Decluttering seems to be a magic word recently, thanks to a new Netflix series, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, which debuted on Jan 1. Since the Chinese New Year is coming up pretty soon, it is also the best time to organize the house via the KonMarie Method.
Who is Marie Kondo?
The series sees Kondo, a 34-year-old organising consultant and bestselling author from Japan, urging homeowners to practice her trademarked KonMari Method of sorting their piles of clothing, books and even sentimental items. You can read more about Marie Kondo on Wikipedia.
She is married to her manager, Takumi Kawahara, and has two daughters, age 3 and 2. She is also in Time's list of 100 most influential people in 2015, and founded her organising consulting business KonMari at the age of 19. Her followers are known as Konverts.
Marie Kondo used to work as a shrine maiden in Japan during college, and there are elements of the KonMari technique that borrow from Shinto beliefs, specifically the notion that inanimate objects are bearers of kami, or divine essence—in the same way that plants, animals, and people are. That’s why Kondo taps piles of old books to “wake them up,” folds clothes so that they can rest more comfortably, and asks her clients to thank pieces of clothing for their service before setting them aside. Paradoxically, the exercise of cultivating empathy for the things that surround us, rather than encouraging materialism, seems to lead Kondo’s clients to also have empathy for one another, and for themselves.
Her Mission : Spark Joy In The World Through Cleaning
When you use joy as your standard, you confront each of your things earnestly, and reflect on whether they make you happy in the present. Consequently, you will begin to realize what kinds of things you want to surround yourself with and what your idea of happiness really is.
Then, you can apply this decision-making standard of "joy" to your work and relationships. You will begin to feel more confident in recognizing and pursuing what makes you happy.
Here's what she advocates during the decluttering process :
“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.”
" Find the things that you want to keep and not the things to throw out. Identify the things that make you happy: that is the work of tidying. "
What Is The KonMari Method?
Tidy by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), kitchen, bathroom, garage, and other objects and finally, sentimental items.
There is a two-pronged approach to tidying.
1) First, put your hands on everything you own, ask yourself if it sparks joy, and if it doesn’t, thank it for its service and get rid of it.
2) Second, put those remaining items in a place where it’s visible, accessible, and easy to grab and then put back.
KonMari Vertical Fold
Kondo’s vertical folding technique makes everything supposingly easy to spot as they line your drawers in neat rows. Rather than haphazardly laying things flat in a drawer, they should stand upright; the more folds there are, the less wrinkled the item will be, so that they are easily ready for wear.
You can check out Marie Kondo and her vertical folding method below.
Excerpts from Marie Kondo's second book, Spark Joy :
To keep these little folded packages standing at attention in the dresser, Kondo suggests using shoeboxes as drawer dividers. A smaller box is perfect for square scarves, a deep one can go on a bottom drawer for sweaters.
Check out some examples :
6 Pack Stacking Drawer
24 White Storage Boxes
“Every piece of clothing has its own ‘sweet spot’ where it feels just right — a folded state that best suits that item,” she writes. It’s a spot where “the piece of clothing keeps its shape when stood on edge and feels just right when held in your hand.
Still, she suggests that certain methods of sorting tend to spark more joy than others. Clothes arranged in a drawer on a color gradient are joyful. Clothes hung in a closet in size order — longest on the left, shortest on the right, so that their bottom hems form a diagonal line pointing upward — are joyful.
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| KonMarie Vertical Fold from OneKingsLane |
In her books, Marie Kondo tends toward rigid prescriptions — never ball up your socks, always discard papers — with the caveat that you should ultimately follow your own instincts about what will spark joy for you.
The entire process should be done in one fell swoop, never incrementally, she says in The Life-Changing Magic.
In the book, she also promises more dramatic results from tidying. If you tidy properly, you will become thinner and your skin will clear up, she writes. You will be spiritually fulfilled and develop good fortune. You will face your anxieties about the past and the future and learn what it is that you really want from life, and at last, your real life will begin. Tidying, after all, is magic. It will open up your life to true joy.
KonMari Your Skincare and Beauty Products
1) Throw Away Old And Expired Beauty Products
Check the expiry dates of your skincare and cosmetic products
- Manufacturing dates or expiry dates are usually printed on the products
For Kbeauty Products
- Shelf life, in years, will indicate the duration of the product from the date the product was manufactured. Beauty products usually last 2-3 years unopened.
- If there isn’t an expiry date printed on the box, just look out for that tiny “open-jar” symbol typically found behind or underneath the product. The number on the symbol indicates the number of months it will remain good for use, starting from the point you break open the product.
- Many cosmetics, however, do not come with said indication – however if the texture, colour and smell of the item has noticeably changed, bin it straightaway because all these are sure signs that it has gone past its shelf life.
- A general guideline for skincare and cosmetic Kbeauty products
- Websites like checkcosmetic and checkfresh help to check the manufacturing dates of the products and how fresh the product still is.
- Read more about it from skincare guru, Paula Begoun.
2) Get Rid Of Anything That Doesn't Bring You Joy
Gather each product in your hands and ask if the product truly brings you joy.
3) Display Your Products In A Beautiful Way
A cleaner and less cluttered house, filled with products that truly bring you joy will help to destress and make you feel happier.
Recommendation of trays ( for displaying your often used products )
Umbra Prisma Jewelry Tray
Metal Mirrored Ornate Decorative Tray
Geometric Gold Mirror Tray
Stainless Steel Storage Tray
Recommendation of storage organizer ( for keeping your products )
Issac Jacobs 4 Compartment Clear Acrylic Organizer
Issac Jacobs 3 Drawer Box
Issac Jacobs Clear Acrylic 12 Compartment Holder
Storage Display 3 Drawers Box
Beauty Vanity Storage Holder
With that, I hope my article has inspired you, in starting your spring cleaning so that you can start your Chinese New Year on a high.
Please help to share it with anyone whom you think may enjoy the article too!
Purchase Marie Kondo's book on Amazon :
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up)
The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story
Watch Marie Kondo on Netflix here.
Watch Marie Kondo on Youtube here.
Follow Marie Kondo on Instagram here.
Visit Marie Kondo's website here.
Source : CNA, TheAlantic, PeachLily, Huffpost, RD
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