What is the KonMari Method?

Most tidying methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever.

The KonMari Method™ encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go.

People around the world have been drawn to this philosophy not only due to its effectiveness, but also because it places great importance on being mindful, introspective and forward-looking.

Why Tidy?

Tidying is a powerful tool, but it’s not the destination. The true goal of tidying is to clear away clutter so you can live the life you want. When you put your house in order using the KonMari Method™, you have no choice but to listen to your inner voice – because the question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life. When you reassess your belongings and organize your home, you set the stage for a huge transformation. This is the magic of tidying!


The 6 Basic Rules of Tidying

1. Commit yourself to tidying up
Setting the intention to seriously tidy up – and resolving to put in the time and effort required – is the first rule of tidying.  When you approach your tidying festival with a clear vision and a can-do attitude, you’ll find the energy and motivation you need to tidy all of your belongings in one go.

The effort will be worth it in the end.  Not only will you experience the joy of living with objects you love, but you’ll also be on the path to establishing your ideal lifestyle.

2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle

Think about what kind of house you want to live in and how you want to live in it.  In other words, describe your ideal lifestyle.  If you like drawing, sketch out what it looks like.  If you prefer to write, describe it in a notebook.  You can also cut out photos from magazines.

When you imagine your ideal lifestyle, you are really clarifying why you want to tidy and envisioning your best life.  The tidying process represents a turning point – so seriously consider the ideal lifestyle to which you aspire.

3. Finish discarding first

Discarding is not the point of the KonMari Method™, but it is an important part of the process because it provides an opportunity to learn from your past experiences.  If you let go of a belonging you never used, it taught that you have no purpose for something like it in your life.  Thinking deeply about each item you discard will affect how you live and acquire new things moving forward.

On a practical level, discarding first also allows you to have an accurate grasp of how much actually needs to be stored.  Only after you’ve discarded can you turn your full energy and attention to that which brings you joy.

4. Tidy by category, not by location

People often store the same type of item in more than one place.  When you tidy each place separately, you’re repeating the same work in many locations.  You can never grasp the overall volume of each type of thing you own – you’re more likely to keep the paperclips in your office if you don’t take into account the stockpile in the attic.  The result is that you become locked in a never-ending cycle of tidying.

Tidy by category – clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items) and then sentimental items – and you’re on the path to success.

5. Follow the right order

By starting with clothes (relatively easy) and ending with sentimental items (challenging), you hone your decision making skills as you go; by the end, choosing what to keep seems simple.  There’s another reason clothes come first: Completing that category provides tangible proof of your efforts.  Being greeted by your favorite clothes in a tidied closet each morning is motivation to keep going!

As you move through each category, your energy and enthusiasm increases; you may be physically tired, but getting rid of unnecessary clutter acts as an invigorating pick-me-up. Throughout the process, you gain a deeper understanding of the method – and of yourself.

6. Ask yourself if it sparks joy

In the KonMari Method™, your feelings are the standard for decision making – specifically, knowing what sparks joy.  To determine this when tidying, the key is to pick up each object one at a time, and ask yourself quietly, “Does this spark joy?”  Pay attention to how your body responds.  Joy is personal, so everyone will experience it differently; Marie describes it as “…a little thrill, as if the cells in your body are slowly rising.”

Through the process of selecting only those things that inspire joy, you can identify precisely what you love – and what you need.

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Exerpts from ”About the Dooley Method” - konmari.com