Spring cleaning is a task that most of us dread. Decluttering is an art, so, taking inspiration from the world-renowned Japanese Organizing Consultant and Author – Marie Kondo, tidying coaches at Joy Factory – Neetika Pahwa and Gayatri Gandhi talk about ‘KonMari’, the folding techniques and their home-grown approach called ‘C2S2’ – Collect, Choose, Scrap & Store. Discover simple tips to organize your home and workspace based on the KonMari concept to surround yourself with items that spark joy.

Q1. What is KonMari concept? Please elaborate.

The world renowned KonMari Method of tidying and organizing has been developed by lifestyle expert Marie Kondo. This method encourages a way of life wherein one retains things that Spark Joy and discards those that don’t. Most importantly, The KonMari Method is a state of mind and its success depends 90% on your thought process.

Once you have undergone your “decluttering festival”, you become more conscious of what you own, need and buy, leading you to live a life of positivity and mindfulness.

The question, “Does it spark joy?”, is the unique characteristic of The KonMari Method and the focus here lies on what to keep rather than what to discard. Once you have decided on what items no longer spark joy, you express gratitude towards them and let them go.

The other exceptional characteristic of this method is to tidy by category and not by location. One of the most common mistakes we make is to tidy room by room or drawer by drawer. This is a recipe for disaster. While it temporarily gives you a feeling of being organized, you will eventually rebound, because all you have done is shuffled items around from one location to the other.And ultimately, The KonMari Method is not merely a tidying method, but an approach that will make you capable of tidying.

Q2. Also talk about spring cleaning and C2S2

We are under a misconception if we believe that tidying and spring cleaning are one and the same thing. Tidying and cleaning are not interchangeable activities. They are in fact different at many levels. Marie Kondo explains it quite simply and rather well. Kondo says, “Tidying is the act of confronting yourself, while cleaning is the act of confronting nature.”Furthermore, tidying deals with objects that have been placed by us, because a cluttered room is entirely our own doing, whereas, cleaning is removal of naturally accumulated dirt which needs to be done regularly.

Taking inspiration from The KonMari Method, we at Joy Factory formulated the C2S2 technique, which makes the tidying process streamlined, effective and exciting. C2S2 stands for C-Collect, C- Choose, S-Scrap, S-Store and is applied to every category, starting from clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous items to sentimental items. Items pertaining to the same category are first Collected at a central place to evaluate the volume of items owned. We then ask the question, Does it Spark Joy? so as to make an informed decision of what to Choose. On the other hand, items that are not chosen are the acknowledged for the purpose they served and thanked before letting go. This forms an essential part of the term Scrap. Last but not the least, storing is imperative to the complete tidying journey. Items must be stored such that they are visually appealing, easy to access and vertically stacked. It’s about giving each item its own home.

Q3. Talk about the collaboration with MUJI and Joy Factory

The collaboration with MUJI was a no-brainer! MUJI is a brand that stands for creating simple products that have utility at its core. The organized storage items available at MUJI are a direct connect with Joy Factory’s ideology of storing efficiently and effectively. The purpose of the workshop with MUJI was to discuss our mutual philosophy of encouraging people to lead a simple life which is clutter free and sparks a joy in every aspect. The #Aceyourspace workshop is a first step towards introducing the KonMari philosophy to MUJI customers and patrons.

Q4. Why it is important to declutter and what are the essentials to keep in mind?

Before we come to the importance of decluttering, it is essential to understand what constitutes clutter?

If we were to ask ourselves Is my physical space organized? Most of us are likely to answer yes!

We all have well-kept houses, organized and neat on the surface, but it’s only after we start opening our lofts, stores, kitchen cabinets, unused drawers, cupboards, trunks, unused suitcases and bed boxes, that we open our life to clutter. More often than not, clutter is hidden in the most unobvious of places that are invisible to the eye.

What we fail to realize is that clutter has various side effects – low productivity, reduced focus, high stress levels and anxiety to name a few. To address these effects, it becomes essential to first declutter. Believe it or not, organized surroundings affect your mental and physical state in ways you can’t imagine. From having more time for family to creating a stress free life, organization contributes to happier living.Effective organization helps you save time, space, money and bring in calm, composure and comfort in your life.

Before starting your decluttering festival, it is essential to become committed towards the process and carry it out in one go. Start by imagining your ideal lifestyle. Be it the kind of food you want to eat, the home you aspire to have, the evening you plan to spend after work or the books you want to start reading. Imagine it all, because it helps you establish a clear vision of why you want to tidy in the first place. Then focus on tidying category wise and in the right order starting with clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous items and finally sentimental items. While dealing with each item, always remember to ask yourself, Does it Spark Joy?

When these methods are applied to your premises, you will be able to see a visible change that is not only satisfying and rewarding but will also guide you towards a life of inspiration!