Ready for Change

When I give talks about KonMari I gauge the audience about their familiarity with the method. “Have you read the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up?”… “Have you seen the Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo?”… ”Have you ever heard of Marie Kondo or the KonMari Method?” and watch the hands go up. Then I ask “Have you implemented the KonMari Method in your home?” and watch for responses.

Then I clarify “do you practice the method or do you fold your t-shirts vertically?” And the response is met with laughter and immediate recognition that doing a tactic is not the same as following a comprehensive process.

To follow the method is to make a commitment to examine your relationship with stuff, to live with only those things that bring you joy, and have the courage to let go of everything else.

In my opinion the signature KonMari fold is only about 5% of the method. As long as you are treating your belongings with respect, it doesn’t matter exactly how they’re stored.

The confrontation is hard. The commitment is hard. The letting go is hard. So we’d rather focus on folding. And storage. And containers. And labels. And rules. And all the other forms of organizer porn.

The work is with ourselves. The courage to pause and look inward and ask the question - how do ** I ** feel about this? But people would rather experience an electric shock than spend a few minutes with their own thoughts.

Change is hard. Don’t judge yourself if you’re not ready for taking on the effort required to make a lifestyle change, but don’t kid yourself either. Allow that this may not be the right time for you. Prepare yourself. Eventually when you get sick of the status quo, the pain of staying in the same place will outweigh the pain of moving forward and you’ll take that leap.

When you’re ready, we’ll be here to support you.