Marie Kondo’s “KonMari Method” Checklist: 5-Step Decluttering Cheat Sheet

This is probably one of the shortest—but most useful—posts you’ll find on the KonMari Method.

It’s taken straight from the source, and you can also read a summary of Marie Kondo’s book here: 9 Top Themes from “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo (Book Summary)

This post is meant to be a quick reference guide or cheat sheet that you can bookmark and come back to without having to get lost in the details in other posts.

Happy tidying!

What is Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method?

Here’s how Marie Kondo describes the KonMari Method in her own words:

• “Let me share with you the secret of success. Start by discarding. Then organize your space, thoroughly, completely, in one go. If you adopt this approach—the KonMari Method— you’ll never revert to clutter again.”
• “Remember: the KonMari Method I describe in this book is not a mere set of rules on how to sort, organize, and put things away. It is a guide to acquiring the right mindset for creating order and becoming a tidy person.”

Let’s get right into it…

KonMari Method Checklist: 5-Step Decluttering Cheat Sheet

KonMari Method Step #1: Discarding by category comes first.

• Categories (in order): Clothes first, then books, papers, komono (miscellany), and lastly, mementos.

KonMari Method Step #2: Break a category into subcategories as necessary.

• For instance, put all your clothing in piles on the floor in subcategories:
  • Tops (shirts, sweaters, etc)
  • Bottoms (pants, skirts, etc)
  • Clothes that should be hung (jackets, coats, suits, etc)
  • Socks
  • Underwear
  • Bags (handbags, messenger bags, etc)
  • Accessories (scarves, belts, hats, etc)
  • Clothes for specific events (swimsuits, uniforms, etc)
  • Shoes

KonMari Method Step #3: Keep only those things that spark joy.

• If “spark joy” doesn’t do it for you, Marie Kondo also uses these words to describe what you should keep: “inspire joy,” “thrill of pleasure,” “speak to your heart,” “moves you,” and “love.”
• Pick things up one by one and decide if it stays. “Japanese word for healing is te-ate, which literally means ‘to apply hands.’”

KonMari Method Step #4: After you’ve finished discarding, organize your space thoroughly and completely.

• In this step, you are just deciding where to put something or where to store it.
• “I have only two rules: store all items of the same type in the same place and don’t scatter storage space.”

KonMari Method Step #5: Do it all in one go. 

• “In Japanese, the term is ikki ni, or ‘in one go.’”
• “Ultimate secret of success is this: If you tidy up in one shot, rather than little by little, you can dramatically change your mindset.”

Here’s a good video where Marie Kondo herself outlines the steps:

That’s it! Sounds easy enough on paper, right? Have you tried Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method? Please share your experience in the comments.

If you’re ready to tackle physical clutter, you can see various decluttering methods and approaches here:

• Decluttering 101: How to Declutter Your Home Crash Course

And, if you want to focus on digital clutter, check these out:

• Thoughts on Cal Newport’s Digital Declutter Experiment
• Digital Minimalism Defined & 10 Digital Declutter Tips
• Slow Hack 010: How to Digital Declutter Your Phone Home Screen

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