Tidying Up with Your Conscience
In Netflix's Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, we were asked to re-evaluate our relationship with the space and items in our homes. In the show, the organizational guru travels across the United States helping families declutter and organize their homes. But this isn't any ordinary HGTV-esque show, the KonMari Method focuses on the relationship between the energy, the space, and the individual. If you haven't watched the series, I highly encourage- especially if you're having a hard time going to sleep, it's very soothing.
Between the books and the show, Kondo failed to address one major aspect of her process: what do we do with our discarded items? If the goal in tidying is to have a deeper connection to the things in our lives and the spaces we occupy, then that mindset has to begin in the decluttering phase. After all, that porcelain doll I hid in the closet of my childhood bedroom is alive, right? And we wouldn't want to piss her off now, would we?
Click on the links below for tips and tricks on responsible ways to re-home or re-imagine your unwanted items!
Some key takeaways from the series:
It starts and ends with your mindset
or as I like to say- if you can't change your mind, you can't change anything. If you want to change your habits, you have to first change your way of thinking.
Your home is a sacred place
by removing items that don't spark joy, you can change the entire environment and subsequently, the energy of a space. The energy left in the room is only that which sparks joy.
Your things are alive
if you grew up in my generation then Toy Story had us all treating our toys a little better as children, but I think it is innate within us to treat objects with respect. “Just like the gentle shake we use to wake someone up, we can stimulate our belongings by physically moving them, exposing them to fresh air and making them ‘conscious.'”
It's not discarding- it's keeping what you love
this all goes back to your mindset. We get back the energy we put out into the world so it is important to recognize the difference between discarding items you don't want, and surrounding yourself with items that purely spark joy in your heart.
Transform your home to transform your life
this one sounds a little "Yes Man-esque" but sometimes quippy one-liners just get it right!
“Tidying is just a tool, not the final destination. The true goal should be to establish the lifestyle you want most once your house has been put in order.”
“Pour your time and passion into what brings you the most joy, your mission in life. I am convinced that putting your house in order will help you find the mission that speaks to your heart. Life truly begins after you have put your house in order.”