Move Over Hygge—Marie Kondo Has a New Lifestyle Concept to Improve Your Life
Updated: Feb. 06, 2023
Discover how you can use a principle popularized by cleaning guru Marie Kondo to live your best life
Over the last several years, organization consultant and cleaning guru Marie Kondo has gained a reputation for her masterful techniques that help people transform their homes into a tidy oasis.
Whether you first discovered Marie Kondo thanks to her #1 New York Times best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, or found inspiration by watching her Netflix show based on the novel, her impact on the way people view their spaces has proven tremendous. We love how Kondo has a tip for everything—whether it be tackling pests in your home or figuring out how to fold your items perfectly.
Now, Kondo is back with fresh insights into creating a more mindful space. In the latest Marie Kondo book, Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home, she encourages readers to evaluate their spaces in a new light. Here’s everything you need to know about the lifestyle concept kurashi—and how you can use it to improve your life.
What is kurashi?
The focus of the latest Marie Kondo book is the concept of kurashi. Kurashi is an untranslatable Japanese word that roughly means “the ideal way of spending our time” or “way of life.” In the book, Kondo dives deeper into the variety of ways your environment can offer a strong foundation where you can begin to build your ideal life.
The book offers a holistic approach by asking readers to visualize their best life from the moment their day begins right up until the end. Of course, there’s a healthy dose of Kondo’s signature mindfulness, as the book invites you to ask, “Does it spark joy?” As you move throughout your day, you have the opportunity to look deeper into how your environment can support you in your journey to consciously cultivate that dream life you’re striving toward.
Throughout the process of cleaning, Kondo suggests readers focus on their individual kurashi, which helps motivate them to begin the process of tidying up and provides insight into what they value the most. Through this, readers can begin to piece together what living their best life means to them.
What you can learn from Marie Kondo’s Kurashi At Home
We love how Kondo weaves mindfulness together with tidying up and demonstrates how your space plays a role in creating your reality. Here are a few of our favorite tips from the new Marie Kondo book to inspire you as you discover your unique definition of kurashi.
Take time to ponder your dream life
The concept of kurashi is multifaceted, so to begin, take some time to ponder your dream life. Ask yourself what it looks like and more specifically, how it feels. Having this vision will help you on your journey to a cleaner space because you’ll have a more thorough understanding of how your living area can help set you up for success in other aspects of your life.
Commit to yourself
Because this concept is holistic, you’ll be asked to take a step back and evaluate how you spend your time. Does it support the life you’re trying to lead? In the new Marie Kondo book, it’s suggested you are more mindful of how you spend your time.
Let go of any limitations
“Give yourself the freedom to imagine your own personal ‘wouldn’t it be nice if’ living space and let your heart brim with joy,” Kondo says. To fully soak up this experience, allow yourself to trust your intuition, suspend disbelief that things won’t go as planned and get creative with what you want your space to look and feel like.
Be honest with yourself
When you’re on your journey to a more tidy space and defining your own idea of kurashi, it’s important you be transparent with yourself. Kondo believes that often when there’s a block in cleaning, there may also be one in their personal life. By looking inward, you can identify blocks and figure out how they’re impacting how you take care of your space.
Have gratitude for your space and your way of life
According to Kondo, “Everything you own wants to help you.” Think about how your items spark joy, and once you’ve identified which do, have gratitude for the way you’ve filled your home!
Source:
- Kon Mari: “What Is Kurashi?”
Originally Published: November 30, 2022
