Near the beginning of her first Netflix series, Marie Kondo declares, “I love mess” in that cute voice I’ve come to appreciate!
Well, OK. That needs a bit of translation.
What she’s really saying in “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” is that she loves the possibilities for positive change that mess signifies.
Clear it away, comprehensively and for good, and your life improves in ways that range from subtle to profound.
It’s what I’ve been doing for the past four years as a Certified KonMari Consultant (now with Gold status)—helping people rescue their homes and transform their lives through a rigorous category-by-category tidying.
In the process Marie Kondo made famous, the things that spark joy get to stay and those that don’t must be thanked for their service and dispatched.
I eagerly embraced a full KonMari transformation of my own home toward the beginning of my journey, of course.
My husband and I worked through the categories—clothing, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous stuff), and sentimental items—and cleansed the clutter completely.
But here’s my confession: I got busy, both as a KonMari Consultant helping others spark joy, and as a Chiropractor, Reflexologist, Reiki Master Practitioner, and Acupuncturist … and things stealthily started accumulating a bit here and there again.
The “mess” wasn’t reclaiming the house. It was more like hot spots here and there like the closet near the kitchen and living room.
When properly adhering to KonMari principles, everything that enters the house must be given an appropriate tidy place to reside if it meets the spark joy/necessity test … otherwise it’s let go of with thanks.
But that closet, well it started becoming that place where you stash things just to get them out of the way. You know what I mean—the catch-all closet, the one you open every time you don’t know where to put something.
Before long there’s so much stuff in there any attempt to organize it mostly has things you touch falling over. You can no longer find the dog treats or the batteries, and whenever you pass by it you mentally groan, “Oh, that closet!”
You know what I mean!
It even happens to KonMari consultants. I can hear some of you saying, “C’mon not you,” but we’re only human and being too busy is a symptom of many types of afflictions.
If you’re like me, when the house starts getting too filled up, it affects your mood and mindset. You don’t feel peaceful, or like you’re accomplishing things.
It’s the clutter.
It’s like mental quicksand that swallows your serenity. Unfortunately you can’t blink like “I Dream of Genie” and make it disappear. Just like dust bunnies, clutter seems to multiply and grow on its own.
It can be sneaky and subtle, this “invasion,” and the first clue it’s happening is often a vague discontented feeling that things are out of place and not right.
What we don’t realize is that these signs of disorder can trigger the larger pervasive feeling of being overwhelmed. Personally I start to feel like a mouse on a treadmill.
The negative feelings are amplified in my case because our house is always in order, so when it starts slipping out of order it throws me off badly.
There’s only one answer in this situation!
I persuaded my husband that a KonMari refresh was in order—after all, wasn’t most of the new clutter his ‘fault’?—and during some days off recently we rolled up our sleeves, jumped in, and vanquished the “invasion” before it could truly take root.
Truth be told, when I say I had to KonMari my house again, it’s more like refining and redoing a couple of shelves in the closet, but no matter the scale of your cleanse the result is the same: You feel better, much better.
When you KonMari your house, the reason it changes your lifestyle and how you live is because you’ve earned the most valuable asset of all—empowerment.
It comes from feeling more clear-minded, not overwhelmed, and able to accomplish daily things without having a cloud over your head.
The bigger things, whether challenges or opportunities, suddenly seem doable. Instead of being weighed down by mental fatigue every time you open that problem closet, with that mental fatigue sometimes causing physical fatigue, you feel energized and ready to seize the next better thing.
I experience this phenomenon with KonMari clients, and also with patients in my Chiropractic practice. They come in complaining of heaviness and achiness, which are really byproducts of varying types of misalignments. We address those and the weight is lifted.
“Discovering what sparks joy can transform every part of your life,” Marie Kondo says in her new Netflix series, “Sparking Joy With Marie Kondo.” “You can bring a new light to your work, your relationships, your community. It’s a chain reaction.”
That chain reaction begins with the decision to spark joy!
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Those seeking professional help with a decluttering can visit my Packages & Rates page for details about working together, and feel free to email me at [email protected], or call (203) 772-8883.
Those seeking information about to my healthcare practice may call 203-910-6185.
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