There’s a new Netflix show that’s taking the country by storm. It’s called: “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo”. It’s based on Marie’s best-selling book: “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” I’m sure some of you have read the book. When it came out, it started a flurry of people trying to tidy up their homes. But now, you can get the Kondo basics just by watching a few episodes of the Netflix show.
First of all, Marie is adorable. She has the sweetest face and takes delight in what she does. I will say that some of her techniques are a real turn-off to me; spend quiet prayer time thanking your house? Hmmm, probably not. I’ll thank God FOR my house, thank you. And, at first I couldn’t relate to holding each item in my home to see if it brought me joy. After I thought about it for a bit though I realized that maybe that step made sense.
Perhaps the most dramatic part of the shows I’ve seen is when the homeowners are asked to put all their clothes into one pile. The sheer quantity of clothing some of these people possess is mind-boggling!
Then, after holding each item of clothing, if they find it doesn’t bring them joy, they are supposed to thank it for its good service and then gently place it in a donation bag. Realistically, I can more easily see myself yelling, “Why the heck don’t you fit anymore, you stupid pair of jeans?!” and then throwing the offending pants across the room. But, in the show the people seemed to appreciate this step and were able to pare down at least some of their massive piles of clothes.
At the end of each show, it is inspiring to see how the homeowners are able to downsize and take some control over their clutter. I think the thing that separates this show from a hoarder’s type of show is that the clients have a real desire to get a handle on their messes and change their lives. And, it is amazing how organizing their homes changes other aspects of their lives: their moods, their relationships and their creativity.
I don’t have all the steps down yet as I’ve only watched a few episodes. But, I have to say that I am inspired to downsize and organize. And, apparently, so is the rest of the country. People all over the world are using the Kondo approach to try to simplify their lives. January is the perfect organizational month anyway so this show dropped at just the right time.
But, if you have no plans to downsize, or if you actually need some things for your home, this is the time to hit your local thrift store! You’ll be able to score some real finds as the new organizers get rid of all their excess.
I, however, want to find out if living with less “stuff” changes my life. Will I have more energy? Will I feel happier with less “things” around me? Will the simplicity of my surroundings spark my creativity? I’d like to find the answers to these questions.
So far, I’ve used a bad cold as the excuse for not getting started. Because all of this organizing takes a lot of work. My daughter has already begun with her closet. She sent me this picture today:
I responded with: “I win!” and this picture of old Kleenex and throat lozenge wrappers:
I foresee some follow-through issues on my part!
So, if I do share some before and after photos on social media, please be kind enough to clap for me. I get overwhelmed easily. And, if you want to join me, post your pictures too!
(A warning about the show: my daughter and I had trouble getting through the first episode. The featured couple was hard to relate to and I couldn’t bear to see how their kids ran the household. Either skip ahead or bear through it because the next episode gets better.)
Read more of Ann’s contributions to allmomdoes here.
