I Have a Few Choice Words for Marie Kondo That Might Not Spark Joy
Exploring a better way to think about the clutter in your life
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Marie Kondo is the world-renowned expert on de-cluttering our lives. Even if you haven't seen one of her TV specials or read her books, you may have attempted to clean out your closet using her KonMari method.
You've heard of the method where you take an item, hold it, see if it "sparks joy," and if it doesn't, it goes bye-bye. I'm not sure I have much in the way of material items that spark joy.
Yet, why is it that we have multiple "junk drawers" in our house? I'm all about tossing and streamlining. My wife is about saving and accumulating shit (just in case we might need it someday). Does Marie address this disparity in couple's mindsets?
I believe what Marie is talking about isn't so absurd. It's about learning how to weave our values into our choices and gaining clarity on what should stay and what should go. It's about releasing what's not serving us. It's also about keeping those things that really matter.
This idea of the "tidying up" thing is actually pretty profound. It's more about mindfulness than minimalism. Kondo is telling us to stop caring about our stuff. She's telling us to look deeper into each item's meaning — to assess why it's in your life and the energy it brings.
If you have a lot of things that spark joy, good for you. Taking stock in this way is an opportunity for gratitude and celebration. It's a reflection that you are consciously building the life you desire. It's an easy thing to forget. The things we choose to hold on to are more significant than those we ditch.
On the other hand, if you find that you accumulate items that aren't serving you, then permit yourself to let go of those cargo shorts, that drawer of mystery chargers and cables, that holographic sticker collection. And why are you still hanging onto those high school and college textbooks?
This process isn't just for your clothing, nostalgic objects, or pantry. It's about evaluating what you surround yourself with physically, mentally, relationship-wise, habits, and values. Perhaps Marie's methods are not your jam or your idea of prompting joy…
