I have loved the Kon-Mari system (based on the popular book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.”
BUT.
The author is a Japanese Buddhist who is not married and has no children.
Basically we could not be more different. 🙂
If you are like me, a busy not-Buddhist, full-househould-running Mama, then before you begin this awesome system, here are a few things you absolutely need to know.
- It will take you forever, unless you hire childcare. Okay so “forever” is a bit drastic. But it will not be an easy process. If I had children in school, I would definitely do it during that time. You will need to figure out some ways to occupy your children safely. You can always get them involved with the decluttering process, of course! But this doesn’t make it any shorter, of course. Just don’t get discouraged if you have to stop mid-closet and make beef stock or change a diaper. Be patient with yourself, and don’t give up.
- There are tutorials available and oodles of extra resources. Because Kon-Mari is so popular, there are You Tube videos, blogs, e-books, periscopes and more on about every question you have. I watched several videos on her folding method, for one thing. That helped as I am very visual. So if you have questions, Google is the place to be. 🙂
- Keep more books than she says, and if you sell them, check out these places. I think books do have value, and especially if they are Christian classics that may not print again, I held onto them like gold. Be discerning before you follow her advice to toss out every single one besides your five favorites. (which is more or less what she says.) 🙂
- You don’t have to buy the book. I am glad I did. I like holding real books and it’s cozy, beautiful style make me more motivated to get this JUNK out of my house. But honestly, you can find a synopsis of the technique online and have nearly everything you need to declutter, if you are wanting to save a few bucks.
- There are missing categories for moms. I followed her suggested steps, but there are glaring omissions of categories, including:
- Kids clothing
- Kids toys
- Kitchen tools
- Linens
- Garage / outdoor items
In my cleaning, I did the following process:
- My Clothes
- Our luggage
- Books for grown-ups
- Kids Books
- Kids Clothes
- Kids Toys
- Papers
- All kitchen related items
- Linens
- Anything else (decor items was basically it)
- Garage and outdoor
- Keepsakes
Have you done Kon-Mari? What suggestions would you offer someone who wished to begin the Kon-Mari process?
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I’m doing her method right now! This week is paper. I agree with all of your points. The biggest thing that’s working for me is the “does is spark joy” question. So many things have been held onto “just because” so asking this question really makes it easy to get rid of stuff. And it’s funny too because my husband and I keep asking each other, “well, does it spark joy?” :). I’m focusing on my stuff and household stuff first and then later plan to tackle the kids stuff. I’m blogging my progress along the way.
Very good post, and I have about 3,000 books which I go through regularly but they could bring me a fortune one day too 🙂 I declutter regularly anyway, if things don’t fit in their designated drawer it gets tipped out and sorted. Different houses need different things, and we’ve moved 6 times in 4 years, so something that works in one house won’t in another.
Hey, Never heard of this Kon-Mari person, but you’ve perked my interest and I am going to look into it. I have been decluttering for the last year or so. It may sound weird but, I think of my death almost daily, and the last thing I want is for my childrem to be agonizing over a bunch of crab that I have acumulated over my short stay here on earth. I do value books and agree I will not be keeping just 5 of my favorites. That would be like the government confiscating my husbands guns!
I love this post, Jessica! While I haven’t read “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” I have been decluttering … and asking myself if each thing brings me joy. But I keep thinking that with my kids and all of our stuff – from toys to clothes to homeschooling materials – it will take me the rest of my life and must be close to impossible. At least for this season of my life. 🙂
Thanks for this! I read the book last weekend and felt the same way – how do I do this in a busy household with kids and lots of paperwork for various volunteer roles, as well as businesses running alongside! I like what you said, the only thing I am thinking of adding is a pre-step, which is to do some garbage tossing/decluttering before the Kon-Mari method- that might get me a bit more space to complete the process. Thanks for your thoughts! 🙂
I checked her book from the library. One less piece of clutter!
I agree with you about books and kids things however I don’t really agree with your comment on finding the info elsewhere, instead of reading the book. The book was beautifully written and I know, for me, reading practical advice on the net would not have been as inspiring and motivating than reading the book. The book has also helped me see and value objects in a very different way, which I love. Thanks for your post,
I have been listening to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, while I sew. I like the book and I have started to declutter and it feels good. I thought it interesting that Marie Kondo, thanks her items and house for serving her well. I will never stop thanking God for blessing me with my home and all my stuff.
Thank you for this great summary. In her process she also talks about thanking each item you get rid of for its service. Instead, we thanked God for His provision and letting us be good stewards of our space and possessions.
Thank You!! I am about to inbark on this journey and I’ve been putting post its on key parts but my mind is already wondering on my linens kids stuff etc. I have to admit that having books as second is scary, I have 5 boxes of books plus a bunch out. I am a reader, I reread and plan on having a wall of books when I buy my home… your list has inspired me Not to be afraid. Here I go!!
I’m totally for de-cluttering and enjoy reading books with practical tips for quite a few things in life, whether it’s DIY, homesteading or decluttering! 🙂 Yay spacious, tidy house! But as a Christian, I would not agree with getting advice from a Buddhist. You can find the same practical advice in secular books, without the Buddhism…the simple fact that she is Buddhist means that a lot of her de-cluttering advice is interwined and represents a “spiritual” occult Buddhist aspect in a veiled or direct way (whether she mentions it or not). Scripture teaches us to “test all spirits to see whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1), and this applies to all aspects of our lives, whether the books we read or the movies we watch etc. As some commentators mentioned, the author “thanks her items for serving her well”. That is a clear Buddhist practice.
In addition, the fact that she is not married and doesn’t have kids disqualifies her from giving advice on de-cluttering for families…so it’s good to be discerning in what kind of books we get our advice from. Just sharing my thoughts to encourage you all!