Marie Kondo has definitely taken the world by storm with her bestselling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” A decidedly prolific writer and now the founder of her own company brand, KonMari.co, she isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Her latest and biggest project? A new show on Netflix premiering this January 1st.
While the immense popularity of her book is something to behold, it still manages a number of negative reviews here and there, claiming that her approach isn’t flexible or friendly for those who lead different lifestyles. Yet the success of her career continues to speak for itself—hundreds upon hundreds of people helped, with several high-profile opportunities and press under her belt.
So what is it about the KonMari method that people find useful and Netflix finds so compelling that they’re willing to create an entire show around it? Well, here are a few of our best guesses.
The promise of a transformed life is motivating
Despite what her meek disposition and tiny frame might suggest, Marie Kondo is an assertive force to be reckoned with. Unlike many of her peers who are more conservative with their promises of transformation, Kondo boldly describes her method as “life-changing.” This apparent confidence is what motivates not only her readers to pick up her book, but also every client she’s worked with to actually get decluttered.
Kondo also notably instructs her clients to visualize their dream lifestyles before they pick up a single thing to declutter. This extra step of envisioning a more personal transformation is also incredibly motivating. And that extra motivation goes a long way in helping struggling organizers to follow through.
It provides structure to the decluttering process
The reason why the KonMari method is such a shining beacon of light to many, is that it provides much-needed structure to the decluttering process. Too many of us declutter on the fly, without a thoughtful plan or strategy, so we end up overwhelmed before we even finish. KonMari, on the other hand, provides us with a tried-and-tested blueprint for decluttering—making sure to guide us through every step of the way.
The KonMari method tells us which categories to declutter, in which order (see: clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous, and sentimental items), along with how to deal with specific kinds of situations. There’s no need to feel confused or intimidated by the amount of work ahead, when you have a map and a set of instructions telling you exactly what you need to do.
Thanks to KonMari, we no longer need to stress out about how we want to declutter; we can simply focus on the simple act of choosing what to keep and what not to keep.
It teaches you key principles in a simple way
Kondo’s decluttering method of asking whether something “sparks joy” is perhaps her greatest contribution to the decluttering community. Although it sounds a bit wishy-washy, that simple question can actually accomplish more than one might think.
Too many of us declutter on the fly, without a thoughtful plan or strategy, so we end up overwhelmed before we even finish.
We tend to complicate the process of decluttering by asking too many questions, using too many gadgets, and trying to accomplish too much in too little time. But having the single criteria of only keeping things that “spark joy,” simplifies the process in such a way that builds our intuition, decreases decision fatigue, and allows us to build momentum so we can declutter quickly.
In other words, Kondo’s method helps you hit several birds with one stone. You can enjoy the benefits of many decluttering principles just by applying a single tip. The KonMari method isn’t just simple, it’s surprisingly strategic as well.
All in all, while the KonMari method might ask you to do a few kooky things like talking to your stuff and arranging your clothes in ascending order, but it’s definitely sincere (and effective!) in its attempt to get your life in perfect order.
