The KonMari Method™ was developed by Marie Kondo, the Japanese decluttering guru, best selling author and star of the Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Her method has been regarded as one of the most effective approaches to decluttering worldwide. The method is more than a system of simplifying and organizing your home as through the process you’re able to practice mindfulness and gratitude.

The six basic rules of the KonMari Method™

1. Commit Yourself to Tidying Up

   • Tidying should be done all at once, rather than bit by bit
   • Once you commit to the process, you will be able to be fully present

2. Imagine your Lifestyle

   • It is important to visualize the environment in which you wish to live
   • Having a clear vision will allow you to work toward your goals

3. Finish Discarding First

   • To properly organize you will need to consider discarding items that do not spark joy
   • If this step is skipped and you proceed to organize everything in your home, including items you don’t want, you will be constantly tidying and not find the proper homes for your items

4. Tidy by Category

   • One of the most common mistakes is to tidy room by room, rather than category by category
   • Category by category is effective because you will be confronted with a large number of item X which will allow you to objectively see how much you have and which one’s actually spark joy

5. Tidy in the Right Order

   • Clothes ~ Books ~ Paper ~ Komono (miscellaneous) ~ Sentimental
   • Once you understand “sparking joy” in the context of clothing, it will be easier to continue on the next more challenging categories

6. Joy Check

   • Ask yourself if it sparks joy
   • Sparking joy is a hard concept for many to grasp and it takes practice
   • As you begin to identify what possessions spark joy, you will transition into being more mindful about what you have, what you buy and how you choose to live your life