The KonMari method for home and closet organization has taken the world by a very condensed, joyful storm. But if Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Art of Tidying Up doesn’t inject your life with happiness – don’t beat yourself up. Just because your neighbors and co-workers swear by this decluttering method doesn’t mean it’s the only way to get more organized. Here are some other ways to make your home tidier and more livable without worrying about what sparks joy:
Ask “Would I Buy It Again?” Instead of “Does It Spark Joy?”
If you’re pragmatic by nature, holding an item to “feel” the energy and see if it sparks joy might be a futile effort. Your kitchen colander doesn’t spark a lot of joy, but you’re going to need it the next time spaghetti night rolls around. Instead of asking “Does this spark joy?” ask yourself “Would I buy this thing again?” If the answer is “yes,” that might be enough of a reason to keep it. On the other hand, you’ll answer “no” to plenty of clothes that are out of style and books you’re no longer interested in – so you are still bound to pare down your belongings.
Take Repurposing More Seriously
Marie Kondo isn’t a fan of repurposing items instead of getting rid of them. While tidying your home inherently involves purging some items altogether, you can also introduce the idea of repurposing into your strategy. For instance, a closet organization plan might include figuring out how to finally use the fancy paper you bought three years ago. Could you use it to line bathroom drawers? Would it make a nice background paper for a picture frame?
Ask yourself “How can I use this today?” and make a plan. Don’t worry so much about how much happiness the paper brings you; you can still free up space in the closet by putting it to use.
Tidy by Room, Not Category
Marie Kondo also suggests sorting by category. For instance, you’re supposed to take all of your clothes from the entire house and put them in once place (such as across your bed). This is overwhelming. Home and closet organization can be an ongoing project.
It’s OK to dedicate one weekend just to clean all the bathrooms, completing tasks like throwing out half-used shampoo samples and organizing medicine cabinets. Take the next weekend to clean out the guest bedroom. Once you make progress in one room, you’ll probably be more motivated to keep going. Dumping all of your books into a single pile can just be stressful and make you want to give up.
Are you committed to tidying up but not interested in making it magic? There are other strategies for cleaning your house. You can go room by room, closet by closet, and/or think about things in terms of their use instead of their joy. Having a custom closet makes things a lot easier, too. Contact Closet World today to learn about creating a customized closet space that makes staying tidy a breeze.
