experience more positive.
That’s the one principle that, in my perspective, is ground-breaking in the KonMari method. More traditional approaches tend to focus on letting go of things that we don’t love, need or use, or that are no longer in working or good condition. But focusing on keeping instead of letting go makes the whole decluttering experience more positive.
However, it doesn’t mean you need to let go of everything that doesn’t spark joy, either. Be practical, think about those pots and pans you need to feed your family. Honour the memories and keep the sentimental items that belonged to your late husband or parents until it is the right time to pass them on to your children.
Browse more minimalist, organised kitchens for inspiration
Browse more minimalist, organised kitchens for inspiration
KonMari Principle: Thank the items for having served their purpose
This principle may appeal to people who form strong emotional attachments to their possessions as it can help them let go more easily and bring closure. It worked wonders with a teenage boy I worked with, but I’ve found that most of my clients don’t relate to this principle and feel awkward about thanking their items when we try to apply this technique.
From my perspective, if you feel confident in your decisions about letting go of certain items, you won’t need this ritual.
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This principle may appeal to people who form strong emotional attachments to their possessions as it can help them let go more easily and bring closure. It worked wonders with a teenage boy I worked with, but I’ve found that most of my clients don’t relate to this principle and feel awkward about thanking their items when we try to apply this technique.
From my perspective, if you feel confident in your decisions about letting go of certain items, you won’t need this ritual.
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Tell us
Have you used the KonMari method? Tell us your experience and decluttering tips in the Comments below, like and share this story with those you live with, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Can’t bring yourself to face decluttering your home solo? Find a professional organiser in your area who can guide you through the process
Have you used the KonMari method? Tell us your experience and decluttering tips in the Comments below, like and share this story with those you live with, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Can’t bring yourself to face decluttering your home solo? Find a professional organiser in your area who can guide you through the process
This principle makes a lot of sense. Getting organised is a means to an end, not an end in itself. You’re not getting organised for the sake of being organised, but maybe because you want to have more time for your family or for a course that will help you advance your career, or because you want to reduce stress. Visualising the outcome will give you the motivation to get started and to keep going when the going gets tough.