Marie Kondo or Marie Kon-don’t

 

Marie Kondo is currently the subject on a lot of people’s minds right now. It’s very easy to see why. She is a best selling author and now has a successful streaming show. It’s amazing to see that this woman has changed some of the way that people look at professional organizers. She is starting to shed light on what some of us actually do.  It’s something other than seeing an episode of Hoarders. There has been a misconception for some people that this is the only thing that organizers do, and this is far from the truth. The question remains, “is this the right style for me?” There is more than one type of organizer. There are many ways of organizing. I am not here to rip apart this woman’s life work. I don’t enjoy tearing other people down. I am here to explain, there is more than one way.

“Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” is sweeping through people’s homes right now.  It’s beautiful. It’s getting people up and motivated. Ready to start change. Part of being an organizer is sharing knowledge.  It’s important to impart knowledge because, no one wants to be set up for failure. If you want to see more of my goals as your organizer, check it out. (My Goals As An Organizer For You.)  The only drawback to the massive amount of exposure for this method is it doesn’t work for everyone, and that’s okay. Not every method works for every person. Sometimes looking for what “sparks joy” is not exactly what you need.

The basic art of organizing is broken down in to 5 parts.

• Part One. Sort – Taking an area and going through to see what is going to stay and what is going to go. Everything needs to be sorted. However you decide to sort the items, this is the first step.
• Part Two. Discard – The things that should be going, need to go. This step is important because, some people think that once it isn’t in the “area” then it’s done. This isn’t true. You need to have it physically removed for it to be truly gone. When you are organizing, you don’t want to give yourself more trouble later. If you remove an item from inside of the house, it cannot go live in the garage.
• Part Three. Find a Home – “A place for everything and every thing in it’s place” is not just a cute saying. It helps. If you know where it goes, you know where to get it.
• Part Four. Containers – After every piece has a home, does it need an additional container? Containerizing can create a greater ammount of efficiency in organization. Add a label, and then every one knows what it is.
• Part Five. Maintaining It – The last part is essential to keep you from backsliding. (If it happens, no worries, that’s okay, too.) Making habits is not easy, but it will help you to keep up with everything that has been changed. The only way to keep it organized is to maintain it. Hold yourself accountable. Put it away, don’t put it down.

That is the “basics”. I say “basics”, because this is where the organizer gets to let their own creativity shine. It can be broken up differently and said in a million different ways. KonMari has created her own. She has done an exceptional job. I use some of her folding techniques for my own home. I found an example of that for you here. I want you to know that if hers does not work for you, don’t blame yourself.

You are not “less than” because it isn’t the right fit. Organizing is the same as style, aesthetic, and preferences. One person’s choice, is not always the same as another. It’s harder for some us to find that “spark”. It doesn’t mean that it is not there. It just means that one wasn’t yours.

I know that my style of organizing is not for everyone. I am a repurpose and reuse kind of person. If it doesn’t serve one purpose, it may serve another. It’s not for everyone. I don’t want to buy something new if I don’t have to. If I can give something new life I will and when all else fails, as Tim Gunn says,

Make it work!

My hope is that in reading this, you’ll see that maybe you just need a different way, a new path for how you approach organizing. My hope is that you will find a path that works for you and that you find the “spark” that you need. I would love to help.

Keep Moving Forward

Lissa