If you don't know the name 'Marie Kondo' then you've clearly been living under a rock; or you're just waking from your New Year's Eve liquor coma because honey..... 2019 is all about Marie and how she is going to organize and cleanse our lives.
Netflix's 'Tidying Up' hosted by Marie Kondo is sweeping the nation. Marie is the mother of the KonMari method. What is that you ask? It is the method defining the act of taking all that you possess, materialistically, pulling it together and separating it into different categories. Then... you go one category at a time and begin a 'purge.' The idea is that you continue ownership of only the things that "spark joy!" Once you accept this merriment, you find a place for each item in your life. Whatever remains after i.e, all that is joyless, well that stuff is banished. Give it away, burn it, destroy it, who cares, just get it out of your sight.
Marie's methods have been met with some controversy and blowback for being a bit... extra, but for the most part we've all become obsessed. Mainly because in our heart of hearts we're all hoarders in some way and we are dying on the inside to find productive ideas to change that behavior. So let's learn a few things about Marie, because she is not going anywhere anytime soon. If Netflix is smart they've renewed her for a decade because she is basically on the path to be our Oprah for tidiness.
She didn't start all of a sudden....
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Marie is the author of several publications. Kondo has penned four books on organizing and has sold millions of copies in a myriad of languages. The book T"he Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" (2011) is her most successful to date and helped to land her on Time's 100 Most influential List for 2015.
She got a man too! And some kids...Â
Imagine having to live this method with the person who created it? She has a husband named Takumi Kawahara and two daughters. I'm sure they're a perfectly fun and happy family but you know nobody is sleeping in on the weekends because chores need to get done and bedsheets need cleaning. That's real joy right there! She has said at first he wasn't the tidiest of men but that has since changed with her inspiration.
Blessed be the Cleansed!Â
Her KonMari Method was inspired is some ways by the Japanese folk religion of "Shinto."
Apparently the followers of Shinto believe cleaning and organizing is a spiritually orgasmic experience that brings you nearer to the divine which is the most effective way to live your best life.
Obsessed Much?
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Back in her school days, Marie would efficiently spend her time by organizing bookshelves. Literally, this wasn't just what she did for fun, she saw it as a calling. She actually treated this as part of her education.
Being Saved!Â
One day while in the throes of shelf organizing she experienced what seemed like a breakdown and fainted, she probably got her blood boiling with organizational ecstasy. She was out cold for two hours and when she came to she says she heard a voice that showed her the true way.
She understood that she needed to do more than just organize and toss things out, she needed to embrace what could be kept and acknowledge the joy that was attached to all that is left behind. Hence sparking the method.
This Can be You Too!Â
Anyone of us can become certified to teach this method. Apparently we can give seminars and do home visits and be missionaries of Marie as long as we pass the class. To be a KonMari Consultant, one has to attend a seminar, audition by tidying with two clients, and of course there is a written exam. Oh and of course you must read her books and be a fan of the system. Simple enough. But not cheap. The path to being a KonMari consultant carries a price tag of $1,500.00
Bravo Audience!
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Thanks to Marie's intense process its being reported that Thrift stores are seeing an uptick in donations. That is a most definite plus as many American families are in need this winter. Goodwill has personally credited the show with their influx.
The Perfect Fit!Â
She stands a powerful 4 feet, 7 inches tall. Well that makes it easy to get to the hard to reach corners of any closet.
Spread the love....
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Newsweek reported that in an interview with 'The Japan Times' she discussed how her loved ones have been benefitting from her calling for quite some time.
"I used to clean my brother and sister's rooms, and I would go to friends' houses and clean their rooms, too."
Folding is Key....
Kondo has her own special and unique process of "vertical folding." Her technique is a surefire way to your keep on top of our closets by keeping their inhabitants in order. She almost makes clothing into an art form. She likens it to origami.
Pee You....
She adores the sense of smell. She adores it so much that it pains her when she is subjected to an abhorrent stench. In an interview she stated.... "If a room has some garbage, like stinky garbage, old food and stuff, yes it does bother me sometimes. But not because of the amount of clutter, it is just the smell."
Pants Off...
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She is a bit if a fashionista who likes to eep it old school. She has banished pants from he attire apparently. Kondo told the New Yorker that years ago pants, yes pants... stop bringing her joy.
Don't Look at Me...
She prefers to keep her personal life personal. She doesn't splatter her life across social media and hasn't given access of her own home. Though she has harmonized thousands of people's sanctuaries she refuses a peek at hers. Interesting... hiding something un-joylike Marie?
The Muses....Â
She actually appreciates clutter and uses it as a creative force. She told a Reddit fan... "because it is a good feeling for me to imagine how this person can declutter."
That's one way to get randy.
Delete, Delete, Delete....
She is not only coming for your closet. She has ways to clear up every aspect of our stress. When it comes to work and emails we all can fall severely behind. One Redditor asked her about what they should do and she had the answer, replying....
This is kind of a common question, even in Japan.
Well, I recommend to take the same method as you tidying up your house. For example, you should dedicate the whole day to tidying up your email inbox (or in one shot). In the same way, you move on to the next category of documents and files - for example, you just want to work on this specific folder today. But you want to get it ALL done. It is important to finish up this category in one shot.
I know your eyes get very tired! You can take a break while doing it.
The Power of 6!
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If you've not gotten onboard the Kondo train after hearing all this then review the following sic simple steps listed in 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' by Marie and if you feel it touches you, take a glance at 'Tidying Up' on Netflix...
- Commit yourself to tidying up.
- Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
- Finish discarding first.
- Tidy by category, not by location.
- Follow the right order.
- Ask yourself if it sparks joy.
Also, be sure to check out these Kondo-inspired tools for keeping a clean home.
