When you gaze through the shelves at your local bookstore, you might have seen the name Marie Kondo pop up. Known as the “queen of tidying up”, the young Japanese woman and author of several books tells her readers how to live a happy and organized life.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A simple, effective way to banish clutter forever has become an international best seller, with over 1 million copies sold since its release in October 2014 It’s creating a new trend and changing homes across the globe, as it teaches old and young something we claim to know how to do, but often neglect: cleaning up.

To be quite honest, as I read the first chapters, Ms Kondo didn’t appeal to me. She could not stand clutter and was obsessed with throwing stuff out, may it be hers or the possessions of her family. She tells about her childhood, when she first developed the urge to clean and declutter by getting rid of anything she could think of.

While it is an easy read, with a lot of tips and ideas, but the first impression was that this girl is not anything like me and takes cleaning up a little bit too serious.
Nevertheless I kept on reading and though I cannot completely agree with every method she uses, I can honestly say that she changed my way of thinking about the things I own.

Thanks to the KonMari method, as she refers to it herself, my apartment looks cleaner, nicer and even a bit bigger. Every bit of space is greatly appreciated when you live in 48 m² with a boyfriend and two cats. Which is why I collected the 7 tips I found most useful in this book. Here we go:

1. When you declutter, start with easy things first

This simply means that when you’re ready to declutter, you should start with items such as clothing. It’s so much easier to go through your closet and pick out the stuff you haven’t worn in years than to grab a box full of trinkets you hold dearly, trying to sort them out. For all beginners, Marie insightfully remarks that only once you’ve gone through all the easy stuff, you are emotionally more prepared to get rid of things you have a strong(er) bond with.

2. Less is more

You’ve probably came across this sentence once or twice before, but it still holds a large amount of truth. The fewer amount of material things you own, the more you will actually enjoy and appreciate these items. Kondo admits that she’s inclined to even talk to her possessions, thanking them for being of good use to her. I personally don’t talk to my handbag, but the idea itself is a good one, which you should keep in mind when you want to purchase scarf number 76. Will you really use it?

3. It’s ok to throw out gifts

Yes, you heard me right. That really ugly vase you grandma gave you, the one you only pull out when she comes to visit? The hideous keychain you got for your 16th birthday? The book someone gave you because “It was such a good read!”, but you never managed to pick it up and read it yourself? All these things have got to go. Of course, society tells us that gifts are acts of kindness, which should be cherished and kept. Wrong. According to Marie, if it isn’t useful or if it doesn’t enrich your life in any way, you have to say goodbye.

4. Don’t regift your clutter

This is actually something my boyfriend frequently likes to do. If there is something he doesn’t use or like anymore, he believes it would make a great gift for someone else. Marie calls this out as a huge mistake, even referring to it as a selfish act. If you cannot stand a specific object, why should someone else have to live with it? Of course, there are rules to this exception, but in general you should consider this thought: If you don’t use it, will its new owner really enjoy it?

5. Don’t show the stuff you’re throwing out to your family and friends

Again, a tip from the queen of tidying up that I can heavily relate to. Whenever I decide to clean out my closet, my mom oftentimes just happens to be in the neighborhood. She has zero hesitation going through my bags of old clothes, questioning me why in the world I would throw out this or that. She then starts to sneakily bag away unwanted clothing items for herself or my grandma, ignoring me rolling my eyes and telling her to stop it. She usually ends up taking my stuff with her, which completely defeats both points 1, 2 and 4 in my quest to decluttering. Don’t be like me: Stand your ground and stop your mom or best friend. If I’ve learned anything from this book, it’s that’s it not good to clutter up other people’s space by letting them go through the things you intended to throw out. You made this decision for a reason, so stick to it.

6. Old clothes are not lounge wear

We’ve all been there. Our favorite leggings suddenly have a big tear in them, but we refuse to let them go. Instead we declare them as a thing we only wear at home, so no one will see us in them. Let’s just call them lounge-wear and we’re good! Kondo hates this. She truly believes that we should wear nice and comfortable clothes all day, not just when we’re in the outside world. I once again have to agree with Kondo, she has a point here. Wouldn’t you feel better in a new pair of leggings, even if it’s just for your evenings on the couch while watching Netflix? Why give your torn, stained clothes space in your closet? Just throw them out, it’s going to be ok.

7. Someday never comes

We’ve all made this mistake. “Someday I will fit into this dress again.” Or how about “Someday I will use this baking equipment to make the most amazing cake?” And let’s not forget the mantra “Someday I will learn how to play this instrument.” All ‘someday’s’ are nothing more but reasons to keep an object and let it accumulate dust. This might be the strongest point I’ve learned from reading this book. Marie Kondo simply states: Someday does not exist. It won’t happen. There is no excuse for not getting rid of it. Get it over with and say bye-bye to ‘someday’. You’ll feel relieved, that I am sure of.

Keeping it simple

To sum up my own forays in decluttering, Marie Kondo can actually help you with creating a better and beautiful home, or at the very least a tidier one. We all know that great feeling of being able to let go of something, making room for other things in your life, like gratitude for the few object you do choose to surround yourself with, or the feeling of relief at an emptier, more manageable household. Keep the above mentioned seven tips in mind the next time you try to make space between your four walls – you’d be surprised at how different a room can look after you apply the KonMari method.

Have you been decluttering this year and maybe even read the book? What helped you the most and what are the things you would never get rid of? Share your experience with us in the comments below!