You may be reading a lot about Marie Kondo and whether something “sparks joy” in your social media news feeds. The petite Japanese is currently the talk of the town because of her revolutionary philosophy on tidying up and decluttering. “The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life,” she wrote in her bestseller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.
Live a more comfortable life in 2019 by applying the KonMari method in organizing your rented condo space. Here are 10 tidying tips for you.
1: Living in the present moment
The first thing you must understand about the KonMari method is that it teaches mindfulness or the state of active attention on the present. It asks you to let go of items in your home that do not bring joy and keep only those you presently need or want. So when you start choosing which goes to the donation box, you should keep in mind Ms. Kondo’s words: “The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past.”
2: Tidy up your home by categories
Typically, we clean up our house by going through each room. This does not give you a clear picture of how many items you have in your space, thus making it hard to declutter. In Marie Kondo’s Netflix documentary, the homeowners were visibly surprised to see the massive items they have accumulated over the years.
Tidy up your home by categories: clothes, books, papers, komono ( miscellaneous items), and sentimental items.
3: Toss or keep? Organize your wardrobe
How do you use the KonMari method on clothes? Gather all your clothes, including shoes, bags, and accessories, into a pile. You should be able to create a mountain of clothing. Touch each item – feel the fabric, if you must – and decide whether it sparks joy in you. Remember that it is not about how many items you discard, but to make sure the things you own make you happy.
“Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset your life and embark on a new lifestyle,” according to Ms. Kondo. Before tossing away the unwanted items, make sure you thank them for their services.
4: Maximize space with KonMari folding tips
The KonMari folding technique is perfect for tight homes. It maximizes every square foot in your DMCI Homes condo space. Instead of stacking up folded clothes, you can stand the clothes upright in boxes. This makes each item easier to reach. Here is a step-by-step procedure to fold t-shirts:
- Lay the shirt flat on a surface;
- Fold in the right side with the sleeve flat, then fold it back halfway;
- Repeat #2 with the left side sleeve to create a rectangle;
- Fold in the neckline about an inch from the hem;
- Fold halfway and in half.
- Stand the tees upright in a drawer or box.
To watch Ms. Kondo demonstrate her smart folding techniques, check out this video.
5: Prepare a decluttering guide
The KonMari checklist is a guide that can aid you in deciding what to keep and what to toss. The checklist should have major categories: clothes, books, papers, komono, and sentimental items. You are free to list down specific items under each category. You can indicate sub-categories for komono such as the following:
- Electronics
- Office supplies
- Health and beauty
- Money
- Pets
- Tools and utility
Feel free to add as many komono sub-categories as you may need. Here is a KonMari checklist sample for your reference.
6: Walk down memory lane with sentimental items
Decluttering your home offers a lot of benefits including achieving a state of mind centered on simple living. But how can you reduce the number of items in your home if you keep boxes of items that carry emotional value? Ponder on Ms. Kondo’s wise words: “No matter how wonderful things used to be, we cannot live in the past. The joy and excitement we feel here and now are more important.”
How to organize sentimental items? Pile up all the items under this category and go through them one by one to determine what sparks joy and what does not. This activity is more like a walk down memory lane, reminding you of the good things in the past, and your blessings in the present.
7: Downsizing your library? Your choice.
Marie Kondo’s view of downsizing home libraries caused quite the reaction on social media. In her Netflix show, she suggests tossing unread and neglected books. Limiting your books to 30 is advisable. However, Vancouver-based author Anakana Schofield begged to differ. “Categorically, I think getting rid of books that don’t spark joy is complete nonsense… The terms of art and literature are not the terms of self-help and tidying up. Does this book spark a question is a better metric,” she said in an interview. If all the books in your shelves spark joy in you, then keep them. The KonMari method is not about the number of items you discard, but whether those you keep have real value to you.
8: Purge or pile the papers in your space
Check your drawers. It is likely that you still have the electric bills from two years ago. Papers accumulate fast without you noticing. The KonMari method shares a simple way of tackling the piles of bills, flyers, and notes in your condo home.
First, gather all of your papers excluding the sentimental ones. Second, organize each into three categories: pending, important and miscellaneous. You can make your own categories such as those you need in the short-term, including tax documents, and those that you have to keep like contracts and titles of properties. Next, go through each one and choose which to toss and which to keep. The last step is to label and file the remaining papers in folders or boxes.
9: Repurpose old boxes for storage
It is a must to have adequate storage in your condo home. Since space is limited compared to typical houses, you need to be smart in organizing your stuff. Ms. Kondo recommends using small boxes for socks, ties, underwear, and others inside drawers. You can also do this for your shirts and pants. Repurpose old shoe boxes. You can store a bag inside another bag, or fold totes and keep them in boxes. Use phone boxes for small items such as tea bags, measuring spoons, and batteries. Your plastic storage containers are not only for food items – but you can also use them to keep craft items, cosmetics, and toys.
10: Stay consistent
After you KonMari your condo space, what now? Tidying up should not be a one-time thing, like spring cleaning. “Tidy a little a day and you’ll be tidying forever,” according to Ms. Kondo. Before logging into your favorite shopping site, check your wardrobe whether you really need a new jacket. Discard items as soon as these provided their purpose and no longer hold value to you. Learn Marie Kondo’s tips by heart and make decluttering a part of you.
Condo living is simple living. The limited space allows you to adopt minimalism that focuses on living a meaningful life not of material abundance, but of things that truly bring you happiness. To quote our well-loved tidying guru: “Now imagine yourself living in a space that contains only things that spark joy. Isn’t this the lifestyle you dream of?”
