Commonly mispronounced by Tam's husband as "the Calamari Method", the KonMari Method™ is an approach to Tidying, Organising and Decluttering that was developed by a lovely Japanese woman named Marie Kondo. You see where the name came from now... Kon(do)Mari(e). Our Head Organiser Tamara is trained in the method and can support you through this approach both in-person and virtually through our Konmari with Me Service.
How is the KonMari Method™ different to the standard services offered by all Professional Organisers?
The KonMari Method takes a specific and rather structured approach to home organisation. Organising your home (and life) by category, rather than by room. Marie believes, "only when we tidy by category do we truly understand what we own" and at SORT my Space, we couldn't agree more.
The Konmari Method follows a specific order to help the participant hone their ability to identify what "sparks joy" for them. The process is:
Clothing;
Books;
Paper; (and we mean all papers; insurance documents, birth certificates, receipts etc);
Komono aka Miscellaneous items not yet reviewed; (think sports items, crafting, electrical cords, Kitchen items etc) and finally,
Sentimental Items (photos, wedding dress, gifts from loved ones).
The journey through all of these categories, and subcategories is referred to as a Tidy Festival.
There is also a specific approach towards deciding what to keep and what to get rid of which is unique to the Konmari Method™. A client from Oxenford boasted how she loved the premise behind the approach to decluttering. "Keeping only the clothes that make you happy is different to how I've previously tried to declutter" she told a friend who came over after our first KonMari for Me session. "I'd be holding on to so many clothes that didn't fit me in the hopes that I'd get back to being able to fit them again. But every time I look at the items I feel guilty that I'm no longer that size and therefore they do not 'spark joy' for me". As we progressed through this client's Tidy Festival, I began receiving random text messages detailing other decisions she faced and how she let the "Does this Spark Joy for me?" question guide her decision making.
So, who is Marie Kondo?
Marie Kondo is the founder of KonMari Media, developer of the KonMari Method™ and began her business at just 19 years old. She is now a Tidy Expert, a best selling author, the Star or Tidying up with Marie Kondo on Netflix and a mother to two scrumptious little girls. You can learn more about Marie here, but that's not what this blog is about.
What's involved in the KonMari Method Certification process?
Our Head Organiser Tam, attended a training course and was required to submit 'practice tidy reports' complete with photographic evidence of the work being undertaken. There was a minimum number of clients and also a minimum number of hours spent tidying that were required to be met before being evaluated by a member of the KonMari Success Team. Finally, Tam sat an exam and was then Certified.
Do I need to hire a Professional Organiser to KonMari my home?
No, not at all. That said, we'd love to support you on your journey but it can totally be DIY'd if you are motivated enough to do so.
If reading books is your thing we recommend reading "The life changing magic of Tidying up" or "Spark Joy", both of which will be able to help guide you on your journey. If you aren't a reader, watching Marie's Netflix special will be able to help you as well.
If you live in the Brisbane, Gold Coast or Tweed Coast (including Byron) areas, SORT my Space can help and you can get more info on our services and packages here. If you live elsewhere we also offer virtual session where we guide you through the process by being present with you on your device. Alternatively, you can find a certified consultant near you on the KonMari Website here.
How long will it take to complete my Tidy Festival?
Unfortunately there is no clear answer to this. At a minimum we'd recommend five TIDY Packages (which is our part-day package); this would be one session for each category and we can leave you with homework to complete following each session before we move to the next category. Typically, our clients book our SIMPLIFY Package (five full day sessions) and space them out to suit their schedule.
Wait, homework?
The homework varies based on the session being completed and your belongings, but hypothetically if we were supporting you through a KonMari for Me Clothing Session, the homework from this session would be to review your shoes and your accessories such as bags, scarves etc. If you're not comfortable doing this on your own or you need the time quarantined in your diary and the accountability of having someone there that is totally ok, we get it - this may just delay the completion date and require a few more extra sessions.
We'd much prefer you feel supported through the process and it be done together rather than leave you with homework to complete a related category and you feeling abandoned and confused.
If you have any other questions we haven't answered in this blog be sure to let us know via the chat box or DM'ing us on our socials. We'll be able to cover off on that for you and if we get a few we'll be able to craft another blog post to go through them all.
Yours, with Joy.
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