Is Tidying Up With Marie Kondo Right For You?

The Intentional Mom Planning System is where you need to start with our incredible collection of product options. It will help you establish the basics for your life & home so you’ll finally have a plan, save yourself time, and go to bed feeling like you accomplished something every day (because you did). Save up to 60% HERE!

Tidying Up With Marie Kondo is all the rage these days. I wasn’t going to jump on the bandwagon, but I was curious to see what all the fuss was about. So, I jumped in, with both feet, and binge watched the popular Netflix show. Having watched nearly all the episodes, I have come to the conclusion that it might not be for everyone. I think there is something for everyone to learn, but in order to implement Marie Kondo’s methods, there are some things you need to embrace first.

---

If you’ve never grabbed our decluttering questions, they are the perfect compliment to this wildly popular show. Enter your email below to have them emailed right to your inbox.

[convertkit form=5176076]

---

This post isn’t a review of Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up, and it isn’t a summary of her systems and methods either.

What I want to do for you in this article is to answer the question, “Is watching Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up right for me?

(this post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you)

In order to be able to implement what Marie teaches, here’s what I think you need to be ready for.

Be ready to let go of things using Marie Kondo’s methods

Many of us have emotional connections to things. These connections can be so strong that it could be nearly impossible to actually get rid of anything. Sure, you might recognize that you have a clutter or organization problem, but if you’re not emotionally ready to let go of things, you will have a hard time doing the things that Marie teaches on her show or in her book (which is really good, by the way!).

Be ready for hard work, knowing that progress might be slow at first

Even with Tidying Up being all the rage, it’s not a magic formula. There isn’t someone who will come to your home and do the work for you. If you are looking to use the Marie Kondo method as she lays it out either in her book or on the show, you are going to have to be the one to put in the work.

And, like most things, it will take you time. Especially if you are really applying her methods as she teaches them. Progress might even be slow, especially at first.

But, as in most things, your hard work will pay off in the end. If you do the work that Kondo tells you to do, your home could look pretty amazing. And if you’re working hard, your house could look like an entirely different place next week.

How exciting is that???

Be ready to be honest about the way your things make you feel or don’t make you feel

Many of us don’t realize this, but so often our clutter is attached to feelings. And these feelings make us keep so many things that are not serving us. But, the way our things make us feel is a very real thing.

If you’re ready to be honest about the emotions that are associated with everything you own you will do great with Kondo’s methods for dealing with clutter.

Much of what you will be asked to do using the Tidying Up method will be deciding whether something brings you joy or not.

Joy is different than feeling obligated to keep something that was a gift. Feeling joy is different than feeling stress about where to keep everything you think you need to keep because you might use them “someday.”

A huge part of the Tidying Up method is honestly looking at everything you own and deciding whether something brings you joy or not.

Recognize when you need to walk away and take a break

Dealing with clutter, it can be an overwhelming task. And often things look worse before they get better. I think this is often the case with Marie Kondo’s method because she will ask you to empty a room before you start sorting through things.

I’m not sure about you, but when things get overwhelming the very best thing I can do is walk away for a bit.

If you decide to watch Tidying Up With Marie Kondo and work through the methods she teaches, you should know that there will most likely be times when you have to walk away and take a break.

Then, as you work, when you start to feel overwhelm creep in, recognize that walking away and taking a break may be appropriate.

Have the motivation to keep working on each theme or category until they are done as Marie Kondo lays out

When working on the same area for a while, let’s face it, it can get boring. So often when starting a task we have some excitement. We anticipate change and a better situation, and we have the energy to get it done.

When we get to the end of any task, we seem to get a burst of energy because we can see that the end is in sight.

But things get tough when we are in what is often called the “messy middle.”

It’s when the excitement has worn off, yet the end is so far off we can’t see it. And so, we lose our motivation.

Knowing that this will happen, and being ready for it means that you won’t actually stop working. You’ll just keep on pushing through.

Using the Tidying Up method takes work. You’ll have to keep working even when you don’t feel like it and even when you lose your motivation.

But the payoff…a neat, clean, uncluttered, and organized house will be SO worth it.

Be ready to face the emotions your clutter brings

We’ve already talked a bit about this, but it bears repeating.

When sorting through everything you have in a room, you’ll likely come across things that maybe you’ve not seen in a long time – and for good reason.

Maybe you’ll have to sort through things that belonged to a loved one who has now died. Maybe you’ll have to sort things that are from someone you are no longer in a relationship with.

There could be all kinds of reasons that you’ll have to face things that bring hard emotions along with them, but know, going into it that when you’re going through everything as Kondo suggests, you might have to face things you’d rather not face.

But like in the previous step, you’ll do them anyway, knowing that the end result will be worth the emotional baggage that you’ll be dealing with in the process.

Although negative emotions may come, the actual act of getting rid of things that conjure up negative emotions can be so freeing.

And, if you know you don’t have these things that were bringing your emotions down anymore, you’re finally free!

But, it is important to know going into the methods that Tidying Up With Marie Kondo will teach you will most likely bring up some negative emotions.

Have a plan with where you are going with everything you get rid of

When decluttering, it is always, always, always, a good idea to have baskets, bins, and bags ready for your things before you start.

Then, have a plan with where you are going to be going with all of the stuff you’re getting rid of. Whether you’re donating it, selling it, or just tossing it away, know what you’re doing with these things ahead of time once you’re ready to go.

Once you start getting rid of the clutter and filling the boxes, bags, and bins, get them right out of your house.

When you’ve put in the hard work of getting rid of your clutter, get it out of your house right away.

Out of sight, out of mind.

If you don’t, you run the risk of yourself or someone else in your house going through all the progress you’ve made and justify reasons why these things should be kept.

And then you’ll be back at square one.

Before you even start watching Tidying Up, decide what you’ll do with all the things you no longer need.

Wondering whether you should be spending your time watching Tidying Up With Marie Kondo? Work through these six things first and if you’re ready, dive in!

Looking for more clutter tips and hacks? Try:

The Cheat Sheet to Tidying Up With Marie Kondo For Busy Families

Dealing with Clutter in a Small Home

Decluttering Questions

Dealing With Toy Clutter

Dealing with Kitchen Counter Clutter

You Can Have a Clutter Free Home