There are times when the task of tidying up and decluttering your home can seem monumental. Surrounded by piles of clothes, bills, books and CDs, it's easy to get overwhelmed and not know where to start. But a world-renowned tidiness guru has a tip she says can make the task infinitely easier: Pick up an item and simply ask yourself, "Does this bring me joy?"
Bestselling Japanese author and organizational expert Marie Kondo is back with another book, following the runaway success of her 2014 guide, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up."
Kondo's latest book, titled "Spark Joy," offers more of her general rules on tidying, "master tips" for those who've got her basic techniques down pat, and advice on how to deal with specific household items, including papers, warranties and stuffed animals.
She also shares some humorous personal wisdom that at times sounds near-philosophical.
For example, on the topic of socks and stockings, Kondo admonishes those who think they don't matter.
"Some people think it doesn't really matter if they wear socks with holes in them or tights that are pilled," she writes. "This is like declaring 'Today doesn't really matter.' Your feet bear your weight and help you live your life, and it is your socks that cradle those feet."
But the overarching principle of Kondo’s method, dubbed the "KonMari" method, is to only keep those things that bring you joy. Everything else must go, she says.
And if, like most of us, you've never stopped to think about whether a mundane, everyday item, like a hammer brings you joy, there's one easy way to find out: pick it up in your hands.
"Pay close attention to how your body responds when you do this,” she writes. “When something sparks joy, you should feel a little thrill, as if the cells in your body are slowly rising."
Everything that doesn't incite that thrilling feeling should be discarded, but not before thanking it first, Kondo says.
"By letting go of the things that have been in your life with a feeling of gratitude, you foster appreciation for, and a desire to take better care of, the things in your life," she says.
Below are five other rules Kondo suggests you follow when tidying:
1. Commit yourself: Tidying up properly requires time and effort. Don't give up, and most importantly, "believe in yourself," she writes. Also, tidying should be done in one, thorough go. Never fool yourself into believing that you can correctly tidy up in spurts, she warns.
2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle first: Take the time to think about what kind of home you want to live in, and how you want to live in it, she says. Sketch out your vision or write it down. You can also clip photos from magazines for inspiration.
3. Finish discarding first: Finish discarding things you don't want first, before you begin the task of designating storage areas for everything you're going to keep.
4. Tidy by category, not location: Tidying up your home room by room, doesn't work, because you'll never get a true sense of how many items you actually own. Instead, Kondo suggests tidying by category, so that you're going through all your clothes at once, all your books at once, and all your electronics at once.
5. When tidying, follow the correct order: For Kondo that order is as follows: clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous items and sentimental items. By following this order, you'll be able to properly detect joy by the time you roll around to the more important items, such as photos or mementos.
"Spark Joy" also includes detailed step-by-step diagrams on how to care for and store numerous household items, from underwear and bras, to books and bags.
Kondo says that by following her philosophy, you will have not only a more orderly house, but a more orderly and happy life. It could even help bring some order to the sphere of our lives that is often the messiest: our love lives.
After adapting her techniques, Kondo says many of her clients have made life-changing decisions, with some proposing to their partners, and others breaking things off.
Kondo's technique has sparked legions of eager fans, hoping to bring joy to their lives through tidying. Some ambitious video bloggers have even taken to documenting their trials on YouTube, sharing personal before and after shots of their closets, pantries, and home offices.
However, Kondo does admit that her fastidious ways are not for everyone. Those who aren't happy living in a clutter-less house should not attempt the KonMari method, she says.
"Naturally, the kind of living space that brings a person joy depends on that particular individual's values," she writes. "We can't change others. And we should never force someone else to tidy."
Here at CTV News, we decided to give it a try. Here’s how we used Kondo's folding and storing method to clean up a messy kitchen drawer, filled with plastic bags.
And here are before and after photos of a kitchen cabinet, that was completely transformed after applying Kondo's tips.
Want to learn more? Watch Kondo in action as she tidies a bookshelf, learn her folding technique, and hear her explain the basis of her tidying philosophy.
