Tidying Up – 15 things I’ve learned from using the KonMari method

Tara Hodgson
Mar 19, 2019
7 min read

Last month I wrote about the KonMari method , so, I thought I’d revisit that to share what I’ve learned by using it. I’ll admit my room has been a bit messy since I started (Birthday presents from other people and those to myself kind of took over a bit), but after another tidying spree I’m feeling good about myself, positive and ready to share these with you!

1) It’s okay to tidy up in any order that you want to

I did sentimental items earlier than suggested (before books and papers) because I needed the comfort. While I was in the middle of KonMari-ing my bedroom there was a few unavoidable life-things that made me more sentimental and nostalgic. I was already looking at the items I had in my room that meant the world to me, that reminded me of people I loved and of happy memories. Once I was done with this I started to thank some items for how helpful they had been in the past, but I realised I didn’t need them in quite the same way anymore. They’ve led the way and new things have taken their place and that’s okay.

2) You don’t have to do everything at once.

Tidying up my things has been an ongoing project since August and after I discovered Marie Kondo properly it’s gone so much faster. When I first decided to clear out my room I went through all of my books, putting them on the floor of my bedroom, picking them up and then deciding which I wanted to keep. Without realising it I was using the KonMari method to help me. That was one of the first steps in decluttering, then I moved onto clearing everything out of my cupboard, then under my bed and so on. I did it by location, not realising there was any other way to do this since it had always been “tidy the desk” or “tidy your floor” before.

After I’d done this in preparation for starting university I felt amazing. But, the clean room with everything just-so hadn’t stuck, as soon as the term properly began it was a tip again. I had more papers than I knew what to do with and the books were a mess again. It will take time, and as soon as you finish one category it may start to build up but that’s okay. Take your time, go through it slowly and then the second time you can do it in less time.

3) You will hit blocks and that’s fine

As anyone who has tried to write an essay knows, sometimes the words just won’t come, other times you will read the same sentence a hundred times and not understand a word. It’s the same with tidying – sometimes you have days or moments when you can’t bring yourself to get up and go through things and sometimes you can push through it, others you can’t. Take a break, go do something fun and re-charging and come back to it later.

4) Make the most of the “I want to tidy everything and clean everything” days

Following on from the last point… I have days where I want to clean my entire room and go through everything and re-organise and not stop until it’s all perfect. I know it won’t play out exactly like that but that’s motivation! That’s what you need to get started sometimes and make a dent and you can do it.

5) There are things you will get rid of and then regret a week later. It’s completely fine, it doesn’t mean you failed.

I gave away sticky notes, got rid of old t-shirts, threw out a ruler and then needed them the week after. But, that’s alright. It isn’t that I failed to know what I would need, it’s that the things I needed them for were unexpected. Why would I need those sticky notes when I have hundreds (stationary brings me a lot of joy), why would I need that tank top I rarely wear when I have others in my drawer and so on. Sometimes these things just sneak up on you. But, now I’ve bought better sticky notes, got a new t-shirt and bought a new ruler. Everything is right with the world

6) Folding clothes the KonMari way does get easier over time

At first I was a mess. Uneven edges, everything would fall apart and it took me around 5 minutes to do one t-shirt. Now I’m doing it faster and faster each time, still using my bed as a base to fold on because I’m nowhere near good enough at doing it the way Marie Kondo does. My clothes stand upright, they look neat and all pack away nicely.

7) Even things you wouldn’t think it for have some emotions attached to them

I didn’t realise how much certain pens held. I have pens in my drawer from secondary school- I remember using them every lesson, loving the way they wrote, or writing out cards and poems and letters with them. I have fineliners (that still work somehow) from doing my Product Design coursework. I struggled to get rid of the things that didn’t work because of these memories at first. It took me a while to get comfortable.

It’s a small change in attitude that makes a world of difference.

8) You don’t need to new things to declutter your space

Instead of going out and buying new storage units I just used what I had around. An old box for storing CDs now stores scraps of fabric, dividers from a storage unit are now in my desk for my memory sticks and wires. I have the same amount of space as before, just now it’s used better

9) Everything has a place it lives in, and knowing it’s there will give you joy

What I mean by this is that I don’t have to spend half an hour setting up to study anymore because I’m running around my room trying to find everything I need. It’s there where I need it to be. Things relating to my desk are on or near it and that’s the same for most of my room. The one exception is crafting supplies being split across two places (wardrobe and cupboard) but that’s more relating to the type of crafting they are. Materials for re-enactment get stored under my bed but the stuff that goes with them (wool thread, authentic needles, authentic embroidery frame) are in the wardrobe to separate them from the inauthentic things I have. I tried to keep them together but I found it took more sorting through to find anything than it does like this.

10) Visualising before you do something will help you succeed

This is something you can apply to anything! Before your tidying journey begins you visualise what you want your home to be like, and why. Now, think about your essays- visualise what you want to write, why and how you are going to do this. It suddenly becomes less of a chore.

11) It’s better to focus on what you have, than what you haven’t got

This comes from how discarding things is done in the KonMari method; instead of trying to get rid of things and feeling ashamed for how much you’re struggling to let go of, you work on what you want to keep. It’s a small change in attitude that makes a world of difference.

So, I may not have the finest paper and pens according to the studyblr/bujo community, but I have a really great notebook and so many awesome sticky notes I can use and that’s great!

12) Thanking things may feel a bit strange at first, but it quickly becomes a joy giving habit

The very first time I was discarding a piece of clothing I felt so silly standing there in my room, holding the trousers and saying “thank you” out loud before putting them in the bag. Now I thank my books for helping me through that assignment and I say that I hope they can give that joy to someone else as I put them in a box to donate or sell. You see the positives, what you’ve accomplished and what other people can gain from these things you discard.

13) Change is scary, but trying to keep positive will help make that mountain more manageable

I’d had things in my room or drawer for years and over time it became easy to look past them, to just know that they were there and that was okay. Except it was space for things I didn’t need or use and getting rid of them was scary to me because they had been there for years and what if I finally needed them this year. The answer? I could go out and buy it again. I thanked the items for what they had given me in the past, and now the space they were giving me by going somewhere else.

14) Be silly!

It’s not all a serious task. I did some cleaning this morning with a pirate hat on my head and a scarf tied around my waist, pretending I was a pirate. I’m 22. And it was the best laugh I’ve had while cleaning by myself. Every time I caught myself in the mirror while I was walking past I was laughing because I looked ridiculous.

15) Not everything has to be life changing to be worthwhile

Sometimes it’s the little things that make the difference. Having a little box to put the wire for my drawing tablet in my desk wasn’t something that would revolutionise every day life for me, but now when I open that drawer I’m smiling, and when I want to use my tablet I can just pick the cable up. It’s a little thing but worthwhile.