how to prepare for a konmari session.
Below are a few things you can do to prepare for your tidying festival:
NOTE: For in-home sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic, please review my COVID-19 safety protocol and ensure you understand and are comfortable with our safety measures. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know immediately.
refresh yourself on the KonMari principles.
The KonMari Method is about more than just decluttering and organizing your house. It’s a comprehensive assessment of your belongings, and through it, an assessment of your priorities, with an end goal of living with more joy.
Before we dive in and start pulling things out of your closet, consider (re)reading or listening to Marie Kondo's books, the Spark Joy Podcast, or watching her Netflix shows Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo.
think about your why.
Think about why you want to tidy, as well your ideal home and lifestyle. Taking time to develop your vision will help you stay motivated throughout the process.
Below are some questions to get you thinking, and you can read more about this concept in pages 38-39 of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
What was it that motivated you to tidy in the first place?
What do you want your space to look like?
How do you want to live in and use your space?
What are some of the items or activities at home that spark the most joy for you?
How do you want to feel as you go about your day to day activities?
If you created a vision in the past, now is a good time to review what you wrote before and see if anything has changed. If this is your first time thinking about it, take a moment to write down your thoughts. The more specific you can get with details the better, but you can also jot down quick notes, write them out as a story, or use drawings or a vision board.
gather supplies.
Hang onto any storage containers or boxes that may be useful for storing items (shoeboxes, electronic device boxes, vessels, anything that sparks joy!) , and set aside large trash bags or delivery boxes that can be used to pack up items that will be discarded.
Grab a pen and paper for taking notes, as well as something to write quick labels on (e.g., post-its, blue-tape or a combination of paper notes and tape).
prepare your space & belongings.
We may be looking deep into closets and drawers, so please set aside anything that is private or valuable that you do not want to have as part of our review.
It can be helpful to do laundry before a session where we review clothing, but drive yourself crazy over this either! If we can't get to your laundry items, they can always be reviewed during a follow-up session or as homework.
a note on papers.
If we will be reviewing papers, check with your accountant, attorney or other financial advisors regarding the procurement and/or retention of legal, financial, and accounting documents. I will provide general recommendations regarding paper management, but your personal advisors may be more familiar with the nuances of your situation.
your first konmari session.
Typically, a first-time KonMari session will follow the format below:
First we greet the house. If you watched the Netflix show, you know that Marie always starts by greeting the home, in order to reflect and show appreciation before digging in. We'll do it too, but a little differently.
After that, we'll spend some time to discuss your vision for your ideal home and lifestyle. This vision gives us something to work towards, and can be a tool to aid the decision making process if we get stuck.
Next, I'll ask you for a quick tour of your home, especially any storage areas.
Then, we dig in! We'll gather your belongings (not your family's), focusing on one category at a time (typically, the order is clothing > books > paper > komono/misc > sentimental). We'll sort into manageable sub-categories, so that you can select only those items that bring you joy.
Once you have curated your "joy items" it’s time to store them efficiently and beautifully, keeping in mind that other storage solutions may come up as you continue to declutter and clear space in other areas of your home.
If our session goes over the lunch-hour, please be sure to take lunch and other breaks as needed. I always bring my own lunch and snacks, so no need to prepare anything for me!