Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix

Today I’m reviewing Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix. I’m sharing with you 5 key takeaways from the show, whether watching the show is a good replacement for reading her books, and creating an inexpensive DIY organizing box.

If you loved “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up” and “Spark Joy” by Marie Kondo, you will probably be a fan of the show. If you are learning about the Konmari Method™ (the combination of Kondo and Marie) for the first time, the show is a good primer but I recommend reading the books for a more complete immersion into this decluttering phenomenon.

Here are the 5 Key Takeaways from the Netflix Series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.

• Tidying is a Mindful Practice
• You have The Magic
• There are 5 “Lessons”
• Folding and Storage Tips
• Focus on your Own Stuff

#1 Tidying is a Mindful Practice

Getting rid of stuff and putting your things away in an organized manner is a spiritual practice. Marie greets every home with a mini sitting meditation to connect with the space before beginning the process.  When you decide to let go of something, take a moment to say thank you for the role it had in your life and gently send it on its journey. When you feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath. Do not judge yourself or others during the tidying process.

# 2 You have The Magic

Unlike other reality makeover shows, tidying is not something that is done to you. A crew of people do not descend on your home and organize your things while you are out for the night. Marie’s visits seem brief and lightly instructional. She then leaves the clear out to the show’s participants. The process is long, people work hard, and there are a lot of tears.

# 3 There are 5 “Lessons”

There is an order to Kondo’s method. You should tidy your home in this order – #1 clothing, #2 books, #3 papers, #4 komono (literally everything else from the Kitchen to the Garage) and lastly, #5 Sentimental Items.  Not every episode has a lesson on each topic. However, in watching all the episodes (we all binge this stuff anyway, right?), you will get a lesson on each category. Most lessons are on clothing. You will get a few hints about how to organize your paperwork, but the show spends little time on this probably because it would be boring and it’s more interesting to look at a huge pile of clothes. I recommend reading the Magic of Tidying as a reference for more detailed lessons.

# 4 Folding and Storage Tips

If you have not seen Marie on YouTube or nearly every day time talk show giving a folding lesson, you are in luck. Every episode addresses clothing, so you will see the now infamous vertical folding method.  But I think you will still have questions. It is easy to fold a t-shirt, but what about a bulky sweater or a silky camisole? Kondo does tackle folding a hoody, so she is a better woman than me. For the definitive guide on folding, reference the illustrations in Spark Joy.  I won’t tell anyone if you chicken out and hang your hoodies.

Most of her storage solutions use simple cardboard boxes. Kondo and her translator carry in armloads of boxes on follow-up visits. Kondo sells a collection of 14 boxes on her website for $39.00. In my experience, cell phone and shoe boxes help store things vertically in your drawers just as well as store bought products.

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# 5 Focus on your Own Stuff

Can you organize other people? According to Kondo, each family member should focus on their own belongings. Starting with Lesson One, clothing, each person makes their own clothing “mountain” and sorts through each item. Partners and parents who start to focus on another family member are quickly reminded to keep focused on their own piles. You can’t really feel joy for someone else and you can’t decide what matters most for other people. Tidying is a family affair, one solitary decision at a time!

Ready to Start your own Tidying Business?

Become a Certified KonMari Consultant! More information HERE. There are many things to consider when starting an organizing business like:

• What will I name my business?
• Where will I find clients?
• How do I become an organizer?
• Do I need to be certified?
• How will I structure my business?

You have come to the right place! Check out my other blogs on starting a decluttering business:

How to Start a Professional Organizing Business

The Ultimate Reading List for (wannabe) Certified Professional Organizers

How to Create a Name for your Organizing Business

7 Ways to Get Clients for your Professional Organizing Business

Get a copy of my free guide “Professional Organizer’s Launch Guide” HERE

When you are ready to start your own decluttering business, check out all my courses on working as a professional organizer in my course bundle for the best price on courses to create and market your organizing business and design a system of organization that will work with all your clients no matter how small or large their volume of clutter!

Happy Organizing!