Konmari Method; A personal reflection

You know the saying, it's going to get worse (and ugly) before it gets better? Well brace yourself ladies (& gents), if you've been following the #konmari craze, you'll know this statement to be true. This past week, our family has been knee deep in tissues (hello summer cold) & stuff! I always plan a purge at the beginning of the year, however, this year my husband is wondering what he signed up for!

The Japanese Art of decluttering & organisation by Marie Kondo is all kinds of amazing! You can read more about this technique here. And here.

We're still working our way through our home but there is a definite pattern emerging. The main premise behind the phenomenon is to live with items that spark joy and bring meaning to your life.

We are by no means minimalists and I love beautiful things, but there is also a lot of items that no longer serve our needs or design style which can be donated to others. This exercise has given us clarity on what items to invest in and which items we do not need (no, we do not need 24 pairs of chopsticks or 5 calculators).



The result? An overwhelming sense of achievement! What better way to start a new year than to declutter and purge?

The Marie Kondo method adopts a specific way of folding and storing items. And whilst it may seem excessive at first (folding clothes into tiny triangles), it makes everything much easier to find. It's calming to see everything neatly folded and grouped together. 

In a few short weeks, I have also found an elevated level of calmness and joy which I'm crediting as a result of all the purging. Being surrounded by your favourite pieces and knowing there is a home for everything, has provided a deep sense of mental clarity. With a reduction of visual clutter, there is more room to appreciate what remains. Going through every cupboard and drawer requires discipline and time (lots of it). I was pleasantly surprised to find some old favourites like vases and books that I had forgotten about.

I wanted to share a few specific examples of how this experience has impacted our lives. 

Clothing: With less to choose from, getting dressed is easier. Less to think about, less time to decide what to wear. I feel good wearing clothes that spark joy and my self-confidence has improved.

Kitchen: Finding the right dish or utensil or writing a grocery list to plan meals has become easier to do since #konmarimethod. I can do a quick scan of the fridge and pantry to see what essentials we need. 

Living Room: Appreciating my design books (many of which were stacked in cupboards) has made evenings more enjoyable and feeds my inspiration. Less TV, more intentional joy. I culled my decorative cushions much to my husband's delight, which makes our space more cohesive and tidying up a breeze.  

The Marie Kondo Life-changing Art of Tidying Up has had a positive improvement on our home and family life. With so much clutter and distractions in our busy lives, it has been an amazing experience. There is a simplicity in our home, which has brought much peace and joy.... and who wouldn't want more of that?

I hope this post has inspired you to spark more joy in your daily life. If you need motivation, Marie Kondo's new show has just launched on Netflix. I've always believed in buying what you love. If I could set one goal for 2019, it would be to live more simply, with what I truly love. To be more intentional about how I use my time (who wants to spend all weekend cleaning) so that I can better serve my family and friends.

Wishing all our lovely readers a fantastic 2019! Join us next time, when we talk about how to live better with fewer things.