Yesterday I shared the Konmari decluttering method with you and the results of my using that method to declutter my clothing. (Read that post here.) Today I’m sharing the final results of my Konmari vs. 10 Minutes a Day Decluttering test.
For the next part of my decluttering test I chose to declutter my books — the second category of the Konmari method. For this part of the test I chose to take one bookshelf at a time using my 10 Minutes a Day Decluttering method but asking myself the Konmari question of whether or not the book brought me joy.
I started with the top shelf and touched each book noticing how I felt about it. In just ten minutes I was able to go through two shelves and discard 22 books. I LOVE having an entire shelf empty now! (I will be moving the books on the top shelf down to the empty shelf but I have to adjust the shelves first.)
I left the photo albums on the bottom shelf until later as Marie Kondo suggests. Sentimental items are the most difficult to part with and she encourages you to really learn what “sparking joy” means with other categories first so that when you work through your sentimental items you are stronger and more able to get rid of items that you might otherwise keep.
I was so motivated by the speed of my progress that I chose to continue with another 10 minute session later that day on the bookshelf that holds our educational books and games. It took me only five minutes to purge two additional shelves giving me a total of 35 items discarded in less than 15 minutes!
Leaving the books on the shelf saved time because I didn’t have to replace the books I wanted to keep and even though I have two shelves left I don’t have a mess on my floor draining me every time I walk past it. I can go back to those remaining shelves when I have time and discard the books that I don’t want to keep.
After reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing and trying the Konmari method I have to say that it is wonderfully freeing and results in many physical, emotional and spiritual benefits. Making the mind shift to keep only those items that bring you joy is a radical, beautiful, life-giving change to the typical way of dealing with our belongings. Asking the question “Does it spark joy?” is an excellent way to cut through all the other thoughts in your head that prevent you from letting go of stuff and will enable you to keep what you truly love and discard the rest that is weighing you down.
There is definitely a benefit to following the Konmari method completely by pulling out all of your belongings in one category and looking at them as a whole. When items are dispersed throughout your house it is difficult to comprehend how much extra you have, but once you see it all together the visual impact of the clutter enables you realize the weight of having so much stuff. Marie says that not one of her clients after using her method ever returns to a life of clutter. That is a bold promise and one that makes completely using her method worthwhile.
I did find that asking the “Does it spark joy?” question using the 10 Minutes a Day method also had benefits (less mess, enabled me to fit decluttering into my busy schedule instead of waiting) although the resulting relief from decluttering my books this way was less dramatic than when I decluttered all of my clothes in one session. I personally find that decluttering in smaller periods of time is more motivational as it breaks through my tendency to procrastinate on bigger jobs. I will most likely continue with my adapted method.
The bottom line is that decluttering your home is essential to living a joyful and peaceful life.
I strongly believe that you should find a method of decluttering and purging that works for your lifestyle and your personality. I suggest using the Konmari method if you can make the time to devote to it, but if hauling all of your stuff out and piling it on the floor seems too overwhelming you can still benefit from using the “sparks joy” question and decluttering in smaller periods of time. Another idea is to complete several 10 minute sessions in one category and then pull the remaining items out to go through them a final time.
Of course Konmari zealots will say that you are not getting the benefit of her method unless you do it completely, but I say perfectionism kills. Making progress one step at a time is better than never starting the decluttering process at all. Use her question as your determining factor and do one small section of your home a day and you will end up in a happier and cleaner home than you have now.
Which method do you plan to use? Leave a comment.
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RESOURCES:
Buy the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing here.
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HI
I found your article interesting. I have been in the process of doing the KonMari method for a couple of weeks now. I admit I follow all of it, but one thing: I do a room or a place in the house – then I go in order of categories. I am not a hoarder or a minimalist (although closer to a minimalist) but taking all my valuable and loved books and putting them in a pile would not work for me.
Clothes I did almost all at once. The exception being coats because they are stored in a different place.
Kitchen is all one thing – but again, sentimental is last.
One has to remember that Marie Kondo came up with this for a small tiny Japanese living place. If you have a larger house you’re going to spend more wasted energy running from room to room and looking for things to fit the categories. Waste of time – just make sure that you don’t stretch the process out too much. Make sure you go into every corner and drawer of your house. Make sure you thank the items and ask yourself honestly about their joy dividend to you. Some of them is simply that you already have the item and won’t have to spend on it again. So you’re not using it much but you keep it because of it’s joy dividend.
The most important is the JOY and the order so sentimental is LAST.
But your 10 minutes a day is an excellent variation. Not my way, I still have done it in large chunks of time but not one big pile from all parts of the house. Smaller piles from specific parts of the house – works perfectly as long as you get honest about the item.
That is a really good point that Marie Kondo devised her plan for Japanese living spaces. I hadn’t thought of that. I am absolutely a proponent of finding what works best for you and it sounds like you have done exactly that CeCe. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Im late on the scene here, but Great post! I read the book about a month ago, and had hubby read it as well. I totally agree with what you said about the spiritual side of the book. What I took from it was that each item does have a history with me, and sometimes just recognising that and realizing that the item had done it’s job, but was no longer useful, was so very freeing for me! I also thank the Lord for the experiences, good or bad, and feel no guilt letting the “thing” go. 🙂 We have a decently large family (6 of us here), so we are slowly working through the Kon Mari process. We are doing whole catagories when we can, but just apply the “does it spark joy” philosophy when decluttering a “space” instead of a “catagory” is necessary. It’s what’s working for us!
Thanks so much for sharing what works for you Christina! I love to hear how others adapt ideas to fit their families and situations.
Thanks for both of your posts, Kimberlee. I’m interested in Konmari because I’ve always been such a decluttering fanatic but more than a few times I’ve discarded something I later needed.
One question: what does Konmari say about decluttering your family’s belongings? For example, how would I cull my 4-year-old’s book collection? Thanks again!
You are very welcome Celeste! I read the book over a year ago but from what I remember you need to let your family members declutter their own belongings. So with your four year old, you could ask her what she would like to keep and then give the rest away. You can talk about how other children can enjoy those books and take her with you to drop them off at the thrift store or a library you are donating to.
In my experience, some children don’t want to get rid of anything. In those instances I remove a few items at a time without making a big deal out of it.
There’s a great book called Simplicity Parenting that really helped me understand what clutter (especially books, toys, and clothing) was really doing to my children. I highly recommend his book and his decluttering principles! I am a homeschooling mother of six, and his book changed our home! He is not a Christian, but I only found a few things in his books that I didn’t want to apply in my Christian home 🙂 Use your own discretion of course, as everyone is different! Hope that helps!
What I will say is that I love the KonMarie method, but too, being a Believer, I believe that my joy comes from the Lord and I pray beforehand. Too, I don’t believe inanimate objects have spirit as well, but I do believe some spark joy and some don’t. Some just stare at you, and you wonder why you even have it to begin with. I get emotionally tied to “things” sometimes, so her method helps me to go through things more quickly and NOT LOOK BACK. Put the discarded in a bag and take to the Salvation Army, period!!!
So when I read the book and think of it in this way and not in the way she does (because of my faith), then it is a great GREAT read!!
I think it is less overwhelming to do it your way WITH the KonMarie way. But when it comes to my kitchen and drawers and such, I will HAVE to put it all on the floor (even if that means cleaning it again) because I KNOW I won’t know how much I have of the same item until I do. Because I have drawers of utensils that I have two, three or even four of. I know I do. My Junk drawers MUST be emptied completely as well.
For me, I’d like to do the full method in ONE room, but I know she recommends not doing that. So, I won’t. I will do what I can when I can following CLOTHES first because, of course, that includes the downstairs closet full of coats and items in the clothing department too.
Then one day in the future, I pray my husband will follow this method and then on to the boys. But for now, working on myself and the home will suffice!
Great points Sherri! You have to find the method that works for you but the important issue is to keep your space organized, which it sounds like you are doing. Great job!
I’m still having trouble picturing applying that question to every single thing in my house. I have a pair of old shoes I keep to use when I’m doing yard work to protect my good shoes that don’t “spark joy” but they are useful. And that’s just the first example that came to mind. I also have scads of glassware that sparks joy for me because I love the beautiful lines of a lovely piece of glass, but I know I have too much because I don’t use it all and don’t have room to store it all. Does the Konmari book address this problem? I DO like the idea of being grateful (to God!!) for each possession and the blessing it has been so that I can feel better about letting it go if I am done with it. I’m truly not trying to be negative; I’m struggling mightily with clutter and feel like I’m losing right now so I need to find some answers that will work for ME and continue to work long-term.
Hi Michelle – That is an excellent question and one that I may answer in more depth in a future post. I am keeping items that don’t “spark joy” necessarily in the sense of making me exceedingly happy but which I need. They “spark joy” because when I need them they are available to use. For example cleaning products don’t make me happy in and of themselves but I am super happy when my bathroom is clean — know what I mean?
It sounds like you know what you need to keep and what you need to get rid of. If you feel like you have too many glasses then give some to a friend who would enjoy them or if they are worth selling, sell some.
You are correct that you need to find a plan that works for you and that will happen as you begin to declutter. Don’t become hung up on doing this “the right way” — simply find what works best for your personality and lifestyle and do it. You will feel so much better!
Michelle, I had another thought. Going through the decluttering process in the order that Marie Kondo suggest will probably help you because you start with those items which are easiest to discard. If you want to try the method I suggest reading the book but here is a free checklist that you can print: http://jershaanddup.com/konmari-checklist-free-printable/.
I had a similar question but as I read your post/question I had an answer. At some point when there is just too much, those items really aren’t bringing you joy. They’re just things. Were I in your shoes with too many of something I would make a plan and stick with it. For instance: for every ONE piece of glassware I keep, I will sell/get rid of TWO items of glassware. I really think these #s would be solely based on how much you actually have. Maybe 1/1 is a better ratio for you or 1/3? I truly believe that if you have 30 pieces and you cut them down to your absolute favorite 10 pieces, you are happier because of less clutter AND these are your top favorite pieces. My mother sounds like you 🙂 only for her it’s craftshow crafts and antiques that she has oodles of! She’s got so many that she stores 1-2 sets of each “decoration area” and switches them out a couple times a year. She’s a great housekeeper so her home always looks clean and picked up. But there’s so much stuff that I fear the day that my sister and I will have to go through it.
Great advice Julie! Thanks!
I think you are right Linda – any step in the direction of decluttering is a good one. You can do it! 🙂
Thank you for these posts! I like how you presented the ideas from the book and combined them with your way of cleaning. The book was tempting for me to purchase, but her background sent up a red flag for me as a Christian. Now I can get the basic understanding of the book without feeling like I’m compromising anything.
Happy to help. 🙂
Why would there be red flags? She is a Japanese woman who has different beliefs. Thank God for your things instead. Make sure to tell Him that you will stop being wasteful. That is what I am doing.
Kate,
It is okay if you do not have red flags over the same issue. It is not that she is a Japanese woman or has different beliefs, it is her background as a shrine maiden and her specific beliefs that cause me to pause and consider if I would like to follow her advice. I was simply thanking Kimberlee for the post.
Thank you for this helpful review of this system! I love how you applied your Christian beliefs to the system, and modified it also with your 10 minutes a day decluttering technique. I will probably get the book and give it a read to solidify the principals and adapt it into my decluttering process (which is currently whenever I get so overwhelmed I can’t stand it anymore – about now!). Thank you so much also for your “flylady-ish” comments about progress not perfection, etc… such great reminders for people who process like we do! 🙂 Appreciate it!
You are very welcome Debbi! 🙂
Ditto! I will pray first, and then more likely use the shorter time periods and not pull everything out — because I could very well get too busy and have to walk around the pile until I can get back to it! If I can really set aside a chunk, I may konmari. Thanks for your perspective!
Glad to help Caro!
Wow! I am so happy to hear that Kristina! Thanks so much for letting me know. 🙂
I think that using both is a wise choice. Asking the question helps a lot, but doing a little bit at a time also prevents you from feeling overwhelmed.
Thank you so much for your advices!
My pleasure Genilze! 🙂
I plan to use both with the phrase “does this bring me joy”. For items I have a lot of: clothing, books, and kitchen items I think the Konmari method is great but will take a large chunk of time. For items that there are not a lot of or are already sorted, I think your ten minute idea is the way to go.
Sounds like a great plan to me Emilie!