Tidying Up with Marie Kondo: Expectations vs. Reality

Decluttering and Organizing Can homeowners (who lack organizing superpowers) realistically be expected to succeed with the Marie Kondo Tidying Up process? What does decluttering really look like in reality? How is the process different if you work with a professional organizer? In this episode of The Architecture Happy Hour Podcast, Architects and hosts Laura Davis and Holly Hall review the Netflix series called Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and get candid feedback and helpful tips from professional organizer, Traci Olivares of Totally Organized. See show notes at www.hpdarch.com/ahh80. This post contains links to products we love. If you chose to purchase them, it does not increase the cost to you, but we may receive a small commission in return. The Tidying Up Movement By now you've probably heard of Marie Kondo and her #1 New York Times best-selling book called, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Her second book published in 2016, Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up continued her popularity in the tidying up and organization arenas. In January 2019, perfectly timed with the dawn of New Year's resolutions everywhere, Netflix released the television series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. In HGTV style, each of the 8 episodes featured different families, couples, or single home owners struggling with their own decluttering challenges. We binged watched every episode eager to glean valuable tips and methods for transforming our own homes. https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/konmari-netflix/Tidying+Up+with+Marie+Kondo+_+Official+Trailer+%5BHD%5D+_+Netflix.mp4   Marie Kondo's tidying up process centers on the KonMari Method™. Followers of the method are instructed to sort through their belongings in categories rather than by location -- but it's an overwhelming process. Often her clients take weeks and months to declutter, and some take it on as a full-time project. How realistic is this really? We chat with professional organizer, Traci Olivares of Totally Organized who joined us to discuss how to manage all the stuff.   Show Notes Our home is our sanctuary [02:50] The KonMari phenomenon [03:00] Is the KonMari Method suitable for regular, everyday Americans? [03:24] Kon Mari Five Steps: clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous and sentimental [04:30] Leaving sentimental items for the very end [05:20] Deal with paper after achieving success with easier areas [06:00] Setting aside enough time to complete tasks within the Kon Mari process [06:50] Start with your personal things and personal space [08:25]  Climbing the clothes mountain [09:19] Look at an area as a whole system - not as individual drawers and cupboards [10:48] Objects that spark joy [11:54] It's not Mari's magic - it's your magic! [13:00] Taking ownership of the mess [13:37] Bringing items out of stagnant storage space where they can be seen and processed [14:42] Expressing gratitude and letting go [15:56] Keeping things out of guilt [17:12] Choosing which items to carry into your future [18:25] The difference between the personal approach of the KonMari Method and the work of a professional organizer [18:45] Busy working professionals may not have the time for Kon Mari. They want to spend free time with family - not organizing the garage [20:12] Dealing with things in categories [20:50] The KonMari folding method [21:30] Perfect folding is not always the most sustainable system. Find out what system will work for and set it up that way [23:12] Who sees inside your dresser drawers anyway, right? [26:00] Grouping and processing items by 'like kind' [27:03] In groups its easier to see when there are way to many of anything - like 26 coffee mugs [27:40] Seeing your items grouped can help you curb spending habits. Like do you really need another cute spiral notebook?