How to Organize the KonMari Way (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up)

Nothing in this world makes me feel better than everything being clean, organized and tidy. When you wake up in the morning and have your clothes neatly in your closet, your bathroom accessories all nicely laid out for use and your purse ready for the day, it feels very grown up to me and put together. 

Sadly, that never happens to me. From the moment I wake up it feels very chaotic. Clothes are hanging up, laying in a 'clean' pile, still in the dryer, draped over a chair or just lost. When I get ready my makeup feels scattered, hair products are on the counter or in the closet and I never know where my vitamins are. Though I deeply appreciate organization, I've spent hours organizing on a weekend only for the next week for things to feel completely disrupted again. How many times can I put away tank tops on Sunday and then on Monday they seem like they are missing? 

Ironically, a friend of mine started to read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. She kept talking about the book and telling me the ideas it had about how to organize your things. So one weekend when she was out of town, I borrowed the book to read it. Here are some of the main topics that have improved my life. 

1. Organize by Category, Not Location 

This means you pick one category and do it all at one time. Don't do a room by room cleanup, instead do one category at a time. Pull out all of your shoes and put them in one central area then start the process of KonMuri. This way you can look at everything, then find it a place and that's where it will live. 

I decided to do all of my t-shirts. It was such a hassle to find shirts and I was only really a few of them over and over. I had a rotation to the ones I liked and the ones I didn't wear I kept pushing to the back. (You'll see here soon...) 

2. Ask yourself, "Does this spark joy?"

Instead of keeping things because you feel guilty about getting rid of it, focus on keeping things in your life that spark joy. This little question has changed my mindset on why and how I keep things. Why am I keeping things that I genuinely do not wear or like? Is it because I don't want to get rid of it because of how much I paid for it or if someone bought it for me? Why not let the item move on and find a new home with someone that will find happiness from it?

3. Visualize the Space You Want to Live In 

KonMari suggests to visualize the space you want to live in very specifically. Instead of, "I want to live in a clutter free home," say, "I want to live in a space that is elegant in design and brings me peace." 

So let's put this into practice ... 

My old t-shirt system. It was an absolute mess. 

 I dumped ALL of my t-shirts out into a pile. I had two categories ... keep or donate. My suggestion is to go ahead and have a bag or box to toss the donate items into so you won't be tempted to keep them. 

Does this bring me joy? This shirt is an child's large from my senior year of high school. (Over a decade ago...) Yes, it has great memories and I remember wearing it, but why am I keeping it? 

Donate. 

My old ASU shirts from college and after college (I'm a good alum). They were great when I wore them but I haven't worn them in 2-3 years. Either they've faded or they no longer fit. 

They bring me great memories, but no longer joy. 

These are the shirts I did keep. I folded them all so I could easily see them when I opened the drawer. 

When I finish each category I give a big sigh of relief because I feel like a little weight has lifted off my body. I can easily find things and know what I have. 

I'm not done yet with my KonMuri adventure, but I'm on the right path! 

xx, M

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Labels: 2015 , KonMuri , Life