Why is everyone obsessed with Marie Kondo right now? If you haven't heard of her yet, she is the author of the popular book about decluttering and organizing, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Netflix also released her new show recently, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Kondo promises to change your life by following her steps of removing unnecessary items from your life that do not spark joy for you. The key here is that this is for you, not her, not me, but you. She helps people with no judgement and full acceptance of their decisions in this process; while guiding them towards a life with less stuff and more joy.I wonder if we are so interested in this because in a world of abundance, our minds and bodies crave a simpler more decluttered life. Kondo provides a solution to this problem of abundance in our society. Here are 5 of the most life-changing lessons from Kondo:
1. Respect your belongings-- be grateful for all of your items that have served a purpose to you. This does two things: creates a grateful mindset and encourages us to appreciate the abundance that we have, which we often take for granted.
2. Be open to change. Change can be so scary, but without it we don't grow. As you go through items in your closet be open to letting go of items that you are holding on to for sentimental reasons, but don't serve a purpose and don't bring you joy. It's okay to hold on to sentimental items but in a way that brings us joy.
3. Clutter affects us in many ways. Clutter affects our relationships-- couples often argue more when there is clutter. To the moms out there, your stress level increases with clutter. Have you ever walked in your cluttered home and felt completely overwhelmed and defeated? Imagine how your mood and relationships could change with some tidying up?
4. Does it bring you joy? If not, then let it go. This is my favorite lesson from Kondo and it's a whole mindset shift. If we think about what brings us true joy, many of the items that we fill our lives with may be burying that joy. For example, spending time with my family brings me the most joy. However, I often spend 3-4 hours everyday cleaning up, that 3-4 hours that I could spend with family. If I had less stuff, I would have to clean less which would mean that I would have more time for my family. To think about what sparks joy, helps us let go of the unnecessary and only surround ourselves with items that are fulfilling and necessary.
5. Less is more. By living with less stuff, Kondo inspires and guides us to live our ideal lives. The great thing about living with less is that it frees the mind. Can you imagine living with only the things that you need and that spark joy in your life? You would be surrounded by things that bring you true happiness. You would also have more time for people, things and places that spark joy. Your relationships would benefit. Your mood would improve. It changes your way of thinking.
I want to leave you with this quote by psychologist, Vivian Diller "Less stuff that clutters our space and our mind can help us be more attuned to what we feel and think." I'd love to hear from you, have you tried tidying up with the Kondo method? What changes did you notice?
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