Dealing With Stuff
  • Dealing With Stuff
  • About
  • Contact

Spark Joy

1/15/2016

 
Picture
When I saw that Marie Kondo had a new book out, I knew I would have to read it right away.  We are both clutter consultants, so it’s incumbent upon me to maintain familiarity with other professionals in the field.  People are constantly asking me about The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  Mostly, though, I wanted to see if her second book was as kooky and impractical as the first.

It is.

Don’t get me wrong: I agree with KonMari on many important points.  We agree that people keep too many physical possessions and that they hold us back in life.  We agree that being organized makes for a better life.  We agree that a clean and tidy home is a fine thing to have in its own right.  We agree that doing a thorough space clearing can be completely life-changing.  If you love the KonMari Method, and it is helping you clear your clutter, by all means, keep going.

My main issues have to do with the time-consuming nature of the KonMari folding method; the encouragement to think of inanimate objects as sentient beings with personalities and, well, it sure sounds like she thinks they have souls; and a certain amount of idiosyncratic “advice.”  Some examples:

Wrapping electrical cables in fabric – complete with detailed illustration.  THIS IS A FIRE HAZARD.

Folding irregularly shaped objects: “If you come across an odd-shaped one, take a deep breath and remain calm.”

Folding parkas – complete with detailed illustration.  Probably the least efficient way to store a bulky item.  I have a parka but it wouldn’t fit in a drawer no matter how I fold it.

“Balling your socks and stockings, or tying them into knots, is cruel.  Please put an end to this practice today.”  Can we take that focus on “cruelty” and redirect it toward, say, the campaign to end human trafficking?
​
Getting rid of a hammer with a worn-out handle and using a frying pan to hammer nails instead.

“While I have very few interests other than tidying,” (Chapter 2)
“…it reminds me of myself as a high school student when I was so obsessed with tidying that I had a nervous breakdown.” (Chapter 10)

Here is my position on clutter: Stuff is meant to be used.  We become emotionally attached or cathected to inanimate objects when there is something awry with the way we form emotional attachments to other humans.  We fill our personal environments with THINGS to the point that it is impossible to maintain basic safety and cleanliness, and it affects our health, starting with the respiratory system.  Treating THINGS as though they have FEELINGS makes it that much harder to get rid of them.  The priority is to maintain a functional (safe, healthy, efficient) living environment with the absolute least amount of effort, so we can spend the majority of our time living our true purpose and communing with loved ones.  By “loved ones” I mean PEOPLE, not collectibles or books.
​
As an organizing consultant, I think much of KonMari’s folding and storage methodology is inefficient.  Please, please don’t spend that much time folding your laundry!  I’m perfectly fine with my people keeping loose, clean garments in laundry baskets if that’s what works for them.  Also, for the love of all that is holy, please don’t wrap your electrical cables in fabric.  Spark Joy, but don’t spark a fire.


Comments are closed.
    New podcast!
    Clutter of the Day

    Author

    I've been working with chronic disorganization, squalor, and hoarding for over 20 years.  I'm also a marathon runner who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and thyroid disease 17 years ago.

    I have a BA in History.

    I live in Southern California with my husband and our pets, an African Gray parrot and a rat terrier.

    #Questioner
    #ENTP

    This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies.

    Opt Out of Cookies

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Categories

    All
    ADHD
    Birdwatching
    Body Image
    Book Reviews
    Books
    Cleaning
    Clutter
    Fibromyalgia
    Filks
    Fitness
    Food
    Future Self
    Futurism
    Goals
    Habits
    Humor
    Languages
    Martial Arts
    Mindset
    Minimalism
    Money
    Motivation
    Moving
    Organization
    Past Self
    Pets
    Preparedness
    Procrastination
    Public Speaking
    Quests
    Relationships
    Resolutions
    Running
    Sleep
    Technology
    The-woowoo
    The-woo-woo
    Thyroid Disease
    Timemanagement
    Time Management
    Tiny Houses
    Travel
    Weight
    Work
    Writing

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Dealing With Stuff
  • About
  • Contact