Her show on tyding up (Tyding Up with Maria Kondo, Netflix) was nominated for an Emmy Award twice. You may have heard of her. Maria Kondo is a Japanese writer, consultant and influencer, best known for her easy but uncompromising style of tidying up. Would you like to know how to declutter your place, give space to minimalism and get rid of the mess in your household once and for all? She has all the answers, but it's going to take a lot of self-discipline.
We are very good at hoarding things. But throwing them out can be an issue. And that's where the method of tidying up called KonMari comes in handy: it will help you get rid of all the unnecessary stuff, keep only things that bring you joy and give everything its place. According to her, the key point is not to throw things out according to a certain formula (for example: If you haven't used it for two years, ditch it, or: Whenever you buy one thing, get rid of one thing), but according to your heart. And that's why her slogan is: Declutter your home, change your life!
Sounds good to you? Then let's have a look together at the 6 basic rules that you have to follow with the KonMari method for the decluttering to be effective.
You have to be aware that this will be an uncompromising decluttering. You have to be absolutely convinced that you want it, that you can handle it!
It's important to figure out what kind of house (or apartment) you want to live in. Try to imagine (or draw) how it should be equipped, what it should look like. You can also cut out photos of your dream home from magazines.
Focus on what you want to keep. Throw out the rest and don't make any exceptions. You have to be unwavering in getting it done!
If you start tidying up room by room, or piece by piece, your home will fall into even greater chaos. Insteady, tidy up by categories: clothes, books, papers, other items, sentimental things. Don't keep things you've been saving as a memento of someone special in a box, but use them. If they don't appeal to you, you can take a photo of them, but throw them out!
No one but you knows what environment will make you happy. It's not about throwing out something you haven't used in two years. With the KonMari method, the basis on which you'll be deciding what to keep are your emotions. Take the thing in your hand and ask yourself: Does it spark joy? Then focus on how you feel. If you don't feel anything or experience negative vibrations, it will be easier for you to realize that you don't need the thing and getting rid of it won't be such a problem. Thank it for serving you and then throw it out or donate it.
Throwing things out is only the beginning. If you've managed to do that, great, but you're not done yet! Everything in your bedroom closet, on the shelves in your living room as well as in the kitchen has to be perfectly organized! You'll find a lot of videos of Marie Kondo on Youtube. They'll show you how to creatively sort and store things, give them meaning and determine their place. If the videos aren't enough for you, you can draw inspiration from her books on tidying up. We've attached those that have been translated into Czech below. Good luck with decluttering!