You’ve probably heard about Marie Kondo and her book “The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing”. Her KonMari method is a very popular way of organizing your home, and if you check Pinterest you’ll see amazing before and afters.

Her theory is you should only surround yourself with things you really love, or as she says: “things that spark joy”. If you get rid of everything else (KonMari involves a lot of throwing things away), you’ll feel much happier and lighter – and for me, it’s true!

After I read her book it occurred to me that her theory applies to so many things, so I started applying it to my life. Here’s what happened…

I KonMari’d my kitchen

I recently bought a house and the search for a new kitchen gave me serious panic attacks, so I decided to take Marie Kondo’s advice and only buy things that “spark joy”. I touched the things I considered buying and asked myself how they made me feel. Anything that made me feel overwhelmed or anxious was gone.

That’s how I found my kitchen; I saw those magnolia cabinets, a nice stove and once I opened a few cupboards, I felt JOY! I was excited to cook! And that’s when I knew I found the right one! I felt like Harry Potter getting his wand.

I KonMari’d my relationships

So the funny thing is…this also applies to friendships and romantic interests. If you’re like me you have your BFF, a few super good friends, many acquaintances and nothing really in between. If your time, like mine, is limited, you should only meet people that spark joy. Not the energy drainers that you were friends with three jobs ago, or your former BFF from high school that you grew apart from.

It sounds harsh and it’s a little tough, but it’s ok to let go of things or people that once played a great part in your life, but don’t anymore! It feels uncomfortable, but imagine the relief if you only meet with people that you really love to see! The same goes for romantic relationships. Every relationship has its up and downs. That said, I really believe that your partner should make you feel joyful and happy. If your overall feeling is anything else, it’s not meant to be. You don’t really have to think and doubt, just be honest about how someone makes you feel.

I KonMari’d my fitness regime

After taking some time to consider the things that really ‘sparked joy’ in my life. I cancelled my bootcamp class because I realized it made me feel terrible and filled me with dread. Sometimes fitness does feel awful, but if you focus on the things you love you can get fit much quicker! I love yoga, kickboxing, and running so that’s what I’ll do instead. Easy right?

If you haven’t read the book yet, I highly recommend it to you! What are your experiences with KonMari?

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up ($10) SHOP

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Contributor

Emily

I love the last part about fitness! And that’s so true. Basically if something doesn’t make me happy, I rarely do it. I’d rather exercise three days a week and be happy than kill myself 6 days a week and be miserable… Naturally I hate clutter. So I think I have a lot of this down. This does seem an interesting read though!

-Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com
Marzena T

I became curious about the book. There’s nothing like a big dose of motivation
Stephanie

It changed my life too!! She has so much wisdom packed into that little book. It was definitely one of the best reads of the year so far for me too.
Hillary Flinn

Interesting application of the philosophy! I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while now, but just haven’t found the time. I guess the hard part when it comes to the fitness discussion is for people like myself: what if no fitness activities spark joy? ;) Guess I’ll keep looking…

Hillary | http://www.flinntrospection.com
dreamofadventures

I’ve been hearing so many great things about this book! I will have have to look into buying it =o)

http://dreamofadventures.blogspot.com/
Camille Beygui

Great post
Xoxo
http://fashionbackyard.blogspot.fr
Meow HK

I have read this book and it’s so amazing! Though i haven’t thought of applying it to my exercise routine, i need to do that, thanks for the advice. :)

https://mshksite.wordpress.com/
Prerna Bhatt

I’ve read the Life changing magic of not giving a f**k and it is amazing!

http://www.prerislife.com
Nícia Cruz

This is a book I want to read, thank you for all the valuable information. <3
Elise

Thanks for sharing! I’ve just borrowed this book off a friend and am really keen to read it now. I love the idea of doing this for your exercise regime – because we all don’t like the same thing. I want to enjoy working out and not dread it! X

http://www.sheislight.com
Brenda Fong

I’ve heard about this book and i have just reserved a copy from the library because of your post, what a wonderful way to live your life!
Lucywachowe

One of my favourite books of all time, shared my thoughts of it on my blog. The book is a must read for all.

http://www.lucywachowe.co.uk
Christina

Just ordered two copies of it in hardcover! One for me and one for my sister. Who knows… this might end up being the perfect Christmas gift for everyone who gives me joy.