It’s 2019 and what better way to welcome the new year than with a fresh perspective, new beginnings, and a space that reflects your renewed state of mind?
Japanese tidying sensation Marie Kondo has gone global as the star of her own Netflix series, inspiring the world to choose joy with the KonMari method.
Not just your ordinary system of cleaning, the KonMari method is a way of life that’s anchored on the principle of only keeping items that ‘spark joy’ in you. After binge-watching Netflix’s new series, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” we picked up some of the best tips to keep your condo tidy:
- Tidying is a journey
“Tidying is a path to self-discovery, mindful living, and fulfillment,” says Marie as she comes to the rescue of one cluttered home after another in her hit Netflix series “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.” Every condo-owner knows that transitioning from a house to your condo unit takes time and doesn’t happen in a snap.
So instead of simply unloading and cramping everything you own in your condo, heed the advice of Marie and take this time to slow down, reflect, and when you’re ready, get KonMari-ing!
“The KonMari method is unique because I organize by category rather than by location. We tidy five categories in a specific order,” which she enumerates as clothing, books, paper, Komono, the largest category which includes the kitchen, bathroom, garage, and everything miscellaneous, and placed last are the sentimental items.
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Now, this doesn’t mean you should dump out all your fruits and greens in exchange for a bag of chips that bring you more joy. For Marie, the art of tidying isn’t just about exercising control over your environment, but a way for you to focus only on the essentials, developing a ‘tidy’ mindset.
In Tidying Up, Margie, frustrated over what to do with her late husband’s things, said “I’m very strong-willed and have good ideas, but I don’t know [if] I have the fortitude it takes to get rid of his belongings.” But as the episode progressed, so has she. “I have to think that he would be proud. I hope he’s amused and smiling down and giving me the thumbs up saying “You’re doing the right thing,” she says with a gleaming smile.
Ultimately, the KonMari method associates tidying as the key to self-love and self-improvement. When we start with the small items in our lives like clothes, stationery, and the things we interact with almost every day, we also tidy our lives and ourselves.
KONDO TIP: Compartmentalizing saves lives. Marie Kondo suggests that when organizing desks, cabinets or drawers, store items in compartments and boxes to make grabbing and storing much more convenient so you’d never have to worry about messy kitchen cabinets or office drawers again!
- Choose what “sparks joy”
“Choose to keep only the things that speak to your heart and let go of everything else,” shared Marie to the empty nesters she helped in her show. For some, this is easier said than done because you’re not just choosing what makes you happy for the meantime, you should also consider what’s worth keeping in the long run.
But the tidying expert didn’t put mementos last on her list for no reason; it’s to help you build a better mindset when you eventually have to choose between which items truly spark joy within you, and which ones you’re simply just holding on to.
Living in a condo is an opportunity to exercise this kind of self-discipline. Unlike most traditional organization methods that advise you to purge old items out the door, KonMari teaches you to only keep the things that make you happy and surround yourself with them.
This is especially handy to condo-dwellers. After a good cleanse and getting rid of all that clutter, you then have more flexibility and an entirely new canvas to discover what other things could spark joy in you.
KONDO TIP: Fold with love. “Remember to send love through your palms,” shares Marie. Folding your clothes shouldn’t just be a chore, but a personal moment where the “mind and the piece of clothing connect.” Still don’t know the KonMari method of folding? Watch the video below:
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- Thank u, next!
Marie Kondo’s philosophy on tidying differs from most organization gurus as she pays tribute to the things that have once been a part of your life but no longer serve its purpose. Before you simply toss out the items that no longer “spark joy”, say thank you and move on – in Ariana Grande fashion.
It may sound silly, but many have testified how this has helped them form a better and stronger relationship with their belongings, no matter how small. It’s not about tossing away dead weight and garbage, but expressing gratitude and gently closing the door on the things that no longer work for you.
In the Empty Nesters episode, Ron, who was skeptical at first with the whole process, bared that “the whole KonMari philosophy really has played a key in the way we’re looking at stuff. There’s a value to our possessions that maybe I didn’t feel that I had before.”
Being grateful for old items gives you closure to truly let them go instead of letting them take up precious real estate in your condo’s closet or cabinet.
KONDO TIP: Kondo writes in The Life-Changing Magic, tidying your space shouldn’t be done in a haste. It’s a process that should take time, preferably six months, as you are also expected to learn more about yourself and practice patience throughout the whole process.
The KonMari method proves to be a helpful philosophy when you live in a condo. With just enough livable space to take care of, the KonMari method essentially makes tidying a positive experience for all because at the end of the day, we all deserve to come home to a place filled only with the things that spark joy in our lives.
