Oh goodness! Marie Kondo has had kids & is spending time with them rather than tidying, isn’t this what the KonMari Method is all about?
I appreciate Marie’s honesty, it shows that she, like all Mum’s, is juggling family life, work & her home. We all know how tough this is.
At the heart of Marie Kondo's tidying method is the aim of focusing on the things that are most important to you. Discovering the things you love - the things that spark joy - and then creating the time & space to enjoy them.
In the original Washington Post article that led to all the headlines Marie says; "Up until now I was a professional tidier, so I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times. I've given up on that in a good way for me. Now I realise what is important to me is enjoying spending time with my children at home". Marie is living her ‘ideal lifestyle’ focusing on her kids and family life - which sounds suspiciously like the KonMari Method.
Marie Kondo has systems and routines in place
If you have a system in place it's much easier to keep on top of things in a way that works for you. In the original Washington Post article Marie talks about being present with her children in the day and then doing other tasks when the children are in bed. Marie has systems in place to keep on top of things at home - when you have a place for everything it's easier and quicker to keep on top of things.
The KonMari Method has never been about perfectionism
It's never been about having a perfect home - it's about creating a home that feels good and works for you, wherever you are in your life right now.
Some of my clients like homes that have clear surfaces, others prefer a more 'lived in' feel. There's no cookie cutter approach to home organisation with the KonMari Method, it's always bespoke so your home supports how you want to live your life. You'll be able to spend time doing the things you enjoy with the people you love and not feel constrained by the way your home is or the need to forever be tidying up.
There are no 'rules' with the KonMari Method - you don't have to fold your clothes, and your home doesn't need to be Pinterest or Instagram perfect (although we can help you make it look that way if that's your ideal lifestyle).
As long as you know what you have, can find it easily and pop it back when you have time then you are sorted!
Find out more about Marie Kondos tidying method in my blog 'How to declutter and organise your home with Marie Kondo's KonMari Method®'.
Don't give up on being organised
The most worrying thing about all these headlines for me is the fact that Mum's may actually start to feel like giving up. That there's no end to feeling overwhelmed by the clutter around their homes and no point putting some systems in place to help them feel like they are managing.
I’ve seen first hand the frustrations my clients have when they juggle kids, work and their homes – by understanding how they want to live their lives I’ve helped them make changes that work for them.
I spend time with the busy parents I work with, getting to know them really well so we can create a home that works for them. By understanding what they love doing and what gets in the way of these things, I'm able to guide them through organising their homes.
I also suggest ways to maintain the calm in their space going forward. If you've invested time and effort to declutter and organise your home it will make life easier for you.
I've even helped families that are looking to move as they're running out of space realise that they have the space and love their home.
Create a home you love that works for YOU
The KonMari Method is all about YOU. We start by focusing on your ideal lifestyle:
how you want to live your life
what's important to you
how you want your home to look and feel.
I encourage you to write this down or even save pictures to a Pinterest board as it helps to make it feel real. Once you have this vision you can then start the process to move towards it. You may find that your ideal lifestyle evolves following life events (such as having a baby), this is natural and the beauty of Marie Kondos method is that it can support you as you adjust to this.
If you're a busy parent - always be kind to yourself and allow yourself to be present for all the important stuff - life happens, Lego always gets everywhere, and craft is messy.... enjoy it.
Are you ready to start living A Life More Organised this year?
I’d love to hear some of your reasons for getting organised – let me know them in the comments!
I’m Sue, a professional home organiser and KonMari Consultant based in Hampshire.
I trained with Marie Kondo and the KonMari team and help busy people declutter, organise and simplify their homes so they can get on with the important job of enjoying life.
For a no-obligation chat about how I can help, please get in touch.
m: 07740 782575 www.alifemoreorganised.co.uk
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