From Overwhelmed to Organized: Our First Step with the KonMari Method

When my husband and I decided to take on the project of turning our apartment into a true home, we had no idea where to start. All we knew was that something had to change—because the way we were living just felt overwhelming.

During a therapy session, my therapist suggested we look into Marie Kondo’s approach to decluttering. If you’re familiar with her, then you already know how life-changing her method can be. But if you’re not, let me give you a quick rundown.

What Is the KonMari Method?

The KonMari Method, created by organizing consultant Marie Kondo, is all about decluttering your home by category rather than by room. Instead of asking, “What can I get rid of?” you ask, “Does this spark joy?” If the answer is no, you thank the item for its service and let it go—through donation, recycling, or discarding.

Marie Kondo became widely known through her bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and her Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Watching the series gave my husband and me the motivation to finally start.

And according to the KonMari Method, the very first category to tackle is… clothes.

Facing the Clothing Pile

I’ll be honest—this was the category I dreaded the most. I’ve always struggled with holding onto clothes, telling myself I might wear it again one day. My husband, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to start tossing things out.

So, we gathered every single piece of clothing from our closets, drawers, and even the kids’ clothes. The KonMari Method recommends putting it all into one big pile. And let me tell you—it was eye-opening. Our pile was massive. It filled almost our entire dining room floor and stood surprisingly tall.

Seeing it all in one place was both shocking and overwhelming. It made us realize just how much we’d been holding onto without even noticing.

The Process of Letting Go

One by one, we picked up each item and asked: “Does this spark joy?”

For me, this was tough. For my husband, it was freeing. Still, we worked through it together. And after a few hours (and a lot of decision-making), we ended up with 7–8 large black trash bags full of clothes to donate. When all was said and done, we had kept less than half of what we started with.

The relief we felt at the end was incredible. It was like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders.

Folding the KonMari Way

Once we finished decluttering, it was time to put everything away. Marie Kondo’s folding technique was new to us—folding clothes flat and storing them vertically in drawers so you can see everything at a glance. It took some time to adjust, but the end result was so worth it. The drawer looked neat, organized, and honestly… beautiful.

Walking Away Lighter

After two full days of sorting, thanking, and folding, we finally finished step one of the KonMari journey. We were exhausted, yes—but also energized. There was a lightness in our home that we didn’t realize we’d been missing.

This was just the beginning of our decluttering journey, and we’re excited to keep going. Next up: tackling books.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed in your space, I can’t recommend this process enough. It’s challenging at first, but the joy and freedom you feel afterward makes it so worth it.

Follow along as we share more of our journey toward creating a home that sparks joy—one step (and one category) at a time.