During a January webinar promoting her latest book, Marie Kondo mentioned that since the birth of her third child, shit has gotten real at home. She said her house gets messy and that “Tidying up means dealing with all the ‘things’ in your life.”
The news went a bit viral, saying that the queen of tidy’s crown has slipped and that she’s veered into Goblin Mode.
So has Marie Kondo gone rogue?
No, actually she is expressing the reality that time (like space) is a finite resource, and we need to prioritise and re-evaluate often. It’s about what sparks joy.
With three kids and a busy job, it’s not surprising that her standards have lowered as she leans out of tidying perfection and into family life. We all shift perspective and focus depending on our family/friends, health and career.
And tidying perfection is a myth. There is no standard that works for everyone. You need to figure out your own clutter tolerance and your current priorities.
To minimise tidying altogether, my advice is to be mindful of what you allow into the home in the first place. Which, when you have little ones is more difficult but also more important. Lots of research says that too many toys stifle children’s creativity and cause overwhelm.
That’s why Kondo’s move away from minimalism to the dark side of retail in 2019 was disappointing. But the lure of capitalism is strong.
Has Marie Kondo gone rogue? No, but she writes a good book.“ Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life” is available now.
