Clothes
Clothes is the first category that you joy check in the KonMari Method™. Why are clothes first? It is the easiest category for us to make a decision on what sparks joy. They are something we interact with and choose on a daily basis. We know which clothes we love to wear and which we avoid and put back in the drawer.
Remember that with the KonMari Method™ we are organizing by category. This means we get ALL our clothes out. Even the ones in the coat closet, storage box or shoved under the bed. ALL of them! Make a pile of your clothes on your bed. When you think you have everything, check one last time to make sure. Ask yourself, "Am I prepared to discard any clothing I come across later and don't currently remember where it is?"
Once you have your pile, step back and take a look. Notice how you feel. Are you surprised by how much you have? Overwhelmed?Generally, this pile shocks us! We don’t realize how much we have of something until we gather it up and pile it together.
After reflecting on the pile, I have my clients pull out something they know does not bring them joy. Something that they always skip over and shove to the back of the closet. Generally my clients can find something pretty fast. I ask them what they don’t like about it. I have them thank the item and put it in the discard/donate pile.
Then I have them find something in the pile that they LOVE! Something they feel good in and are happy when they wear it. Often, this is a harder task. My clients normally dig around for a few minutes until they find something. I then ask what they love about it and why they are drawn to it. We put this in the keep pile and use it as a basis for understand what sparks joy.
We continue this process of holding each item and asking the question, “Does this spark joy?”. We start with shirts (they are the easiest to know if it sparks joy because they are closest to our heart). We then move to sweaters, pants/shorts, dresses, etc.
Body language is so important during the joy checking process. Often when something sparks joy you pull it in to you, smile, and even smell it! When something does not spark joy, we often scrunch up our nose, move away from it or furrow our brow.
Sometimes a client will say something sparks joy, but their body language suggests otherwise. I will then ask a clarifying question and have them tell me more about why it sparks joy. They often waver and have a hard time coming up with anything—they may say, “well I just think I might need it…” or “I don’t actually like it, but it was expensive...”
I give you permission right now to LET IT GO! We do not need to hold onto items that cause us guilt. We can thank it and let it go. Remember, the goal is that everything in your wardrobe sparks joy for you!
Contact me if you want help going through this process. I would love to be your coach and cheerleader!