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HOW TO DECLUTTER SENTIMENTAL ITEMS USING THE KONMARI METHOD

Tidying up has become somewhat of a trend now that Marie Kondo has a new series on Netflix of the same name.

The KonMari Method has a strong focus on organizing things by getting rid of the belongings you own that don’t bring you joy.

This minimalist approach has people all over the world cuddling items in their home to discover whether they should keep them or discard them.

What happens though, when it comes time to go through your sentimental items?

This method has you focusing on this category last, as it can be one of the more emotionally difficult.

THE KONMARI METHOD ORDER

When it comes to the KonMari Method, the order in which you tackle tasks holds some meaning.  It is suggested that tasks be taken care of in the following order:

HOW TO DECLUTTER SENTIMENTAL ITEMS USING THE KONMARI METHOD

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STEP 1 – CREATE A PILE

The very first step to sorting through your sentimental items is to gather them all up and create a pile.

This means everything that you have kept, that could be considered sentimental should be in one place.

Gather each item and pile it somewhere central.

STEP 2 – SORT THROUGH THE PILE

This may be the most difficult of the entire KonMari journey.

This is because when you have kept something for sentimental purposes, it can be difficult to part with it.

You clearly kept these items for a reason, that at the time, sparked joy.

Keep the most sentimental items for last.

This is because trying to jump into sorting the most sentimental items too soon, this call stall the entire process.

It is important to hold each item and see if they spark joy at this moment in time. You might be surprised by just how little joy some of these items bring you in this present time.

With photos, go through them as a family.

Any photos that are almost duplicates can be discarded of, just keep one of the similar ones that spark joy.

The items that give you a sense of joy in the present should be set aside to be organized later, the sentimental items that no longer spark joy are a bit more of a process.

When you have a sentimental attachment to an item that no longer sparks joy, especially if it has a meaningful attachment to a lost family member, you must thank it for its service.

Bidding an important item farewell is a great way to eliminate or greatly reduce the guilt you may feel when you decide it is no longer serving you well.

STEP 3 – ORGANIZE & STORE SENTIMENTAL ITEMS

When it comes to getting tidy and staying that way, it is important to have a proper place to store items.

When it comes to sentimental decorations or other items, store them in clear boxes rather than piling them in a location or within bins that don’t allow you to see their contents.

Photos should be kept in a nice album or box, and stored in a location that they can be easily accessed.

Other photos that spark joy can be displayed on bookshelves and walls in frames.

When putting your photos away, categorize them by date, event or both whenever possible.

Parting with your sentimental items may not be easy, but it is necessary in order to have a home filled with only things that spark joy.

This could possibly one of the more emotional parts of the KonMari method, but it will be well worth it when you are living a minimalist lifestyle.

GET THE SENTIMENTAL LIST PRINTABLE IN COLOR HERE

GET THE SENTIMENTAL LIST PRINTABLE IN BLACK & WHITE HERE

You can find all of Marie Kondo’s books on Amazon:

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Spark Joy: A Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up

The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story

Have you tried the KonMari Method?

Do you have any specific questions we can answer in coming up posts?

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