Marie Kondo helps readers achieve their ideal lifestyle with ‘Kurashi at Home’
Inspired by the Japanese concept of kurashi, or “way of life,” Marie Kondo is back with a powerful new visual guide to help readers curate their personal environments in her new book ‘Kurashi at Home.’ Whether you’re keen to create your ideal workspace or to build more relaxing night-time rituals, this new release from the multimedia star and Rakuten Group partner known by fans around the world as KonMari, empowers readers to embrace what they love about their lives and build peaceful moments in any way they can.
We asked Marie to tell us about the inspiration behind the book, its unique visual approach and how we can all apply “Kurashi” in our daily lives, at home and in the workplace.
Marie Kondo, bestselling author, Netflix star and founder of KonMari Media, Inc.
I wrote “Kurashi at Home” to provide a way for readers to learn how to visualize their ideal life, so that their homes, activities and relationships can truly spark joy every day. This book in particular is unlike anything else I have written before, as it contains beautiful visual content and an in-depth look at how to achieve Kurashi in one’s home. Writing and sharing the KonMari Method™ with the world has been a passion of mine ever since the publishing of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and through this avenue of storytelling, I am able to reach an array of people and teach them about the KonMari Method™ and the joy of tidying.
A new visual approach
I am very passionate about art, home and design books. Kurashi at Home was developed in a very visual format to serve as a guide for both those who have already adopted the KonMari Method™ and for those who might be new to the philosophy. This book shows readers what applying the KonMari Method™ to every aspect of their lives can look like in order to have a joyful morning, day and evening. Kurashi at Home provides a way for people to learn how to visualize their ideal life so that their homes, activities and relationships can truly spark joy every day.
How to apply “Kurashi” in our daily lives, at home and in the workplace
In Japanese, the word for “lifestyle” is Kurashi and according to the Daijisen dictionary of Japanese terms it means “the act of living; spending each day; daily life; making a livelihood.” The further I thought about this, Kurashi essentially means the ideal way of spending our time. During the process of applying the KonMari Method™, I ask clients to first share their hopes and dreams for their ideal home. Exploring Kurashi is very similar except you are applying it to aspects like your life, career and relationships. An ideal lifestyle refers to what we do and the choices we make, not where we live or the materialistic items we own.
In any aspect of your life, whether it’s your career or your relationships, it’s important to always ask yourself what sparks joy. When it comes to the workplace, taking organized notes, minimizing clutter and having a tidy desk can help you focus on your daily tasks. Keeping one or two special items like a family photo or memento from your favorite trip can add a bit of joy to your daily routine.
A first step to achieving your ideal lifestyle
It’s important to have a vision. Describe your ideal lifestyle. If you like drawing, sketch out what it looks like. If you prefer to write, describe it in a notebook. You can also cut out photos from magazines. When you imagine your ideal lifestyle, you are really clarifying why you want to tidy and envision your best life.
Learn more about Marie Kondo’s ‘Kurashi at Home’ at KonMari.com.
