There’s a new Netflix original series that’s popping up on my social media pages. Tidying Up with Marie Kondo! I was very hesitant when I first saw this on my Netflix feed. I am not a tidy person. My husband is- he’s also way more proactive than I am. And I have heard about this method of cleaning before and it seemed like it was adding extra steps to the cleaning I was already struggling to do. So what’s the big appeal? How were they able to make a series out of?!?! Here are some thoughts on the show and some tidying up tips.
Fifteen minutes in and I was hooked! I identified with the first mom who was overwhelmed and anxious with the amount of work and clutter every week combined with young children. I was reminded of so many positive things and cleaning habits that I had not been actively working on. But more than that- I learned so many things just from watching the first few episodes!! Even if you don’t think this method will apply to you or your lifestyle- try the first episode. You might be surprised at how applicable it actually is and by the tidying up tips you pick up.
3 Overall Thoughts on the Tidying Up Netflix Show
- I instantly felt guilty and inspired by the show. It amazed me how much clutter, and just our stuff in general, impacts our lives and feelings!! (I’m also loving all the funny memes this is inspiring) But I knew piling all my clothes on the bed would make me feel guilty about constantly complaining about not having the right thing to wear…
- I’m excited to do some thrift shopping the next couple of months as this catches on. Yay for one mans junk being another’s treasure (And I’m going to try to wait until March to sell stuff I get rid of for the same reason- flooded market). I’m also super excited to save up and get some new organizational stuff from the thrift store, Target and 31.
- This series definitely made me think about communication and emotional intelligence. It is HARD to commit to going through all of your stuff. And this method requires a lot of reflection, thinking about the future and self motivating. Watching this with my husband started some awesome conversations and we’re excited about tackling some areas of clutter in our lives. Keep reading for tidying up tips.
So what is the Konmarie method?
It is MORE than just a cleaning method! (I think that’s what really makes it so impactful!) The first thing she emphasizes is that it is about choosing joy, appreciating things instead of feeling bogged down by them, and moving forward into the future as positively as possible. The other thing that struck me is that you should only have to tidy your whole house ONCE. Then you just maintain and revisit different categories. Instead of cleaning by rooms- it’s by category. Keep reading for more Tidying Up tips.
The five categories are…
- Clothing
- Books
- Paper
- Komono: Kitchen, Bathroom, Garage, and everything miscellaneous
- Sentimental
Space by space. It was eye opening for the people on the show seeing every piece of clothing, every book they owned, and all the papers in their house gathered into one pile. (I thought the 4th category would be the most overwhelming- but that didn’t seem to be the biggest struggle for most.) Piling it all up certainly helps you to gain perspective on the amount you actually do own. Then you keep what sparks joy in you, or what you want to bring in to the future with you. Then you thank the rest of the things and give them away or throw them away. BUT what about the practical junk I have to have for work? Or bills? That stuff doesn’t bring me joy! According to Marie Kondo- that’s about changing your perspective to one of gratefulness. Not everything in your house is going to make you feel warm and fuzzy- but is it practically helping you or reminding you of something? Keep reading for more Tidying Up tips.
The Marie Kondo Method Rules
Here are her six rules of tidying according to her website…
- Commit yourself to tidying up
- Imagine your ideal lifestyle
- Finish discarding first
- Tidy by category not location
- Follow the right order
- Ask yourself if it sparks joy
Marie Kondo Tips from the website, Tidying Up Netflix show and other organizers:
*Nothing is ever going to be perfect: But it will be much easier to enjoy your space when you appreciate what you do have and everything has a designated spot…. It’s like everything your mom or grandma told you growing up about cleaning is important guys! What is life?!
*If you live with anyone besides yourself- it’s a team effort– and you have to be gracious with each other. We need to intentionally give our family the best of us, be kind with each other and assume the best of them- especially when working on emotional and overwhelming projects together. If they express that something is difficult for them- don’t knock them down. And have fun dreaming together about new possibilities.
*We are all motivated different ways! And we all get overwhelmed by different things. This is important to remember for me as a teacher, it’s important for bosses, parents, and teammates. Not every kid is motivated by the treasure box or candy like I am 😂 Break up these projects into pieces and reward yourself as you get through them.
*You and whoever you are tidying with have to COMMIT. It will probably be overwhelming and exhausting at points, but they promise the end result will be worth it. Marie suggests breathing through it, cleansing the space by making it smell great or playing calming music, and motivating yourself with whatever motivates you best.
*Allow yourself to really dream about the future and the outcome of cleaning- what does your ideal lifestyle look like inside this space? Will having this space cleaned up make you feel better? You can check out Marie’s book for more in depth info. I’m also going to suggest Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchin Rubin- it comes out in March and that and The Happiness Project are on my reading list this year. (Has anybody read the Happiness Project already?)
*When you store things- Marie says to make sure to store it in such a way that allows you to see what all your are storing. How many times have you bought an extra of something you already had- but you didn’t know you had it because you couldn’t see it in your garage or drawers? Keeping things in clear tubs or separating them into smaller boxes is best. This is even applicable in drawers- store similar sized things in smaller boxes inside a drawer to keep it neater and easier to keep clean and organized.
*Be gentle with yourself and your stuff! They say to thank the things that you are discarding because it helps your perspective and level of gratefulness. (And it really does!) You also have to be gentle with yourself- it takes time to figure out what “Sparks of Joy” feel like to you. It also takes some time to learn to appreciate necessary things that don’t spark joy (like a uniform or your dishwasher) if you have never thought about appreciating them before.
What really sold me on the method was the end of the episodes. You could almost feel the relief of the families who participated. They had learned things about themselves, each other and how to better work together in the future. So many of them mentioned feeling lighter, being more joyful in their homes, and tackling new things (like keeping the house clean) together. I really think that is what separates this method from other organizational ideas- also what makes it entertaining and inspiring T.V.
My husband and I separate our goals out into different months of the year and we’ve added some of the steps of this method to our goals for 2019. Would you try this at your house?! What are your best tidying up tips?
If you want more information, check out the show on Netflix or get the book below:
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