Marie Kondo is revolutionising how we approach our home lifestyle. Her method, known as The KonMari Method, is elegant in its simplicity. Kondo recommends bringing all your belongings together into broad categories and discard those that do not spark joy. It’s a way of decluttering the home of all the literal and proverbial baggage. But does it work?
The Pros of the KonMari Method
Marie Kondo has published four books. She is a television sensation in her native Japan and now she’s on Netflix all over the world. There must be something to this. And there is. One of the great benefits of her work is that she’s trying to help people achieve exactly what so many say we want. By decluttering our lives, we are destressing. By focusing on and keeping those things that bring us
happiness, we are surrounding ourselves with happiness.
What really works is that The Kondo Method gets right to the heart of the problem. It isn’t just about getting rid of stuff that clutter your living space and mind. It’s also about proper organisation. Have you ever been nearly late for work because you can’t find an important item such as a tie or worse, your keys? Kondo argues that we should keep our belongings consistent and tidy to ensure they are easier to find. Everything should have a place and be kept in its place when not in use. That’s nothing but common sense.
The Cons of the KonMari Method
It’s possible to be too tidy; it’s also possible to waste too much time tidying and organising. One of Marie Kondo’s suggestions from her work is that women empty out their handbag every day and put aside in a proper place all those unneeded things. It may be a sensible suggestion, but it doesn’t sound particularly practical. What also isn’t covered in her work is how to get families to play along. How many times have any of us tidied up after a partner only for them to become annoyed that they can’t find something? They also won’t react well to having their belongings organised and discarded.
Many are also turned off by the spiritual element of The Kondo Method. She advocates the use of
shrines and charms in some elements of The Kondo Methof. While some people may be attracted to this, it won’t work for a more sceptically-minded person who simply wants practical tips for a calmer living environment. People also seem divided on anthropomorphising their belongings. Thanking inanimate objects for their service before discarding of them may seem odd to some but sensible to others.
But Does it Actually Work?
That really depends on your point of view. The great thing about The Kondo Method is that it is full of great ideas for getting rid of stuff you no longer want or no longer bring you pleasure. No doubt all of us have longed for a less cluttered life at times in our life. With The Kondo Method, that is certainly possible.