Have you ever thought about throwing out every item in your home that doesn’t “spark you joy?” If you’re not familiar with the New York Times Best Seller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo, chances are you’ve at least heard her name. The latest trend of tidying up has been quite the topic of discussion lately. There’s even a Netflix series now, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, where people invite Marie into their home to help remove clutter and transform their lives.
Kondo’s method is not based upon tidiness alone, because anyone can just shove things in drawers and call it a day. After all, your home may look clean if everything is put out of sight. Instead, the KonMari method focuses on actually removing unnecessary items from your life.
Here’s a quick overview of her system:
Step 1, tidy your entire place all in one period. This is very important to note, because if you don’t allot yourself enough time and energy in one period, you might never finish. Once you’ve tidied your entire place, take it a step further and tidy by category (shoes, books, clothes, etc.) instead of tackling one room at a time. You’re going to want to group all of the same items together in one area as this will give you a true sense of how much you really own. You’d be surprised at the amount of clothes the average person has once they’re all laid out in one place.
The final step, dispose of or donate anything that does not “spark joy”. Simply hold up an item, and if it does not immediately bring you joy, you should “thank” that item and let it go. You can probably imagine just how many “things” you could technically get rid of simply for the fact of not bringing you joy.
And although this series has been sparking a lot of people’s interest, even perhaps changing people’s lives, not everyone’s convinced. If an item does bring you the utmost joy after holding it in your hands, well, you toss it and move on. Sounds pretty harsh. This technique can actually leave some people with deep regret months or even years down the road.
Twitter user D.L. Mayfield tweeted: “I deeply regret Marie Kondo-ing my books a few years ago, just in case anyone is toying with doing the same!” While another user tweeted that she regretted disposing of her children’s baby toys.
This makes us question whether a truly “clean” space is for everyone.
According to experts, tidying up isn’t for everyone. It can actually cause extreme anxiety for some personality types. Dr. Daniel Levitin tells INSIDER, “While purging a space of superfluous objects may fulfill some people’s needs, the action can have a negative effect on others.” He goes on to explain that the Marie Kondo cleaning method is actually suitable for those people who are unburdened by the purging process. So her method is certainly not for everyone.
There’s also the argument that some people may be internally organized, but their workspace or home might not reflect that. Have you ever heard the saying, “A person’s house is a reflection of their state of mind”? Well, that doesn’t really apply to everyone. In fact, in Dr. Levitin’s book, The Organized Mind, he explains the idea that someone can be organized without appearing so on the outside.
After watching the Netflix series, it’s easy to come off with a sort of “urge to clean”, but before doing so, maybe press the pause button. If this process, or even the thought of it, causes you anxiety, it’s probably not the right move for you. But if you’ve been needing some major motivation to get your life and home in check, then give it a try. Just remember that a couple of years from now, this trend will go away… and those items you decided to toss won’t be coming back either.
I think there is a difference between the whole Kondo method and a good system of Productivity and decluttering. Other systems include the YouTuber Alejandra Costello who has a ton of videos on organisation tips and tricks, productivity and decluttering.
Dubbed “the most organised woman in America” I think this is a more approachable way for people who either have a ton of heirlooms (yup, can see it all now: lets just jettison the Delft and Wedgewood collection of my great – grandma…only to find out it is worth a mint if I had taken it to Antiques Roadshow!) or for whom a massive purge is a traumatising event.
Kondo works for the youth and minimalist who has let clutter creep in. For those of us who have generations of keepsakes as the family archivist, whether an item sparks joy is not the issue. Remembering is as much about memory as it is about keepsakes.
My monthly bills do not spark joy, so…
shuttup and take my money before I burn my place down so I have no clutter
Right!?
Hi JT Foxx and Team,
Love this insightful newsletter! I love the fact that you point out the stress and anxiety level for someone who do not like organizing. For me, I am definitely an outsourcing fan. Yet, stuff can be personal. This Marie Kondo method sounds great!
I also love the point about ‘internally organized’. I believe I am one!
Great insights! Appreciate your sharing!
Thank you for the input. Never heard of the series on Netflix or the book before.
If my place is a mess my head is as well, my thoughts are so much more on point if my environment is.
Will listen check it out!
Best regards,
Albert
Awesome, glad we could help!