The KonMari Method of Decluttering

2019

Freewriting

Marie Kondo is one of the most outspoken decluttering gurus when it comes to championing mental health and cleaning.

Early one night, I returned home from work finding myself at the doorstep of my house, puzzled at the minimum view. My mom’s full-time occupation as a housewife has resorted her to reorganize our furniture once every fortnight. But something was odd — it was overly minimalist.

I asked her about it but she handed me a book — The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. I felt the urge to find out who the hell is Marie Kondo and why does our house look like it was robbed by the burglars from Tiga Abdul, I had so many questions.

I felt like she has become one of her devout followers — sort of like, in a cult. My mom continued “When you are finally ready to dispose of your old skinny jeans, that old toys you used to fight over with your brothers or your unused textbooks, Marie Kondo wants you to gently stroke each of them, thank it for the joy it has brought to your life and throw it away.”

Behind the scene of Marie Kondo’s Netflix Show.

More importantly, I need to KonMari my financial expenses. Similar to how Marie organizes clothes — the first thing that I did was to look at the last couple of months of my bank statements, go through each transaction and put it into a category. Just like everyone else, I really struggle with my spending habit and I hate myself for it. Maybe, knowing where my money has been going can make me understand my own spending behaviour.

If you are dealing with debt and aren’t sure where to start, you can apply the KonMari method, and your self-awareness will likely change your financial situation. I also reevaluated my recurring subscriptions after verbally asking myself whether an expense actually makes me happy or whether it simply gives me a momentary high.

Marie Kondo may be small in size, but she is mountainous in influence.

There are certain attainable freedom and emotional value to this, especially after knowing that there are certain items that don’t spark joy for you but you still keep it anyway because it makes you happy. And she’s right, it does give me a sense of soothing and calmness after I’ve weeded out my wallet and bedroom. While this anti-sentimentality could benefit people like me, it’s not intended for those who rely on objects for strong graphic recollections or those who would rather gaze at photographs than empty corners.