The KonMari Method vs Traditional Organizing - What Is The Difference?

Whether you have flipped through the book, watched the show, read an article or just vaguely know who Marie Kondo is, most people have questions about the KonMari Method®️.

How is it done exactly? And how is it different from traditional organizing?

In the KonMari Method®️

WE ENVISION OUR IDEAL LIFESTYLE

How do you want your home to be? What would you like it to look like, smell like, sound like, feel like?

WE CHOOSE WHAT TO KEEP

We choose what to keep, not what to get rid of.

We keep what we want to surround ourselves with in the future, and let go of the rest.

WE ORGANIZE BY CATEGORY

We work through our belongings one category (clothing, books, etc.) at a time vs one location at a time.

When you gather all your books together, you truly grasp how many books you own. Making decisions is easier when you see all that you have.

WE ASK DOES IT SPARK JOY?

When you hold an item in your hands, you actually know instantly whether or not it sparks joy. It’s just a matter of training ourselves to listen.

WE LET GO WITH GRATITUDE

The things that do not spark joy, we let go with gratitude. Being thankful for the things that we had will build gratitude for the things we choose to keep, and beyond.

WE ONLY DECIDE ON OUR OWN THINGS

We don’t touch other family members’ stuff. (Small children are an exception but even they can be included in the process.)

We concentrate on you.

Your family will be inspired by your progress and they will be motivated to take action, too.

WE FIRST DECIDE WHAT TO KEEP, THEN ORGANIZE

There is no point in organizing things that you no longer want in your life.

The things that you do want in your life are organized in a way that sparks joy to you.

WE STORE THINGS UPRIGHT

Storing things upright saves space, makes it easier to remove one item (say a t-shirt) without disturbing other things surrounding it, and looks tidy.

Clothes that are not hung, will be folded and then stored in an upright position.

Put all this together, and you get to experience the life-changing magic of tidying up!

Because to make a lasting change you will need to figure out WHY your home has the items that it has and to make decisions about which of the items you still want to surround yourself with in the future.

As my teacher, Marie Kondo says: “The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life."