A few months ago, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” premiered on Netflix. The series portrays the work of a 30-year-old Japanese woman transforming the lives of American families through the organization. The show quickly became a success among Brazilians, and many people have used the tips to organize their house and their lifes.
Although the professional has recently gained fame in Brazil with the help of Netflix, she has been successful for years in other countries. Her book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” sold more than two million copies and Marie was ranked one of the 100 most influential people in the world according to the American magazine Time.
The responsible for her fame it’s the KonMari method, developed by Marie. Both the book and the series attempt to explain the basis of this method and how to put it into practice. When applied properly, it promises to revolutionize your home. Check out some valuable tips from Marie to make your life more organized in 2019.
1. Practice detachment
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The KonMarie method is based on happiness. During the organization, pick up each item and ask yourself “does this bring me happiness?“. Keep all things that makes you happy and let go of those who do not arouse this feeling.
This question is the key to Marie’s success and her method. It does not force you to get rid of objects randomly to gain more space in the house, but it makes you want to reflect on what brings you joy. Gradually, you will see that you have let go of various things.
2. Organize your things by categories, not by rooms
We spent years tidying up the bedroom, the living room, the office, when we should be organizing clothes, books, documents. According to Marie, the focus must be on things and not on places.
The tip of the expert is: choose a category to organize and assemble all these objects in a place determined by you. For example, take the place of the house to let all cosmetics. The idea is to have specific spaces for each type of thing and always put them in the same place to maintain the organization.
3. Reuse boxes during the organization
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Those who watched the series saw how much Marie likes boxes. We use it to organize different items, even those that go inside the wardrobe or drawers. However, it is not necessary to buy them. Reuse boxes you have at home, such as shoes or gifts ones, to place the objects. You can also layer and decorate the boxes the way you want.
4. The process of organization must be done on its own
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Sometimes we think the family will help with the housekeeping, but the tendency is that it will only get in the way. According to Marie, loved ones can be very anxious about the amount of things they are getting rid of and they can try to save some items by persuading you to stay with it.
Organizing the home alone is the best option. Making your own choices is empowering and it makes the process much more efficient.
5. Books, photography and other sentimental items are not sacred
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Detachment from objects of sentimental value is difficult, but not impossible. The key to the detachment is to separate only those that bring joy in that moment. Others have served the purpose of making you happy in the past. The important thing is to keep the memories in your mind.
This tip holds true for photographs, clothing, toys, cards and even books. This can be difficult for those who are passionate about books, but it is not worth saving books that you will never read or dislike any more. Isn’t better to donate to those who need it?
6. Clean your bag regularly
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How many times have you encountered foreign objects that have been lost in your bag for months? Many times, right? The ideal is to clean the bag regularly and throw away unnecessary things. This process makes it easier to exchange bags and prevents you from carrying too many things.
7. Return the object whenever you take it out of place
For the environment to remain organized, it is necessary to return the objects to their respective locations when they are removed. You’ve already had the job of finding a special place for each thing, so it costs nothing to devote to keeping that order.
Whether or not to opt for the KonMarie method is your choice, it’s clear that it works and is revolutionary. And for organization lovers, it’s worth investing on the books written by Marie: “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” and “Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up”. They are key pieces to the order process.