Taste Life Blog

Did my pink jacket ever bring me joy? Probably not. I remember I bought this “steal of a deal jacket” for seven bucks because I had a black one just like it that I adored. Everyone that knows me knows red is my color, not pink. Using the KonMarie Method this jacket – that I wore only once – had to go.

If you have not heard of the KonMarie Method yet, you will. This extremely popular method in Japan is catching on here as evidenced by the long waitlist at the Chanhassen library to read the book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo.

The KonMarie method is a guide to acquiring the right mind set for creating order to organize your stuff through major discarding in order to become a tidy person. It lovingly connects you with your belongings that spark joy and bids farewell to anything that doesn’t. If your closet has turned into a storage shed like mine, now is the time to learn more about this joy filled method of decluttering your home.

Core Principles of Tidying Up

1. Tidying is dealing with objects. Objects are easy to discard and move around.
2. Effective tidying involves 2 essential actions – discarding and deciding where to store things. Discarding must come first.
3. Tidying is a special event. The work of tidying should be completed once and in a single period. You don’t do it every day.
4. There are two types of tidying – “daily tidying” and “special event tidying.” Daily is when you use something you put it back in its place and it becomes an “unconscious habit.” Special event tidying is a rapid dramatic transformative event completed methodically and lovingly in six months.
5. Tidying must be done in the right order. Discarding must come first. Nothing can be put away until the process of discarding is finished.

How to Get Started

Visualize your destination. Vividly picture what it would be like to live in a clutter free space. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to be tidy?” Tidy by category and not by room. Begin with items that are easier to make decisions about. Kondo recommends clothes first, then books, papers and mementos. Instead of deciding what to discard the focus should be on what to keep which few things spark sufficient joy and are truly necessary. Marie suggests you start with your tops. She insists you gather every piece of clothing in that category in the house and handle it only once. Hold each piece of clothing and ask, “Does this spark joy?” Anything that does not spark joy is touched, thanked and ceremoniously sent on its way where it can discover a more appreciative owner. Use this same process for all other categories.

For years I have heard Gary say, “When I retire I am going through every closet and drawer in this house.” I dreaded it and now his recent retirement is a reality. I have started on my top category. Discarding my – worn once – pink jacket has given me confidence that discarding will only get easier. The KonMarie Method is a hope filled method to a lifestyle filed with more joy not more stuff. I am ready to embrace it. We can only cherish a limited number of things at one time. And the more we own the more time and energy it takes to properly take care of them. After tidying up once, you’ll have time to pour your energy and time into your passions and people that truly bring you joy.

As Kondo says, “Life truly begins after you put your house in order.”

We would love to hear your decluttering tips and the joy you have discovered.