Decluttering with the 6 rules of KonMari method

If you are on the journey to explore and experience Minimalism, then tidying up the things at home / office would be the ideal thing to start with.

If you want to peek into what is Minimalism all about, then read along here: What is Minimalism?

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A few days back, I dreamt about a pile of things stacked up for over 10 years staring at me. A sinking feeling and a trigger to make a change got me out of sleep. Well, with decluttering playing on my subconscious mind, I had to dive in and start tidying up.

Tidying up clears out the unwanted, excess things from your home / office. This makes way for a vibrant space and energy. These small changes can bring out the transformation that you are seeking for in your life.

And there I was in the storage room completely filled with things from over 10 years. Books, games, trinkets, old chairs, dad’ old files, mom’ pile of outdated kitchenware and other carton boxes ruled this space. As I was contemplating on the starting point, I remembered Marie Kondo’s method of decluttering. This was the time to make use of it.

Tidying up clears out the unwanted, excess things from your home / office. This makes way for a vibrant space and energy. These small changes can bring out the transformation that you are seeking for in your life.

If you are in the same situation and thinking, “Where to start?”, “How do I segregate what is essential?’, “What should I do with old books, clothes, kitchenware?”, “Do I need to give away sentimental things?” then let’s first look into the rules of Decluttering in the KonMari method.

Before that, let’s take a few minutes to ponder as to why we want to bring about this change and to transform your life. A more definitive question to ask oneself is “What lifestyle am I aiming at, to bring about complete transformation in my space and my life?”

Once we have our perception and intention clear, let’s move ahead.

6 Rules of KonMari method:

1. Commit yourself to Tidying up-

Reserving ample amount of time for Tidying up everyday is a must. It has to be an inward commitment to achieve cleaning up and clearing things. Keeping in mind the life that you want to lead, let’s fix a schedule for Tidying up.

2. Imagine your Ideal Lifestyle-

Writing, imagining, sketching about the lifestyle that you want to see yourself in is the next rule of KonMari method. This helps you to visualize the lifestyle you are aiming at and helps you to make necessary changes to reach the same.

3. Finish Discarding First-

Discard the unused, non-essential things which have piled up over the years. This gives you a sense of how much is truly essential. Marie Kondo says, “To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose. To throw away what you no longer need is neither wasteful nor shameful.”

Discard the things with a sense of gratitude and embrace and keep the things which spark joy!

“To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose. To throw away what you no longer need is neither wasteful nor shameful.”

4. Tidy by Category and Not by Location-

We tend to keep similar things in different places / rooms at home. The best possible way to tidy up is to do it category-wise rather than location. This would be a more easier option which would minimize your decluttering time.

5. Follow the Right Order-

The order suggested in KonMari method is to tidy up in this order: Clothes -> Books -> Papers -> Komono -> Sentimental items. Clothes being the easiest, this gives one the technique and the motivation to keep up with the rest, once clothes are tidied up.

Tidy up in this order: Clothes -> Books -> Papers -> Komono -> Sentimental items

6. Ask Yourself If It Sparks Joy-

Feelings come handy in KonMari method. The idea is to hold an object and feel whether it sparks joy or not within you. That would help you to decide if it needs to be discarded or not. With this method, you can diligently keep the things which bring about a spark of joy within you.