The Magic Of Keeping Order And Tidying Up

It is said  that order is the enjoyment of reason, and disorder is the enjoyment of the imagination. For the Japanese, the art of organizing can make us reflect deeply on our possessions and highlight the need to keep only what pleases us. That which we need and that which makes us happy.

If there is anyone who has achieved huge success in recent years in teaching people how to organize their rooms and closets, it is Marie Kondo. With her successful book,  Magic Cleanup, this Japanese woman has already made  the Times’  list of the 100 most important people in the world. She is even a competitor in selling more than  Haruki Murakami.

There is something hypnotic about the Konmari method  that this bestselling guru describes. It’s simple, it’s drastic. It starts with the smallest things and ends with the largest. It reminds us that  objects also have a “soul.” That one should speak to them and thank them for their service before saying goodbye if one wants to get rid of them.

To one in the Western world, this might seem strange and silly. Most people collect so many things, souvenirs, clothes, books and magazines that if we performed this ritual for all of them, then we would have to spend our whole lives organizing the house. But no matter how strange this perspective may seem,  it has fascinated the whole world. It has somehow changed people’s view of cleaning the house. .

The magic in order and the unrest in disorder

We all know that organized environments instill calm, discipline and integrity. It is as if an organized environment in a way invites us to act in a more balanced way. But here’s the strange thing: according to a study from the  University of Minnesota,  disorganized and highly decorated workplaces increase  creativity for nearly 70 percent of employees.

It is almost as if the  disorder invites something new inside and encourages us to break the framework. Seeking new stimuli and challenges.  So does that mean that the Japanese perspectives are erroneous and that the order that Marie Kondo is trying to sell us is simply calling for inferiority, austerity and inflexibility? Not at all – .  

The Konmari method invites us to  improve our lives through the “renovation” of our closets, of our homes. But it is much more than organizing a room or a closet. It is to clear out our reality so that we can find our inner balance. It is an intimate ceremony that activates our emotions and goes a step further than “ catacus, ” (purification and organization in Japanese). It reaches a spiritual level.

Keys to the Konmari method

Some people have a natural and almost dependent tendency to keep order and others chaos. But the magic part of this strategy lies between the two, where both tendencies force the balance. Where, we can find ourselves and feel comfortable without going to the extremes. Therefore, it is  ideal to adapt the  Konmari method to our own needs. 

For example, it is clear that instead of speaking to objects and regarding them as beings with a soul, it would make more sense to communicate with oneself. “ I let go of this diary because it was very useful and helpful when I was in a bad place in life. But now my reality is different. I’m feeling better, I’ve turned around since and now I can get rid of it. ”

Gold grain from Marie Kondo

Below we list some of Marie Kondo’s most important suggestions so you can reflect on them:

• Throw something out. Stop being so attached to material things.
• Keep only that which gives you joy.
• Organize by category, not area. Do not limit yourself to organizing a particular room. Instead, start with all your clothes, then all your books, then all your magazines and documents, and so on.
• If possible, do it at once.
• Treat your things with respect and say goodbye to them.
• Empty shoeboxes are not good for anything – out with them.
• Organize alone. This activity is somewhat private.
• If you are struggling to get rid of something, ask yourself if it is really useful for you right now. Then you get your answer.

To conclude, Marie Kondo’s idea of ​​order is that it must be usable. It’s about the positive feeling you get from the object. It is the need to create external harmony that is synchronized with one’s inner world. A house is not just a space for storing things. It is a place where balance and happiness live.