Expert shares 4 obstacles to decluttering
BY JURA KONCIUS | The Washington Post
Japanese decluttering diva Marie Kondo started out as an organizing consultant while she was a 19-year-old university student in Tokyo.
Her 2011 book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” has sold millions of copies, and her idea of keeping items only if they “spark joy” has inspired many to toss mountains of household clutter.
Her “KonMari” method has six basic rules: Commit yourself to tidying up. Imagine your ideal lifestyle. Finish discarding first. Tidy by category, not by location. Follow the right order. Ask yourself if it sparks joy.
Kondo recently joined a Washington Post live chat, answering readers’ questions about our complex relationship with stuff. During the chat, she shared something that brings her joy.
The question was “How many PJs do you think women should have. Summer and winter?”
She replied, “The KonMari Method does not set a numerical limit on the number of items you should own. Rather, it is about learning what items spark joy for you. For me personally, I own 15 sets of pajamas in total — both summer and winter. Clearly pajamas spark joy for me!”
But many of us aren’t so happy with the state of our closets and kitchens and garages. There are many reasons some people can’t seem to get a grip on the towering piles of things in their life.