What the Heck is Kon-Mari?
Does the term “spark joy” mean anything to you? It does if you know about Marie Kondo, the tidying queen. Kon-Mari is her signature method of tidying.
Marie has published two wildly popular books, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy. She also has a Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Of course, I’ve read the books and watched the Netflix series in a couple of sittings!
And the best news about Marie’s series is that it will continue in the summer of 2021 on Netflix! “Sparking Joy” will be slightly different from the first series, so a slight name change was in order.
WHAT IS TIDYING?
Tidying is the task of transforming your home into a sanctuary of natural energy that meshes totally with your own natural energy. It should be a celebration, a special event that allows you to confront yourself and discover the balance needed to live your life in contentment and peace surrounded by the things that bring you joy.
That is tidying according to Marie. Sounds like a lot to expect of a little cleaning up! But, I do want some natural energy in my home. My biggest concern at this point is how much energy am I going to have to expend to acquire that natural energy of which Marie speaks. I think it’s worth a shot, but I expect to be exhausted before the joy sets in.
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF TIDYING?
The goal of tidying is the realization of joy in your life. To experience that joy, you need to visualize the lifestyle you want as a result of a clutter-free space. Then, through the Kon-Mari method of tidying, you can achieve that goal that allows you to become the person you want to be. Tidying is a one-time event that, once completed, frees you to be the person you want to be.
Wow! That’s one big promise. Since I’ve never really discovered joy in cleaning up, I’m a little skeptical about such a huge transformation in my life just by “tidying”.
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CONCEPTS BEHIND THE TIDYING PROCESS?
The Kon-Mari method begins with discarding, followed by organizing the space. The emphasis is not on the discarded items, but on identifying items you want to keep — those that spark joy in your life. Each possession must be handled one by one to identify whether the item sparks joy for you. This happens in a marathon event of tidying that culminates in finding a home for each item kept.
Discard — not organize. Sounds like I’m going to make a bigger mess than I started with. And then, within that mess, I’m going to find joy. I do have some things in my home that “spark joy”, but I’m not sure if I’ll find it in my clothes, which is the first category to address in the process.
WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES OF TIDYING?
Finally, Marie promises a life transformation with feelings of serenity, purpose and joy. Your home should now embrace you with order and calm.
That’s a lot to ask from what everyone else calls “decluttering”. However, I do dream about all my possessions having a place to put them — “a place for everything and everything in its place: So, I must admit, I’m curious. And for the sake of “science”, I’m implementing some of the Kon-Mari method in my home, which I will share on my blog HERLifeHacks.com. I am also creating digital products to help others in their quest for an organized, decluttered home. Videos about the process are also on the horizon.
Stay tuned!
Originally published at HERLifeHacks.com .
I’m Vicki Peel, a retired educator, proud grandmother and blogger — and creator of my own version of “tidying up” . As a former high school home economics teacher, I started H.E.R. Life Hacks to share my expertise in areas of home style, lifestyle, and food. H.E.R. stands for Home Economics Reimagined. Inner peace and self-care have never been more important than now. Download my free report, Self-Care Hacks at https://herlifehacks.com
