Probably you have heard about KonMari Technique or maybe, Danshari Method, which, through some steps to follow, promise us to achieve certain benefits by making a couple of changes in our home. Applying these techniques, we will obtain a more organized and comfortable life, they assure us.
Although cleanliness and order are two essential premises for the proper functioning of a house, today, these issues have become a trend. Especially in Japan, where homes tend to be extremely small and their inhabitants manage to save space.
According to Marie Kondo, who has become the guru of organization in the contemporary world (with the method she has practiced since she was 5 years old), reorganizing your home and transforming it into a larger and more orderly space can be simpler than you think.
She has written four books on organizing, which have collectively sold millions of copies and have been translated from Japanese into languages including Korean, Chinese, Indonesian, French, German, and English.
In particular, her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (2011) has been published in more than 30 countries. It was a bestseller in Japan and in Europe, and was published in the United States in 2014.
The essential of KonMari Technique (name that comes from playing with the letters of her first and last name) is to eliminate those things that do not make us happy.
Marie Kondo has a very successful business in Tokyo where she helps her clients transform their homes into places full of beauty, peace and inspiration.
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Even though, it is completely true that the message of “clean and tidy” addressed to any member of the family does not cause great impact, when Marie Kondo arrives at some house to organize, she kneels and silently introduces herself, prays and bows … Obviously, now it looks like something else.
Tools to organize your house and your life according to KonMari Technique
It is very common that when we enter clean and orderly spaces, we automatically feel comfortable and pleased. In fact, Marie says that life begins after organizing your spaces.
If this is complicated for you, here you will find 12 keys of KonMari Technique to start a fantastic and orderly life in your home or office:
1. Assign a place to each belongings
A place for each thing. The idea is that when you finish using them, you return it to its assigned place. Once you have chosen a place for your things, you can keep your house organized.
Then, decide where to place your things and, when you finish using them, put them there.
2. First discard, then organize
“Some people believe that this is a process that never ends, and that you have to do it every day,” Kondo says.
“You should not do it little by little and when you can, if you organize a little each day, you will never finish,” she says. Contrary to what other experts recommend, who advocate acquiring the habit of doing a little each time.
The real problem is that we have much more than we need or want. When you learn to choose your possessions in an appropriate way, you will only keep what fits perfectly in the space with which you count.
That is the true magic of the organization. It all comes down to two tasks: eliminating things and deciding where to keep the ones that we maintain.
“They are only two tasks, but the elimination must go first. Make sure you complete the first task before you start with the next one, “Kondo writes.
3. Simplicity to store
The secret to maintaining a tidy room is to use a simple way of storage, so you can know at a glance how many things you have.
It is impossible to remember the existence of every object, even when we simplify our storage methods. So, the simpler, the better.
4. Do not scatter storage spaces
At this point there are two rules:
- Keep all objects of the same type in the same place and,
- Do not scatter the storage spaces.
There are only two ways to organize belongings: by type of object and by person to whom it belongs.
Never mix, and you will get the space you need to start a life full of harmony.
“If you reduce your possessions in this order, your work will flow with surprising ease”, says Marie.
“By starting with the easy things and leaving the most difficult for the end you will be able to fine-tune your decision-making skills little by little, and this will end up appearing simple”.
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5. Forget about “circulation plan” and “frequency of use” and do it all at once
Kondo sees old-fashioned “change cabinets” and a disregard for the clothes we pack and forget in the attic.
For that, you should establish without complications, where to store your things according to the design of your house. Store all similar things in the same place or in nearby places between them.
It is important that when you have to decide what to keep, consult your heart.
When we do organization, according to her, what we actually do is “to hide things that we really do not need in a closet, in a drawer or a shelf. Sooner or later those storage units fill up and the chaos begins again”. This is what Marie Kondo calls “rebound effect” and that is why she insists that the key to everything is to throw away the things that we do not need.
6. Vertical storage is fundamental
If you do not have enough space, try vertical storage. You will see that this solves most of the problems.
For the Japanese it is essential to keep all the garments upright so that everything is easier to see and identify.
It is necessary to make several folds in the clothes to achieve consistency and can be held vertically. Thus, when we open the drawer we will always have everything in sight.
7. Less hanging clothes
The hanging clothes, according to KonMari Technique, occupy more space than the one that is folded and it is more uncomfortable to see and select when we are going to dress. Kondo recommends hanging only shirts and jackets.
The expert also adds that it is advisable to organize the wardrobe according to its visual weight: the heavy garments on the left side and the light ones on the right side.
8. You do not need special items to store things
It is not necessary to buy separators or anything like that. You can solve your storage problems with things you already have at home, for example, shoe boxes; because in terms of size, material, durability, ease of use and attractiveness, they are perfect. On the other hand, you will be contributing with recycling.
Kondo gives infinity of use to the boxes. To store socks and underwear inside the drawers, in the bathroom to store the bottles of shampoo or in the kitchen to keep the utensils together. Of course, they have to be square or rectangular since the round ones waste space.
9. Sort by categories
According to KonMari Technique, when we have selected what we will keep at home, we must begin to organize them by categories: books, clothes, ornaments, discs, photos, papers, etc.
As an example, when choosing which books we want to keep, we must follow the same method as with clothes. It is important to take each copy to find out if it feels pleasure or not when you touch it and imagine what it would be like to have a bookshelf with the books that you like the most.
10. Do not underestimate the “noise” of written information
Words become static that upsets your spaces. The more organized the house, the scarcer the furniture, the stronger this information feels. So start by removing the stamps from the storage items.
By eliminating the excess of visual information, you can make your space more peaceful and welcoming.
11. Appreciate your possessions
Even if we do not realize it, our possessions really work hard for us, and they play their roles to help us in our daily lives. Just as we like to get home and relax after a workday, our things yearn for relief when they return to their rightful place.
Treat them with appreciation and they will always help you.
The author of KonMari Technique says it this way: “I do not think there should be any competition in our hearts between things and people. If we value the objects that matter to us, and treat them well, they will not only last longer and give us more pleasure; we can also learn to be even more kind and generous to people”.
12. Keep the things you love
Many people live surrounded by things they do not need.
Take out small objects and accessories that do not generate happiness and keep only those you love.
“I think we should surround ourselves only with what brings us happiness. For some people, it will be a lot of things. For others, only a handful”, says the author.
“The key is to work to identify what truly produces happiness, and for most people it is not easy. But it is the best way to make sure that we live with what satisfies us and, in the right amount”.
With this guide to start organizing your home, you can feel more lively, comfortable and get a cozy space easily.
We are all aware of the well-being produced by harmony and cleanliness. Put into practice these tips and have the harmony installed in your home. Who knows, maybe you get it permanently.