My headline is mildly misleading. I have two and a half pair of pants, two that I don’t hate and one that I do hate but I’ve dragged out of the “goodwill pile” three times now in desperation.
See the Konmari Method basically works like this: category by category, you pull out all items in that category, physically hold each item and if it doesn’t “spark joy” then it has no place in your life and away it goes. The end result is you living in a completely decluttered home where everything around you sparks joy. Sounds amazing, right? It’s work but if you have a chunk of time, it’s insanely rewarding.
The first category is clothes, so in theory, you pile every item of clothing on your bed, pick each item up, decide if it sparks joy, and use that answer to decide if it goes back in the closet, in the giveaway pile or in the trash. Pull everything out of the closet, empty the dresser, run to the coat closet and grab those too. If it’s an article of clothing, it’s in. (Pro tip: granny panties do not spark joy and I don’t even miss them a single week of the month) The first time I did this, I ended up donating 4 bags of clothes and I’m not a clothes person! You honestly can’t imagine how much you have until it’s all right there in front of your face. Last week I did what I’m calling a mini-Konmari, if that’s even possible. I opened my closet and just started grabbing things off hangers, proclaiming, “Nope, nope, nope,” and when the dust settled, I was left with one pair of black jeans and one pair of black slacks, with a pair of too-big grey slacks on the top of the Goodwill bag. Obviously this is forcing me to do laundry every 2 (ok 3) days until I get myself out to buy new pants. I’m not sure if this is better or worse than getting dressed in clothes I don’t feel pretty in every day. I will be much happier after a small shopping trip.
The categories, and you’re supposed to do them in order, are:
- Clothing
- Books
- Papers
- Office/Living Room
- Kitchen
- Pantry
- Household Supplies
- Tools
- Bathroom
- Furniture/Décor
- Memorabilia
As you can plainly see, it’s very different from the Flylady baby steps. The Flylady system is set up for those who need to build routines and slowly rewire their thinking. The Konmari Method is for when you’ve just had enough and need results NOW! Both are effective systems but they’re geared towards different mindsets. It’s up to the user to determine which method works best for their personality. Can you take all of your clothes out without getting overwhelmed and distracted? If so, try to declutter them the Konmari way. If not, then stick to the Flylady method and only take out what you can put back in an hour. Now that you have an idea of how they both work, you can decide which fits you. I, personally, have used both on different occasions, depending on what my mood was and my end goals were.
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