Behind the Scenes: an In-home KonMari Tidy Lesson

January 9, 2017

If you are reading this, you’ve booked an in-home KonMari Tidy Lesson with For the Love of Tidy or you’re considering making the leap! Either way, I imagine you’re wondering what to expect. So let’s navigate a typical Lesson from A-Z:

Note: For the purposes of this post, I’ve used the “Clothes” clutter category as a starting point. Please note, this may not be your first category in all cases. You’re welcome to invite me into your home to address any category/stage of your tidying event. Some clients are able to make certain categories “click,” and then reach out for consultant support to address categories where progress has reached a plateau.

Preparation

After clients commit to tidy, the first question we often get asked is, “what should I do before you come?” Proper preparation is critical to ensuring your KonMari® Tidying Lesson sparks an incredible amount of joy! Visit How to Prepare for Your First KonMari® Tidying Lesson for a complete list of things to do prior to your in-home visit.

Arrival

Your KonMari® Tidying Consultant will promptly arrive energized and ready to work. Your experience is called a “Lesson” rather than an “appointment” or “session,” because I’m teaching you an approach and providing tools that educate you on how to manage clutter once and for all.

Introduction

Before conquering the clutter, we start with a conversation. You’ll be asked to share and/or review your current challenges and envision your ideal lifestyle and living environment. Your consultant will be noting your responses in your copy of The Tidy Home Joy Journal, which will be provided at the top of the Lesson. Your ideal lifestyle and living environment provides a foundation for all decision making moving forward, therefore, it is important to complete this step first. The work agreement will also be reviewed and signed by both parties during this step and any outstanding questions will be answered.

Tour

Next, we’ll get to know your home through a guided tour. Photos will be taken at this time (per client’s permission) to establish and record a baseline.

Home Greeting

Unique to the KonMari Method®, the home greeting is a way for both client and consultant to respect your space and set our intention for the Lesson. We will kneel together in the heart of your home and take a moment to simply be present in silence. This activity marks the start of the tidying “ceremony” of letting go to move forward. An exercise in mindfulness, clients often take a moment to appreciate their home’s current state, reflect, and release anxiety.

Pile

Note: from this point forward, I will mind the time, manage the pace/process hands-on, and find initial storage solutions. All you have to concern yourself with is the decision making. Honing your ability to determine what sparks joy), which I help you with as well, as challenges present themselves.

The first Lesson typically begins with clothes, per the KonMari® technique of organizing by category instead of room. If you completed the preparation step, you’ve already extracted garments from other rooms in your home and external storage locations and placed them in your bedroom. Your consultant will help you remove the remaining clothing items from your closet(s) and drawers and place them into a large pile.

Physically piling clothing items allows you to 1) take a visual inventory 2) feel the weight of the items and their impact on your living environment 3) bring your relationship with your things into focus.

Everything must be pulled away from its existing location. This action resets any preexisting organizational structures or conditions to begin to make room for change. Clients often proclaim “I was looking for that” during this step, so it also ensures you interact with EVERY item in the category, comprehensively. Your consultant will take a moment to assess existing storage systems at that time. Per the KonMari Method, it is important to utilize and creatively re-purpose existing organizational supplies and decor in your home, rather than rushing to purchase something new.

Joyful Decision Making

After reviewing the ground rules, your consultant will ask you to pick up one item from the pile to initiate the process. You’ll answer the question “does it spark joy?,” a KonMari® principle. If the answer is “yes,” you will keep the item with confidence. If the answer is “no” you will discard, donate or sell the item with a “thank you.” Showing your appreciation for the item will ensure it returns to you in a new form, as positive energy or a new opportunity.

Your tidying consultant will encourage you and keep you motivated, while keeping the larger plan in mind. When there is a moment of hesitation your consultant will step in and ask additional guiding questions to aid your decision making. Your consultant will also ensure you are operating in alignment with the person you are becoming, established in the introductory vision conversation.

The beauty of the KonMari Method® is that the decision to keep/discard is always up to you. Nothing is forced and no decisions are made in your absence. That being said, please note, it takes energy to be present. Tidying is a hands-on process that requires physically touching each item in your home. Piling, sorting, and storing items requires some physical exertion/stamina. therefore, we’ll take breaks as needed.

Folding & Hanging

KonMari Drawer Liner Folding For the Love of Tidy

Once you’ve distinguished which clothing items spark the most joy, the next step is folding and hanging. Your consultant will teach you the signature KonMari® folding technique by demonstrating how to fold each type of clothing items you own within the storage boundaries provided. All clothing is handled with respect and smoothed with the palms of your hands to check for stains/flaws and to transfer positive energy.

Storing

Folded items are then stood on edge, vertically, in a row within existing drawers like book spins and arranged in color order. As a result of an inevitable reduction in volume, open boxes and other organizational supplies found within the home are re-purposed to support this system and creative home styling ideas are explored.

I will apply a system to help you hang clothes with intention that look happier when hung (coats, suits, jackets, skirts, dresses, soft materials, etc.).

Wrap-Up

Your KonMari® Tidying Lesson will end as it began, with a conversation. I will determine next steps, which typically include your plans to discard, donate or sell items that don’t spark joy. Based on progress made during Lesson 1, your consultant will determine the number of Lessons required to address the remaining categories (Books, Paper, Miscellaneous, and Sentimental Items) and complete your tidying journey.

Are you ready to change your life? Instantly book your Lesson today!

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