3 Easy Ways To Get Started Today
Let’s talk about getting started with The KonMari Method™.
Chances are, you’ve probably heard of Konmari by now.
(You know, the system created by Marie Kondo - the Japanese organizing guru who “loves mess”, has people across the country purging so much clothing from their wardrobes that secondhand stores are being overwhelmed, and even went to the Academy Awards?)
Yeah, Konmari is everywhere and is definitely having a moment.
But let’s talk about doing more than watching people practice Konmari. Let’s talk about actually doing Konmari yourself.
You may have watched the Netflix special and been inspired ….. for a moment… until you realize, sure this Konmari Method looks great! But how do I start? Who has the time?
It might seem tough and frustrating, once we realize that (HUGE sigh) Marie Kondo is not going to be coming to our front door to help walk us through organizing our homes.
But - don’t worry! I got ya.
Here are three quick ways that you can introduce Konmari into your life. Today. Not tomorrow. Today.
They are 100% free and will take no longer than 30 minutes. If you’ve got the next half hour free, I recommend starting this off right now! You’ll bring some of that life changing magic into your life, IRL, and will feel lighter and brighter afterwards.
Step 1: Visualize Your Ideal Lifestyle
Your Ideal Lifestyle is a description of what feeling your best and doing your best in a typical day would be. It serves as the final destination (how you want your life to be once you’ve put your home in order). It is also the motivation to keep going when times can, and will, get a little challenging.
Grab that smartphone, flip on the DND and set a timer for 3 minutes.
Read through the prompts below and contemplate. No pressure to be perfect, but try to be genuine with yourself.
Imagine waking up in the morning in your ideal lifestyle... How do you feel when you open your eyes? How does your day start? Do you have any morning routines?
What does your typical day look like? What kind of activities fill your time? Are you doing just work, or are you doing hobbies and things that fill you up and recharge your batteries?
What do your physical surroundings look like? What kind of decor is in your home? What kind of objects fill your cabinets and drawers?
When you’re jolted back to the present day with that alarm, take a few moments to jot down what you’ve thought about in a new note in your phone, an email to yourself, or on a loose piece of paper.
Congratulate yourself - you’ve just completed the first step of what everyone does when going on a Konmari tidying journey! You’ve visualized the destination.
Step 2: Greet Your Home
While you’re still in that contemplative mood, take 30 seconds to show respect to something that works hard for you every day, keeping you safe, warm, secure and comfortable. Your home.
Close your eyes and say thank you in your head. Your message will be personal to you, but this is what I regularly think: “Hi there, house. It’s me. Thank you. It is blazing hot in Austin Texas today and, as always, you’re here giving me a cool and shaded place to relax after a long day. I really appreciate you.”
Wait a minute …… did I just tell you to talk to your house!? Yup. Sure did. One of the guiding principles of Konmari is gratitude and our homes are often neglected despite the huge role they play every day and every night. They not only LITERALLY give us shelter from the elements, but they give us emotional space to be completely free. Think about it, do you ever have to worry that your house will judge you for rocking that messy top knot with the baggiest, comfiest sweats with your high school mascot on them? Nope. Your house is a no-judgement buddy. Try thanking it. It’ll light up your day a little.
Step 3: Arrange Your Closet A La Konmari
We’re heading to your closet. Chances are this prospect is either exciting to you, or you’re a little terrified. You can do this. First things first, go over to your closet. I’ll give you a minute to get there.. Are you there? Great.
Look at your hanging clothes. Take a nice long look. Take in the aesthetics of the space. Maybe snap a photo with your phone. It’ll be a nice before photo. Trust me on this one, no one thinks their space has changed much until they see the “before” vs the “after”.
First, take your hanging clothes and place like with like. Long sleeved tops with long sleeved tops, short sleeves with short sleeves, jackets with jackets, cardis with cardis, jeans with jeans, skirts with skirts, etc.
Next, take the longest items (like longer dresses, jumpsuits and pants) and place them all the way to the left. Take the shortest items, like summery blouses and tank tops, and place them all the way the right. Now fill in everything in the middle so that your clothes hang from longest on the left, to shortest on the right.
You’ve just hung your clothes the Konmari way, meaning to group like items together and hang clothes to “rise to the right”. Just looking at clothes that rise right to the right adds a little mental boost to your day.
Post the photos on IG and tag me on it! I love to see transformations!
Give yourself some major cred. You’ve stepped out of thinking and into action. And I’m betting you had to overcome some fear in order to do that. By taking these three simple steps, you’ve added some Konmari magic into your life and should be feeling a little lighter with an extra sprinkle of gratitude.
If you weren’t able to spring into action today, don’t sweat it. You can always come back to this page and jump in when you are ready.
Dying to know more things Konmari? Follow me on IG for tips and tricks. Ready to dive into a tidying festival and complete it? Schedule a free phone chat with me today! (I love to talk to people about their organizing! Trust me!)