Marie Kondo, also renowned as Konmari, is a Japanese organizer, author, and TV show host. Kondo’s organizing method is known as the KonMari method, and it entails gathering all of one’s belongings, one category at a time, and then keeping just those things that “spark joy” and selecting a place in everything from then on. Her approach is influenced in part by the Shinto religion. Cleaning and organizing properly can be considered a spiritual practice in Shintoism, which is concerned with the energy or divine spirit of things and the proper way to live. The accomplishment of the Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, which debuted in 2019, elevated the importance of Kondo and her methods significantly. Here’s a list of KonMari’s creative tips for storage enthusiasts.
You Are Your Own Closet
One of the creative Marie Kondo tips for storage enthusiasts is to think that you are your closet. It is simple to organize a space, but it is more difficult to keep it organized. Clutter-free closets have a habit of becoming cluttered over time. Anyone looking to organize their homes was advised to start by imagining their ideal way of life. You can begin to achieve this ideal once you have a clear picture of it. Having a mental image of your ideal lifestyle can help you resist the urge to buy unnecessary items and keep only all you need and love.
Accept and Embrace Your Future
The attachment to the past, fear of the future, or a combination of the two is the most significant impediment to organizing our homes. These are the underlying psychological barriers that people face when tidying, whether it manifests as an attachment to a piece of clothing or a sentimental item. The key to overcoming this barrier is to understand your ownership pattern and ask yourself why it is difficult to let go of something. If you keep items from the past out of fear of losing memory, or if you keep things that work but you don’t like, it’s because you’re afraid you won’t be able to find a replacement. It becomes easier to face your fears and attachments once you comprehend your motifs.
You Sometimes Wouldn’t Need a Storage Unit
Getting rid of items you don’t want or need before moving is preferable to feeling overwhelmed once you’ve settled into your new home. If you’re putting something in long-term storage, you presumably don’t need it. Organize things tightly and neatly, and use built-in storage whenever possible.
Use Small Boxes in Drawers
Simplifying your storage can also help to make the moving process go more smoothly. If you store your belongings in a box inside a drawer, you can simply place them in the moving box without packing their contents separately. If you’ve already moved and you are still surrounded by clutter, going through the KonMari Method can help you clean up. It’s a great time to completely redo your storage after you’ve moved.
Avoid Using Plastic
Plastic is harmful to the environment, but it’s difficult to avoid using plastic bins, boxes, and cartons. The solution is to avoid buying them when you go shopping. Cardboard boxes, enamel tins, trays, shoeboxes, and wooden crates are some alternatives.
It’s Always Great to Replace and Update Old Items
Ms. Kondo is correct that possessions should bring us joy. Cleaning supplies, for example, are necessary to keep our homes clean and our lives convenient. If they don’t bring you joy, it’s perfectly fine to let them go and buy something new, but it is also recommended to thank the old items before doing so for all their hard work.
Never Underestimate the Power of a Shoebox
People can usually solve their storage issues by using items they already own. In terms of the actual organizing strategy, rather than purchasing storage items, try to reuse whatever is already in your home. One item could be empty shoeboxes—they are sturdy and the perfect size for storing anything, not to mention that reusing them is more environmentally friendly than throwing them away. Socks and stockings, t-shirts and camisoles, stocked food in the kitchen, cleaning supplies in the bathroom, and other items are ideal to keep in shoeboxes.
Get Rid of Old Papers
We’ve all done it: opened bills and stuffed them into a drawer. Those credit card bills, as well as the old warranties. According to Kondo, these stacks of papers frequently end up sitting in an accordion file, overlooked. Because most paperwork is now available online, keeping it creates unnecessary clutter.
Make Use of Vertical Space
Organizing things vertically, according to Kondo, will save space and make it easier to find your belongings. Try storing your folded t-shirts in towers—it makes it much easier to choose an outfit when all of your choices are laid out.
Make Sure That Everything Has Its Own Place
Kondo’s daily after-work routine is meticulous. Everything she owns has a specific place. Though no one expects you to put your bag in the same spot every evening, organizing high-traffic areas such as entryways makes evening routines much easier. Label cubbies and baskets so that everyone knows where to put their lunch boxes and bike helmets.
Don’t Mix up Mementos and Memories
Several people keep mementos and scraps because they are afraid of losing history if they throw them away. As a result, attics and basements are crammed with boxes of paper and scraps. Truly treasured memories will never be lost, even if the items affiliated with them are discarded. However, having too many possessions can suffocate you. Keeping mementos of things you’d otherwise forget can keep you from moving forward. We cannot live in the past, no matter how wonderful it was in the past. You should live for yourself, not for a random person in the future or your former self.
Takeaway
Changing long-held lifestyle habits is often incredibly difficult, but let us all agree that achieving financial stability in life is also not an impossible dream. The way we approach organization—the KonMari method states that if you follow the steps and declutter your space, you will never have to do it again. Even if you aren’t ready for that challenge, the Marie Kondo method can help you bring order to your home. You can try these innovative KonMari ideas.
Amanda Byers is a graduate of Columbia, where she played volleyball and annoyed a lot of professors. Now as Zobuz’s entertainment and Lifestyle Editor, she enjoys writing about delicious BBQ, outrageous style trends and all things Buzz worthy.
