I Used the KonMari Method to Tidy My Closet + This Is the Result

Confession time, folks: I’m a messy lady. As much as I love stalking meticulously organized homes on Instagram and filling my phone with organizing apps, when it comes down to actually tidying up my living space… well, I honestly can’t be bothered. But as a part of my 2017 life overhaul, I’ve decided to tackle the incredible task of actually organizing my ish. Instead of reading and re-reading organization hacks, I thought I would try something a little trendier to kickstart my cleaning adventure, half because of its excellent reviews and half because I thought it would motivate me to actually follow through this time. That’s right — I’m talking about the KonMari method.

Based on Marie Kondo’s New York Times best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, the KonMari method to organizing is all about learning to find joy in your possessions. Although the book is packed with tips to take your organized home to the next level, the KonMari method is actually quite easy to understand. All you have to do is simply lay your possessions on the floor, pick each one up individually, hold it in your hands and ask if it brings you joy. If it does, put it back. If it doesn’t, toss it in the charity bin.

One gloomy day in January, I decided to tackle the horror that was my closet. Filled with old high school sports uniforms, jackets that don’t fit any more and every pair of PJs I’ve received since I was 10, it was definitely time for a complete overhaul.

Before

I started by taking every piece of clothing I owned and putting it on the floor. It was more than a little embarrassing to see just how much junk I’d collected over the years. Then, following Marie’s instructions, I picked up every piece of clothing one at a time and asked myself if it brought me joy.

If I’m being honest, I thought one of two things would happen. Either I’d resort back to my hoarding behavior and keep absolutely everything or *completely* give into the method and be left with only sweatpants and onesies. But after going through all the motions, I can honestly say that the process was as cleansing at it’s intended to be. By asking myself if I honestly feel happy and confident while wearing each item, I let go of all my excuses, like “I should like this sweater because it was expensive” or “I used to love this dress in high school,” and just let myself declutter honestly.

After

Seeing the piles of hangers on the ground after the process was finished made me realize just how crazy I was for keeping almost every piece of clothing I’ve worn since I was a teen. And after putting all my favorite clothes back in my closet, I was honestly blow away by how much cleaner and organized everything looked (the other side of my bedroom is still another story).

I would definitely recommend reading Marie Kondo’s book and tidying up using the #KonMari method. Hey, if I can get rid of three garbage bags worth of joyless clothes, anyone can.

Would you try the KonMari method to tidy your closet? Tweet us by mentioning @BritandCo.

(Photos via Ashley Macey and Brit + Co)