How to Marie Kondo Your Life
By Sarah Kaminski
Does the name Marie Kondo ring a bell? Maybe not, but if we showed you a picture, you would probably know. If nothing else, at least you would recognize the “Does it spark joy?” meme.
Marie Kondo has made it her goal to help people around the world organize their homes and lives, and this truly sparks joy. The organizing consultant, TV host, and author has established a bulletproof method of tidying up, and she shares it with the world.
The results are amazing, and if you feel like you are living in a chaotic world (especially these days), the best you can do is start making a change from your doorstep and your mind. Here are some tips that will help you tidy up your life and make Marie Kondo proud.
First, Learn the Basic Principles of “The KonMari Method”
The basic principles Marie Kondo is using can be helpful in various aspects of your life. Let’s go over them first, and then we’ll learn how to apply them:
- Commit yourself to what you are doing.
- Imagine your ideal life.
- Ask yourself, “Does it spark joy?”
- If it doesn’t, get rid of it. But before you do that, show gratitude to the things that have served their purpose.
Treat Your Mind with the KonMari Treatment
The mind is a wonderful but chaotic place – especially these days, when we are being bombarded by millions of information every second. Many of the thoughts buzzing in the background are, more often than not, negative. The mental chatter is something we often ignore. But if we choose to apply the KonMari method to our cluttered minds just as we apply it to our cluttered homes, sweeping issues under the rug is not an option.
Instead, stop and listen to your thoughts and ask yourself – do they spark joy? In other words, are these kinds of thoughts serving you? Furthermore, ask yourself where these thoughts are coming from. Can you talk to someone about them? Can you see the matter from a different perspective? Declutter your mind and make room for things that make you happy.
Organize Your Lifestyle
How we live and the habits we keep have a humongous impact on our health and mood. Ask yourself, is your lifestyle making you happy, or is it quite the opposite?
Some of the things you should consider are your diet, sleep habits, and physical activity. First, you need to regulate your circadian rhythm by fixing your sleep schedule and getting between seven and eight hours of sleep. Once you do that, everything else will be easier.
Now observe your diet habits. Do you feel guilty after eating a large burger and fries? It doesn’t spark joy then. Do you feel good when you eat a hearty salad? This one does spark joy. This is the principle to follow when choosing your menu. You should also pay attention to the amount of physical activity you practice.
As for physical activity, your body releases endorphins when you exercise, and that’s what creates that unquestionable feeling of joy. But naturally, we don’t all enjoy the same activities equally. Exercise shouldn’t be a burden – be mindful about it and find the type of exercise that sparks joy in you.
Do You Need Negative People in Your Life?
Some people can drain your energy and make you feel anxious or even sad after meeting them. You might experience this with certain coworkers, friends, family members, your partner, or even your parents. If you were to use the KonMari method, you would take a good look at all the people you are spending time with and ask yourself which feelings prevail (positive or negative). Then you would proceed to minimize contact with them if they are making you unhappy, but first, express gratitude for all the time you have spent together.
Sometimes this can be very difficult or even impossible if we are talking about people who are very close to you. An alternative way to do it is to talk with the people you love who are making you unhappy, and see whether you can find a solution together. Maybe the problem lies in the lack of understanding between you. Maybe all you need to do is say how you feel.
Work Should Not Be Torture
Yes, we need our jobs to earn a living, but do we have to be unhappy every day from nine to five? Of course not.
When considering your career path using the Marie Kondo method, ask yourself this:
- Are you excited to wake up and go to work in the morning?
- What are you grateful for in this job?
- Do the values of the profession and the company align with your own?
- Does it make you happy?
No one is saying that you should quit your job if your answers to these questions are mostly negative. The point of this exercise is to identify the problem, maybe find its deeper roots, and find a way to solve it.
Finally, Tidy up Your Home
If you look around your home and see a lot of stuff, your interior is likely burdened with clutter. According to research, clutter can interrupt the flow of your thoughts and cause stress and anxiety. The accumulation of possessions is a consequence of modern-day consumerism, which encourages us to buy more things than we need. The KonMari method is fighting against its negative effect on the human mind. Here are some tips she would give you:
- Follow the basic principles of the KonMari Method, which we’ve talked about earlier in this post.
- Organize by category, not by location (for example, take up organizing books and then clothes rather than the living room and bedroom).
- Take some time to evaluate each item.
- Visualize the desired look of your home.
- You can find many great organizing tips and hacks for folding laundry on Marie Kondo’s website and YouTube channel.
The road to an organized life may be long, but it’s a vital journey. Once you get deeper into the process, you will see all the effort was worthwhile. You’ll feel lighter, more fulfilled, and less distracted from your essential values and goals.