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| Before Marie Kondo February 2015 |
What could a 53 year old psychologist from Oklahoma and a 30
something professional organizer from Japan have in common? We speak the same language. The language of change. Marie Kondo is empowering people to transform
life through clearing physical clutter – my spin is to shift perspective by
letting go of thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that no longer serve us.
Marotta and Kondo are both aware that incredible change is possible when you
have the right tools. But you have to be
willing to do the work.
Kondo’s book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up came at an opportune
time as I find myself somewhere between “emptying” and “feathering” my nest. She struck a chord when she detailed that the
point of tidying was not to be measured by how much you throw away, but instead
to intentionally surround yourself with the things you love. With this bliss in
mind I began to apply her method to my clothes, which is where she recommends
that we start.
It was the perfect rainy weekend. Step One I gathered ALL of my clothing into
our guest bedroom. Kondo urges her
organizing clients (now readers) to gather all of the items in a specific
category together to complete the project all at once. If there is a clothing item that is missed in
this broad sweep (think closets, laundry room, hooks, etc) of your home it is
supposed to be given away. I am not
brave enough to show you the picture of the heaps of garments that overtook the
guestroom. The excess, mistakes, waste and multiple sizes that made up my
clothing choices from past to present were all sprawled out.
Step Two involved holding each item in my hand and
evaluating if it “sparked joy.”It was oddly reassuring to check my gut for an
opinion.
Many of my clothing decisions were outdated, they literally
no longer suit me. For years these
choices took up space in my closet, unseen, but definitely felt as I tried to
hang up new purchases. At the end of the
day . . . four bags of clothing to donate to charity and two brimming trash
bags of torn, worn, and stained flotsam.
A strong theme throughout Marie Kondo’s guide to zen
organizing is the energy you will derive from thorough tidying. Her cultural perspective of energy is fun to
think about. According to her philosophy
all items have energy. When you surround
yourself with items that bring you joy, you are energized and happier in your space. When your space is filled with items that no
longer spark that loving feeling you are drained of energy. I waited for the energy after completely
revamping my clothing category. Instead
I felt exhausted. It was harder than I
thought. In the back of my mind I
worried that I had “let go” of something that I loved, or that I might need
someday. The parallel to therapeutic change was glaring.
It has been two months since I began my magical tidying. My wardrobe pallet is completely changed,
dressing is simpler, and I love every single thing I wear. I’m feeling the energy now.
After my clothing category I tackled my bathrooms, and my
true nemesis: paper. The before and after
pictures tell only half of the story. The mind shift towards simplicity is even
more impressive.
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| After Marie Kondo February 2015 |
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| Zen Organizing a la Kondo 2/2015 |
My response to empty nest is still evolving, but focusing on
what remains instead of what has been lost is a delightful blend of
peacefulness and excitement. If you are facing a life change I would strongly recommend the orderly advice of Marie Kondo. Let your external space
reflect your internal change.
It is a language we can all benefit from at
various points of our journey.
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| Happy Tidying! |
