I had always considered myself quite advanced when it comes to decluttering and organizing. However, reading Marie Kondo’s books made it evident that I’d simply been an organized hoarder. So I took the challenge and committed to tidying up my home differently and thoroughly.
During the process, I realized how much my relationship with my possessions changed. I became much more aware of what I need and what I love. Moreover, I learned to let things go gratefully.
Decluttering a la Marie Kondo was unquestionably an essential step on my way to a well-organized home. And here are my most important lessons learned:
Lesson 1: Respect Your Belongings
Believe it or not, it makes a notable difference if we do. If we treat all our possessions with respect, they serve us longer, save us time and money – and spark a lot more joy. From my experience, taking good care of ‘things’ leads to taking good care of ourselves. It will also draw our attention to what we already have. And not so much on what’s missing in our lives.
Taking good care of your belongings leads to taking good care of yourself. Click To TweetLesson 2: Understand Your Emotions
If we take home decluttering a la Marie Kondo seriously, we are likely confronted with many different emotions. Be warned, they can pop up entirely unexpected. But I think there’s so much we can learn when we ask ourselves why we feel that way, right at that moment, with that specific item in our hands.
Lesson 3: Discard Consciously
During the first days of my decluttering journey, I packed all unwanted things in garbage bags. One bag after the other got filled. But then, looking at all these carelessly stuffed bags almost made me cry. I thought what a waste of resources! Although I didn’t want to keep all these things, I couldn’t just throw them away. So, I committed to finding a new home for the pieces I discard (gift, sell, or donate) or handing them over to a recycling company. I’m glad that I spend extra thought on this, and even more, I stopped accumulating stuff.
Lesson 4: Make Better (Buying) Decisions
The effect of my home decluttering experience sustained. It made me a lot pickier. I no longer put money on ‘so-so’ things. Instead, I only buy what I truly love. I make far better choices now, go for quality rather than quantity. Particularly when buying clothes. I know about the triggers for impulse purchases and hoarding. I still love shopping, though. But today, I shop mindfully and smart.
What I’ve learned not only influences my buying decisions. After asking myself so many times what sparks joy, I know my preferences. As a result, it became so much easier to decide which books to read, which projects or courses to pursue, or how to handle all the other optional obligations that come my way.
Lesson 5: Don’t Ever Skip the Daily Tidying
Yes, I still have to tidy up every day. But usually, it’s just a matter of minutes as every item has its home. It became easy to put things away after we’ve used them. But discipline is still needed. No magic involved here, I’m afraid. But don’t worry, temporary clutter – that only exists because you haven’t returned items to their space – is not a rebound. If you follow the KonMari Method and utilize what you learn, clutter won’t accumulate again. This is what Marie Kondo promises and what I can confirm too.
Would I Recommend Marie Kondo’s Method?
Yes. Especially if you’re a self-reflective person. Then you most likely profit from the decluttering process and lessons learned. Tidying up your home a la Marie Kondo is definitely a great opportunity to find out what really matters to you. Moreover, you’ll get the chance to create an environment that supports you and your preferred lifestyle in the best possible way.
About the KonMari Method
In case you’re not familiar with the KonMari Method yet, this post is for you:
And when you’re ready to start your decluttering journey, get my free printable checklist to guide you through and track your progress.
Printable KonMari Decluttering Checklist
Declutter once and for all and create a home, wardrobe, and life that sparks the most joy.
More Tips and Inspirations
If you want to get decluttering off your mental to-do list once and for all, don’t miss my post on how to live a decluttered life. This comprehensive guide explains 5 reasons why it’s worth it to declutter and shows 5 different ways to do so (KonMari plus 4 other decluttering methods). The article also dives deeper into decluttering specific areas like your personal belongings, home, and workplace. And I added tips on how to deal with mental clutter and which new habits can help maintain a decluttered life over the long run.
These posts take a closer look at a specific category (and go beyond the KonMari Method):
- Wardrobe Decluttering a la Marie Kondo: Pros and Cons
- How to Declutter and Reduce Paperwork to a Minimum
I’ve also summarized my most important lessons learned decluttering my wardrobe:
In case your digital life needs some attention too, these posts can help:
- How to Declutter and Enrich Your Social Media Life
- How to Declutter Your Inbox and Reduce Email Stress
- Declutter and Better Organize Digital Files in 5 Steps
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Have you decluttered your home according to the KonMari Method? What are your biggest learnings? Share them in the comments below and help other readers, too.
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