Pop Japan

Marie Kondo or “KonMari” is an organizing consultant as well as an author in Japan. She is well-known around the globe for her own methods of tidying up and she’s one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2015. But how did KonMari become such a phenomenon?

The little neat freak

At the age of five, KonMarie already loved tidying things up. In her high school days, instead of joining her classmates during their physical education class, she would just go to their school library or classroom to arrange the bookshelves. KonMarie is also guilty of throwing things which are not giving a spark of joy to her anymore. She can throw away even her mother’s purse or her father’s suits, without even realizing what she have done.

A young, organizing author and consultant

KonMari worked as an attendant at Shinto Shrine for five years. She started her own organizing consulting business at the age of 19 while she was taking Sociology courses at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University. Since then, KonMari have had a lot of clients. They later on asked her to write a book on her advocacy, which she obliges to do.

Her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” was released in 2011 and has sold over 6 million copies worldwide.  Her book is about her own way of organizing things known as the “KonMari Method”. The book includes the a step-by-step guide on tidying up your own little space.

In 2012, she released another book entitled, “Spark Joy,” which was an illustrated manual on how to declutter and organize things.

So how is she doing it? Here is a sneak peak on the KonMari Method:

Clothes

If you have a lot of clothes, then maybe it’s time to dispose some of them to have more space in your cabinet.

Put all your clothes in one area and start sorting the clothes. If you still feel the “spark joy,” in it, keep it. If not, just dispose them and say thank you for their services to you.

After sorting, fold your clothes in the KonMari way. Fold them first vertically. Then fold them in half and then into thirds. If you fold them correctly, the clothes will stand on its own. This kind of folding gives a lot of space in your drawer or cabinet. For the clothes that are in hangers, hang them from left to right, according to the length.

Books

Sort out which ones are you still going to read or re-read. Keep those books that give spark joy and let go of those that are not.

Papers

We all have a lot of papers in our houses or in our offices. Same process applies here: learn to let go of the things that don’t make you happy anymore. It is important to have your own space for your paper. Have a separate space for each member of the family so that all of you may not be confused on where you put your papers.

Kimonos and others

                This may be the hardest to tidy up. Throwing things that have sentimental value to you is really hard. These things consume a lot of emotions. It is okay to take your time in sorting these things up. But think of the things the are more worthy of keeping and simply let go of the other things. After sorting, put tehm in one box. Never forget to say “thank you” to the things you need to dispose.

The KonMari just reminds us that it is okay to let go and dispose some things, especially when they are not being used anymore. Marie Kondo’s way of tidying up may require a lot of time, energy and even emotions, but whatever process we use in tidying and organizing things, it is still worth it in the end.