By now you’ve gotten wind of the Marie Kondo phenomenon. The Netflix show, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” follows Japanese organization guru, Marie Kondo in her journey to help clear out the cluttered lives of American families. At first glance, you’d think the series was just about color coordinating your closet and making it easier to find your favorite pair of shoes. But oh no, it goes so much deeper than that.
In every episode, Marie dispenses truly valuable lessons that are bound to spark a bit of joy in your life. Here are a few that should be embraced the most:
1. Be ok with change
Change is complicated and difficult. But the one constant in life is change, so you might as well embrace it with a positive attitude.
The series shows the cleaning expert going to households with frustratingly large amounts of junk, but unlike most people, Kondo is energized by the random clutter. The energy is infectious not only to the families but to the viewers as well. By the end of each episode, participants who started off apprehensive or overwhelmed are equally excited about home organization.
2. Give clutter more credit
You may think it’s just stuff, but letting clutter creep into every room of your home can have consequences that more detrimental than we realize. Untidiness can greatly affect your relationships, as well.
In the premiere episode, the patriarch of the family admitted that stressing over household messes translated to his family often seeing the worst side of him. He was near tears after that realization rocked him.
In episode 5, Frank and Matt acknowledged that their piles of unnecessary stuff was holding them back from maturing individually and as a couple that would make their respective parents proud.
3. Get rid of anything that doesn’t make you happy
Perhaps the most important lesson from this series is being cognizant of which of your things “spark joy,” as Marie says repeatedly throughout the show. When it comes to sorting through your belongings, Marie encourages the families to evaluate whether each item is practical, useful or valuable. However, one of the key pillars of Kondo’s KonMari method of tidying is first asking yourself whether an item brings you joy.
Amazing, right? Instead of worrying about whether you might fit into those jeans again or if that pile of electrical cords could come in handy someday, just ask: Does this spark joy for me? If it doesn’t, ditch it. Be sure to apply this lesson to not only the inanimate objects in your life but people and situations, too. I’m just saying.
Jasmine Browley holds an MA in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, and has contributed to Ebony, Jet and MADE Magazine among others. So, clearly, she knows some stuff. Follow her digital journey @JasmineBrowley.
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