We all know her name, and we’re familiar with her concept of binning objects that fail to ‘spark joy.’ She might not be the hottest guru on the block right now (the media is SO fickle, right!) but we still heart her. For those in the dark we’re talking about Marie Kondo, of course!
To re-cap, her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying launched in 2014 and has sold over 10m copies worldwide. Her premise is simple, giving straight-talking but powerful tidying tips to households of all shapes and sizes. According to the Sunday Times, she has 3.3 Instagram followers, and her folding techniques have secured over 10m hits on You Tube. She had a hit series on Netflix and now there are over 200 certified Kondo consultants globally who can oversee clear-outs.
According to the Sunday Times article, Brits spend almost 7.5 hours a week tidying, according to research from Appliances Direct, with one in five inspired by Kondo’s techniques. The piece continues, focusing on real life case studies of Kondo followers. Here we summarise the key take-outs from their experiences:
- When people store clutter it’s the emotion behind the clutter that holds them back. They need to recognise how the things they’re clinging on to are making them feel… As you change your physical environment, you change your internal environment too.
- Work out what is precious and let go of what is not. If you have precious wine glasses stored in boxes, for example, put them on display so you can enjoy looking at them every day.
- The hardest thing is letting go… Things you don’t use every day, but want to keep, are stored in clear plastic boxes so you can see what you’re looking for… Being ordered makes your home a more enjoyable space.
- Learn to compartmentalise. One way to do this is to create a shelf in your home with separate boxes for different paperwork e.g. home, work projects, incoming post, outgoing post and so forth… It’s important to declutter your home when you’re feeling good about yourself – in the midst of a purge you can end up throwing away things you’ll bitterly regret. Getting rid of clutter can be addictive – you can’t ever get that stuff back – so clear the clutter in a mindful way.
Futon Company says: Our perspective is that the weeks before and after Christmas are the ideal time to start planning a purge. For many of us, we take time off work and spend time chilling at home – so we’re in the right mindset to curb the clutter. What’s more, getting gifts over the festive period can be a good opportunity to have a clear out (what’s the saying: out with the old, in with the new!). Also, planning ahead is a good idea. It’s all very well getting rid of objects that don’t ‘spark joy’ but do you have the right storage in place to make a difference after the clear out? Check out our storage staples – each and every one designed with small space living in mind…
