On tidying up; is it truly life-changing?

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

I’ve been on somewhat of a minimalism journey the last few years; I’ve tackled my wardrobe, my files, and my beauty drawer, all in the effort to reduce what I have, and live only with what I need. Also, perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly, new additions seem to keep creeping in here and there, effectively destroying any minimizing of my belongings that I’d done.

So, when I was recommended Marie Kondo’s book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by my friend Sonya, I thought, ‘why not?’. It’s sold over two million copies since being translated into English, and has been so enormously popular that without even flipping a page, I figured Kondo must be onto a good thing.

I approached the short guide on tidying with enthusiasm, reading through its 200-odd pages in just a matter of days (and judging from what I’ve read online, I wasn’t the only one). I savoured those moments of peace on the train where I could submerge myself into Kondo’s tidy world, where everything had a home, and every item was always put back in its place.

Kondo’s basic principle of the self-titled KonMari Method, is that e-v-e-r-y item and every single belonging in your home should spark joy. She encourages readers to go through all of their belongings (in a very specific order), pull out all of the items and hold them one by one to determine whether they spark joy or not. It’s a process which she estimates will take six months to complete, and she stresses that it’s important not to overwhelm yourself but also, that you shouldn’t just tackle a drawer a week and then be done with it.

One of her truisms which held a lot of weight with me, was that every item should have a home – a place where it belongs when it is not in use. As a child, growing up, this was something that my mother always reinforced in me. Everything was to be returned to its original place when being packed away, which helped to locate items and also meant that – aside from the toys I often had laid out in my play room – the house was always tirelessly tidy.

While I definitely think that there are some valuable learnings to be had from Marie Kondo’s book, her method and attitude towards tidying does at times come off as a little extreme, if not compulsively obsessive.

My favorite of her teachings, is admittedly the process of going through your belongings to filter through what gives you joy, and what doesn’t. I thought that while this could at times lend more to the extreme, this was still a useful tool for deciding what to keep, and what not to keep. Like that dress you haven’t worn in a year that you can’t bear to part with as the labels are still attached, the vase you were given by a family member that just isn’t your taste, or the bed linen you never use but keep just-in-case.

At times, the guide does come off as dully repetitive as Kondo reinforces her approach to each ‘category’ of item; repeatedly citing case studies to showcase how the KonMari method has benefited her clients spiritually, emotionally, and physically. In such a digital age, I’m not wholly certain that ridding yourself of almost all your belongings (as let’s be real – not 100% of your things will spark joy; I doubt I’m ever going to feel excited about a toothbrush or a cooking pot…) will bring about a spiritually awakening of sorts, but I do wholeheartedly see the benefit of removing the things you don’t love or use from the equation. Once you’re forced to live with less, it becomes the new normal; and often, I think most people would be surprised to find how little they can live with and still be comfortable.

Quite possibly the strangest behavior that Kondo encourages, is the practice of thanking our belongings for their ‘work’ that day. Perhaps I’m a skeptic, or perhaps I’m just not as spiritually attuned as I often like to think I am, but this isn’t an action that I’m ever like to take, nor want to. Her reasoning to me seemed flawed, as I think that they key to ensuring your belongings endure the test of time is to treat them with care and respect. Don’t throw a handbag in the cupboard – store it carefully; hang up your clothing at the end of the day rather than throwing it into a pile on the floor.

To say I’ve been completely and utterly complacent about ‘tidying up’ since reading Kondo’s book wouldn’t be too far off the mark. The first few nights into reading through her often-inspiring pages were filled with a scrabble through the drawers to get rid of anything that didn’t immediately spark joy – and for the most part, it worked. I reduced the amount of workout gear and pajamas I owned to just those that I treasured, and I filtered through my make up drawers to give anything that I didn’t use to my sister. But still, it hasn’t really been enough. I’m yet to go through my belongings, category by category, blow by blow, to get rid of anything and everything I don’t need. And honestly, I think part of it is the simple fact that I don’t want to. I don’t want to minimize my life and my home beyond recognition. Not to mention the fact that it sounds awfully time-consuming. I love an airy clean and clear space as much as the next person, but with a puppy and kitten in tow (and who knows what the future will bring…), I’m pretty realistic that this just isn’t what my home will ever look like.

I have however taken to started to fold the KonMari way, if only to organize Luke’s t-shirts and sweaters to maintain my sanity and reduce the number of t-shirts strewn across the bed every weekend. This is not to say that a full-on rampage of the house isn’t on the cards (Christmas break is just a mere two months away…), but for the next 60 days at least, I get the feeling it’ll be looking a lot like it does now. Instead, I’m hoping to take away some of the key behaviours that Kondo encourages; putting everything back in its place, caring for and treasuring my possessions, and being mindful of what I eventually do bring in to my home.

And as for Marie Kondo’s book? It’ll be taking a position of pride on my budding bookshelf, ready for the day that I finally decide to tackle my belongings.