My client wanted to fold her t-shirts the KonMari way. And why not? Some people like to do it this way and can maintain this system. Marie Kondo popularized it, but she certainly didn’t invent it.

My Kondo-lences to those who are as Kondo-ed out as I am — no offense to the media darling herself — and sincere Kon-gratulations to Marie and everyone who has found inspiration in her new Netflix series — Tidying Up with Marie Kondo – which premiered on January 1^st.

My news feed has been saturated with articles praising, trashing, and poking fun at her series and her methods. So, why am I adding to the noise and Kon-fusion? Because I get asked daily what I think about it. I decided to e-Kondo-mize – wait, no, I’m leveraging — my words and energy by gathering together my previous related blog posts here for anyone who is interested.

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A friend recently shared a tip with me that she read in an organizing book. I don’t even know which one it was. It was a technique for detaching emotionally from objects in order to be able to part with them. It said (I’m paraphrasing, and so was she):

This item belongs in your past. It exists in your present as well, because you still have it… but does it belong in your future?

What are those magic little words that inspire and help you part with clutter and get organized?

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Keep or toss? Does it spark joy?

What do a toilet plunger and old tax returns have in common? They’re both things that don’t exactly spark joy, but you’d better keep anyway.

If you’ve heard of Marie Kondo, the Japanese bestselling author, you will probably recall her #1 criterion for keeping things: Does it spark joy?

I think this is a lovely question to ask when purging things like clothing, books and décor. Not so much, though, when it comes to many of the other items we use every day.

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Last year was a very long one for professional organizers. Some have jumped on the bandwagon, some have been openly critical, and others are just trying hard to stay above the fray. Not a day goes by but what I don’t see an article about, or at least mentioning, Marie Kondo, or someone asks me if I’ve read her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (yes, I have). And now her new book, Spark Joy, is out (no, I haven’t).

Before I continue, and for the record:

I believe Marie Kondo to be 90% just like any other organizer (with fantastic PR and timing), 5% lost in translation, and 5% unique.

My problem is not with Marie Kondo. It’s with the media hype surrounding her.

My problem is not with Marie Kondo. It’s with the media hype surrounding her.

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