Marie Kondo's magic cleaning. The Konmari Method: Marie Kondo's Magical Tidying Up. Ruthlessly dispose of documents
“There is no better way to understand yourself than to do a thorough cleaning of your home...”I first read Marie Kondo’s famous book “The Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Organizing Your Home and Life” in 2015, when I was pregnant with little Eva. At the time, this book had absolutely no motivating effect on me. I just laughed a little at the principles that Konmari offered for deep cleaning your home.
"...we take and throw away 2/3 of the property. We have intimate conversations with the remaining third, throw away those who are arrogantly silent and arguing. We roll up everything that remains and put it in shoe boxes. Profit!" ()
Now, no matter how you look at it, putting things in order in the life of a working mother should begin with solving everyday everyday problems. For example, you need to determine and maintain a necessary and sufficient level of cleanliness of the space in the house. To date, I have already done a lot of work on my home. I still have some difficulties maintaining an optimal level of order.
In my opinion, Marie Kondo has an amazing talent for putting things in order in homes, but at the same time sowing chaos and confusion in the minds of her readers. The benefits of practical (and sometimes very practical!) tips on cleaning are intricately mixed here with attempts to devalue and manipulate the feelings of their readers.
“Marie Kondo, I think, is a great fellow. Her obsession with cleaning could have turned into a full-fledged neurosis, but it turned out to be a calling” ()
In my review of Marie Kondo’s book “The Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Organizing Your Home and Life,” I will try to separate the benefits of this theory from its outright harm.
The benefits of magical cleaning according to Marie Kondo's method
Tips that really work
- disassemble not a separate room, but a separate category of things;
- store all things by category;
- things should be stored where it would be more convenient not to take them out, but to return them to their place.
For me, the third point of the above program turned out to be the most difficult. Organizing storage in the bathroom and kitchen turned out to be the easiest, but living rooms are much more difficult. If something already has its place, then I put this thing in its place automatically. If for some thing its place has not yet been determined, then this thing begins to wander aimlessly throughout the house. And it turns out that all my current clutter consists of things with an indeterminate storage location. And I haven’t figured out how to deal with this yet.
The harm (and nonsense) of the KonMari theory
The philosophy of joy that you shouldn’t bother yourself with
First, let's talk about the dangers of the KonMari theory. Here the situation is similar with (Marina Komissarova). Marie Kondo claims that none of her clients have ever complained about her work.
“Although my clients regretted throwing away specific items, they never complained afterward.”
In the academic environment with its “peer review” system, there is an interesting observation
If you have never been complained about your work, you have never been reprimanded, you have never been criticized, then this means
- a) your work is unknown to anyone, no one knows about it;
- b) your work is not interesting to anyone and no one pays attention to it;
- c) the work was done so unprofessionally that criticizing it would be a pointless and thankless task; it’s easier to ignore it (see answer b);
- d) there is criticism of the work, it’s just that the author stubbornly refuses to hear it.
“When I get clients to sort through their belongings and get rid of unnecessary things, I don’t stop halfway.”
“When we really get to the bottom of why we can’t part with something...”
"There aren't that many truly important events..."
By the end of the book, KonMari transforms from a cleaning and space organization specialist into a personal growth guru. And instead of teaching her readers how to roll socks from socks, she begins to teach us about life.
“We need to treasure not memories, but the person we have become as a result of past experiences.”
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Difficult steps on the path to minimalism
Angela Buttolph, style expert, author of articles and the best-selling book "The World's Most Famous Wardrobe: The Style of Kate Moss," was as impressed as we and many of you by Marie Kondo's revolutionary approach to decluttering and shared her experience of living in throughout the year using the KonMari method in a column for telegraph.co.uk.
ItWorked studied her experience and brings you the most interesting conclusions from the minimalist experiment.
Beginning of the experiment
When guests come to Angela’s country house, their first impression is always: “This is a minimalist paradise. Where are all the things?” And all because Angela is obsessed with decluttering and Last year got rid of more than half of her property.
Angela Buttolph
The impetus for updating her life format was Marie Kondo’s acclaimed bestseller “The Magic of Tidying Up. The Japanese Art of Organizing Your Home and Life,” which sold more than 3 million copies and made its author part of Time magazine’s list of the TOP 100 most influential people in the world in 2015.
And if you read it, you probably also thought about how decluttering will attract good luck and radically change your lifestyle. Well, then, most likely, they just put it on the shelf.
But this is not about Angela. It took her a year of stress, discomfort, doubt, carrying heavy loads and indefatigable determination to implement the essence of the KonMari method into her life.
“From the very first pages of the book, I became an ardent adherent of the KonMari method. I stayed at home with my child and hated my surroundings. So Marie's promise that getting my house in order would have a positive impact on all other aspects of my life - including work - sent me into a state of ecstasy."
Angela liked the KonMari method with its geometrically folded clothes, vertically stored clothes, thanks to which she could see all her things at once. She wanted fewer things, and only those, as the author of the method insists, that bring joy. She started on January 1, 2015 and never looked back.
Implemented rules
One of Marie's rules is to declutter one category at a time. But the author is a tidying pro who never balls up his socks because “socks should have time to rest.”
And Angela is a working mother with a chaotic work-life balance without a car and the wife of a graphic designer who doesn’t throw anything away and considers it appropriate to display packaging of various cleaning products on a bookshelf because it “inspires” him.
But she managed to adopt the method, and this is how she did it.
1. Get rid of unnecessary clothes
Clothes from mass-produced brands and children's clothing were sold to a Facebook friend who sold clothes on eBay, keeping 25% of the sale for herself. ( approx. ed. - in UkraineThere are also similar sites, for example,brand- fashion. com. ua, and for 10-15% of the sale there are people who will sell your things forolxand other sites, the rest can be donated to the Laska charity store).
Gradual decluttering freed up space and brought in cash injections throughout the year.
When you buy a branded item, you then have to squeeze a lot, and from its sale you get a pittance. Therefore, Angela decided for herself: “It is better to be a buyer of designer second-hand clothing than its seller.”
2. Find a friend for support
But it’s worth noting right away that a life partner is not suitable for this. The amount of things you plan to get rid of may come as a shock to him/her.
So Angela chose best friend, whose twin boys are her daughter’s age, and whose basement is filled with things her children have long since outgrown. They exchanged text messages in the style: “Today I took 5 bags to a charity store. Congratulate me!”, and rejoiced at the transformation of the closets, in which vertical order now reigned.
“Start living according to the system of “gained one thing, got rid of one thing.” This The best way stop accumulating things. Don't you really love that thing that you have to get rid of by buying another one? For example, I now have 6 T-shirts, and it will remain that way.”
Previously, Angela spent a lot of time and stress cleaning, but now every thing has its own place, and there are so few of them that regular cleaning goes as quickly as possible.
When things are scarce, you stop always looking for something. It’s amazing how many things you can live without, Angela concluded.
3. Keep only what you really use
One day a rat got into Angela's house. While searching for the rodent, she and her husband were forced to move furniture in the kitchen.
As a result, they decided that a toaster is not needed - a grill replaces it perfectly, and a kettle too - a coffee machine can completely replace it. Now they have one pot and one frying pan. And they get by just fine with this set. And if a year ago there were 25 boxes with things in the attic, now there are only... the most necessary New Year's toys.
Read also :
Angela considers the fact that they do not have a box for small items to be her personal achievement. All things are organized, everything you need is in boxes. They don't have a drawer with unidentified cables, each gadget has its own Charger, which is stored in a box. And yes, Angela is happy about this.
“Over time, it became more difficult to think of what else needed to get rid of. It seemed to me that I was living in an interior from a glossy magazine and lazily asking myself from time to time if I was tired of this wooden spoon or if this item sparked joy - this is the main idea of cleaning using the KonMari method."
The fewer things you have, the easier it is to recognize those that you haven’t used for several years or that you no longer like.
4. Involve other family members
In the first six months of decluttering, the only thing Angela’s husband did was take things out of the “disposal” pile with the question: “Don’t we already need this?” or, even worse, put them in place.
But in the end, he too succumbed to the KonMari method, declaring in July that he was ready to reconsider his wardrobe of more than 500 items.
“For the daughter and for all other family members, the rule “one gift per holiday” was introduced. A categorical ban was imposed on soft toys. And in next year We will generally switch to gifts and impressions"
They stopped going to toy stores. As Angela explains, her daughter visits, goes to kindergarten, and has no shortage of toys.
“We made the only exception for books - we buy a lot and use the library. We must have at least some kind of whim.”
5. Set a deadline
Marie Kondo recommends setting a deadline in her book. Angela set December 31st for herself. What could be sold was sold, the rest went to charity shops. Often the second is preferable to the first. If you consider how much money you will receive and how much time you will have to spend on the sale.
It is done.
“You will definitely have bouts of regret about what you have done. At some point I decided that I would no longer waste my time straightening my hair. And when my girlfriends and I got ready for a party, I was furious when I didn’t find a single iron. I was very sorry. But, you know what? This year has taught me that things are not that important in our lives. And this is the most important lesson of all."
“Sparks of joy. Simple happy life surrounded by your favorite things"
Real life begins only after you put your house in order. Marie Kondo, the world-famous Japanese tidying consultant and author of the absolute bestseller “The Magic of Tidying Up,” presents her second book.
Offers step by step instructions in pictures: how to fold clothes, how to organize things in closets and chests of drawers, and how to feel the joys of life surrounded by your favorite people and things.
“Hygge, or Cozy Happiness in Danish. How I spoiled myself with “snails” for a whole year, dined by candlelight and read on the windowsill.”
How do the most people live in a country with such bad weather and exorbitant taxes? happy people on the planet? Having moved to Denmark, journalist Helen Russell decided to find out: how to properly practice hygge (whatever that word means); how to eat buns without gaining weight (and without paying for other pleasures too); how to become happy in Danish style (even if you were born on the other side of the world).
"French wife. The art of turning routine into celebration"
Any little things and worries that have become routine can be made exciting and attractive. Jennifer L. Scott, author of the international bestseller Lessons from Madame Chic, reveals the secrets to a happy, stylish, and enjoyable home life, no matter how busy your schedule or tight budget.
“Project Happiness. Dreams. Plan. New life"
Gretchen Rubin offers a step-by-step plan for finding happiness. With small daily changes, you will learn how to use your time more effectively, get rid of anxiety and dissatisfaction with yourself, become a better wife, mother, friend and colleague, and achieve everything that you consider important and necessary for happiness.
Preface
The KonMari method is simple. It's witty and effective method defeat clutter forever. Start by getting rid of trash. Then organize your space—thoroughly, completely, one at a time. If you adopt this strategy, you will never go back to clutter again.
Although this approach goes against conventional wisdom, anyone who fully implements the KonMari method has had success keeping their home tidy—with unexpected results. Getting your home in order has a positive impact on all other aspects of your life - including work and family. Having devoted more than 80 percent of my life to this topic, I I know that cleaning can transform your life too.
Do you still think it sounds too good to be true? If your idea of tidying up is getting rid of one unnecessary item a day or tidying up your room little by little, then you're right. This is unlikely to have any serious impact on your life. However, if you change your approach, cleaning can have a truly immeasurable impact. In essence, this means getting your house in order.
I've been reading housewife magazines since I was five years old, and that's what inspired me to get serious about finding the perfect way to clean when I was fifteen. Which, in turn, led to the creation of the KonMari Method (KonMari is my pseudonym, made up of the first syllable of my last and first names). Now I have become a consultant and spend most of my time visiting homes and offices, giving practical advice people who find cleaning difficult, who clean but suffer from the effects reverse action or who want to start cleaning but don't know where to start.
When you put your house in order, you put your life in order.
The number of items thrown away by my clients - from clothing and lingerie to photographs, pens, magazine clippings and trial cosmetics - has probably already exceeded a million items. This is not an exaggeration. I happened to help individual clients who threw out two hundred 45-liter bags of garbage at a time.
As a result of my research into the art of organization and my extensive experience helping disorganized people want to become cleaners, there is one belief that I can say with absolute certainty: a major reorganization of the home brings about an equally significant change in lifestyle and outlook. She transforms life. I am not kidding. Here are just a few of the testimonies I receive daily from former clients.
“After finishing your courses, I left my job, opened own business and now I’m doing what I’ve dreamed of doing since I was a child.”
“Your course helped me understand what I really need and what I don’t. So I filed for divorce. Now I feel much happier."
“I was recently contacted by someone I’ve been wanting to meet for a long time.”
“I’m happy to say that after I cleaned out my apartment, I was able to significantly increase my sales.”
“There was a much greater understanding between me and my husband.”
“I was amazed to find that by throwing away some things, I changed in many ways.”
“I finally managed to lose three kilograms.”
My clients are beaming with happiness and the results show that cleaning has changed the way they think and approach life. In essence, she changed their future. Why? A more detailed answer to this question is given throughout the book; but, in a nutshell, by putting his house in order, a person puts his affairs and his past in order. As a result, he quite clearly understands what he needs in life and what he doesn’t need, what he should do and what he shouldn’t.
I currently offer classes to clients in their homes and to business owners in their offices. These are all private lessons, taking place one-on-one with the client, but there is no end to those interested. My waiting list is currently three months long and I receive inquiries daily from people who have been recommended to me by past clients or who have heard about my course from someone else. I travel all over Japan from end to end, and sometimes I go abroad. One of my public lectures for housewives and mothers was completely sold out in one evening. Not only was a waiting list drawn up in case of refusal of classes, but also a list of those who simply wanted to get on the waiting list. However, the number of repeated requests to me is zero. From a business perspective, this may seem like a fatal flaw. But what if the lack of repeat requests is actually the secret to the effectiveness of my approach?
Almost each of us knows what it means to live in a cluttered, untidy apartment. Housekeeping expert Marie Kondo knows how to once and for all bring order to your home and, at the same time, to your life.
You can listen to this article in full on our podcast:
The Japanese woman in her homeland is considered a real sorceress, and for good reason: she comes to other people’s houses and completely clears them of piles of unnecessary things, and then beautifully and neatly puts everything that remains in its place.
Cleaning has been her passion since early childhood. Even then, she wanted to learn how to organize space ideally. When other girls played with dolls, she read housewife magazines. Her many years of experience have paid off.
Today, Marie Kondo's art of cleaning is recognized as the most effective in the world. The 33-year-old girl receives calls from all over the globe.
People on the other end of the line are begging to come to them and sort out all the chaos that their homes have become.
The KonMari method (alias Kondo) is best tips for everyone who would like to feel organized, active and cheerful.
The main secret of cleanliness and tidiness
The basic principle outlined in The Magical Tidying Up is incredibly simple. So much so that you may not believe its effectiveness at first. And this principle goes like this: keep only what brings you joy.
Surrounding yourself with everything that brings pleasure has a beneficial effect on a person’s well-being. This is why people who follow Marie Kondo's Japanese cleaning method seem to be reborn.
Folding KonMari
When you have given up clothes that you will never wear, the question arises: how to properly store the remaining, favorite things?
Very often people push everything they have into a closet, arranging a mama massacre there. And now it seems that there is no free space. In fact, this is an illusion, you just don’t know what to do.
A Japanese woman shares a secret: stack all your things vertically. Marie Kondo's vertical cleaning technique is very popular today, because it solves all problems with the arrangement of clothes.
And it's not just about saving space. Stacked tops and sweaters wrinkle much more because they are under the pressure of their fellow sufferers lying on top.
How to fold clothes correctly? Like this:
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As a result, you will end up with a wardrobe like this:
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There are some types of clothing that need to be hung on hangers. These are blouses, dresses, skirts, trousers, jackets and outerwear (jackets, coats, fur coats).
They should be placed in the closet depending on the weight of the material from which the item is made. That is, we must move from a heavy coat to the right to a thin blouse.
How to organize your closet space
Marie Kondo's cleaning technique suggests that you don't put seasonal clothes in boxes or on the top shelves of closets. We are all accustomed to pushing away warm sweaters and jackets in the summer, and shorts and thin tops in the winter.
However, in modern world When all rooms are heated, T-shirts, for example, can be worn during cold seasons.
"Magic Cleaning" (film):
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How to parse documents
Things are more complicated with documents than with everything that brings joy. You just have to store them. Divide papers into two types: those that require quick reference and those that are almost never taken out of the drawer.
The first type of documents is usually used in professional purposes(work contracts, questionnaires, petitions, written speeches). The second type includes your policies, certificates, certificates, warranty cards, checks.
Since official or other important documents must always be at hand, make a vertical organizer for them and put them there.
Place the remaining documents that you do not use in one file or in one folder and put them away on the table.
If you are a student and out of habit collect all the papers that are left over after seminars, our advice to you is to throw them away unless you really need them.
Handouts are also not worthy of collecting dust in drawers for years. The same goes for instructions for household and other appliances. They are automatically saved, but almost never read.
What to do with all sorts of things? I have her darkness!
What falls under the “miscellaneous” category is a different story. It’s scary to imagine what is not stored in our countless boxes, chests and bags.
But this too is subject to careful verification. What do you need to part with without any doubt?
Throw away:
- unnecessary gifts from relatives and friends;
- packaging for equipment and gadgets;
- cords of unknown purpose;
- spare buttons (if you want to keep them, sew them to your clothes);
- broken equipment, used products;
- linens for guests who never come;
- samples offered in hotels and stores;
- massagers, waist correctors and everything you don’t use;
- free pens, napkins and other little things that were given for nothing.
Memorabilia requires special care. Listen to your heart: is this or that photo connected with a pleasant period in your life, or would you rather forget it?
Do old school notebooks and children's diaries make you smile? If yes, store these items. But there is no need to leave something “just like that.”
Another place where junk tends to accumulate is in your bag. Don't forget to unload it after every trip outside. Also check the pockets of jackets and jeans, do not collect garbage there.
The Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Why does the KonMari method work so flawlessly? Because it forces us, first of all, to comprehend our life, to understand what exactly we need in order to be satisfied with ourselves.
The delight a client feels after tidying up is what Kondo calls the “click point.” This is the moment when it is clear: you are satisfied with everything, you now like everything.
The most important thing, from the point of view of a smart Japanese woman, is to be able to listen to her intuition. Marie Kondo's cleaning system is very flexible, because it is tailored to the personal needs of each of us.
There are no “musts” in selecting and sorting things, it all depends on your preferences.
When you begin to honestly “communicate” with your material possessions, they will also honestly answer you: “you don’t need me” or “you need me.” This is the very magic for which Marie was nicknamed the sorceress.
“The Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo: reviews
The reaction from KonMari customers is amazing. When their homes are in order, they begin to feel both internal and physical strength. They think they can do anything. Here are some of these amazing reviews:
“I was in love with a man for many years, but I couldn’t admit it to him. After cleaning with Marie, I realized that I would make up my mind. I approached him and said that I was not indifferent to him. I burst into tears when I found out that he had loved me for a long time.”
“We have a large family, and the children often quarrel, and I can’t stand it, I yell at them. It may seem strange, but getting the rooms back to normal did something to us. We became more collected and began to listen to our words.”
“I work for a large company and I don’t have time for everyday life. I turned to a professional for advice and was right. It only took one hour for my apartment to completely change. Now it’s nice for me to return there after a hard day’s work. I know that this feeling will not leave me - because I will never again accumulate unnecessary junk. Marie Kondo's tidying principles really work."
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“The Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo: download
After reading our article, you probably became eager to find the book itself. We understand you, it's worth it. However, you need to understand that such knowledge is not given away for free.
The hardworking Japanese woman has been working on honing her skills since early childhood, and her advice really means a lot. In the afterword, the author mentions all the people who helped her create the book.
In addition, she writes: I pray that my advice will help as much as possible more of people .
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“The Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo: buy the book
Therefore, we suggest that you do not download the book for free, but buy it. Considering the impact it is likely to have on your destiny, its price can be considered almost symbolic.
We recommend purchasing the publication in the liters store - if you prefer to read on electronic media– or on the Ozone website, if you like paper binding.
To enlarge the picture, click on it
Marie Kondo's The Magic of Tidying Up: Audiobook
For car enthusiasts and just audiophiles, we suggest listening to the book in its entirety. It will take you two and a half hours. A pleasant feminine timbre and leisurely speech contribute to good assimilation of information.
Listen to the best-selling book about Japanese tidying up:
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Japanese cleaning Marie Kondo
Some readers of the book comment that it is too Japanese. The main thing that catches your eye is the great concern of the Japanese about completely cluttering their homes.
If you don't know what communal issue in the land of the rising sun it is most acute, this may seem unusual. Japan has very small apartments.
For example, a room area of 10 square meters is considered acceptable (and there are also 6 square meters). It is therefore understandable why with such dimensions it is difficult to create at least some semblance of livability.
Based on space savings, Marie suggests, for example, putting some bags in others. We do not agree with this idea, since such capricious accessories need to “breathe”.
A dented bag is very difficult to return to normal. Although, if you rent a room in a dorm, this option will suit you.
Image from the photographer's website www.wonkimphotography.com
Magic cleaning in Russian
This guide to cleaning and organizing your life essentially follows Feng Shui, which came to Japan from China. The main principle of Feng Shui is attracting good luck.
The more natural and simple your home looks, the easier problems will be to solve.
Perhaps this approach looks too fabulous for a Russian. But the Japanese, as we understand, do not live so sweetly.
Even under these conditions, you can find energy for optimism. And we, such eternally dissatisfied Russians, could listen to these words.
The contemplative mood of the Japanese woman is a good innovation for us. The ability to pay close attention to details, surrounding yourself with silence (remember: do not listen to music while cleaning) - all this is the basis of the KonMari method.
And since her work became a bestseller, then... You understand. So there must be something in this.
Read good literature and stay with the Guardian of Purity.
