If you’ve been reading the The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, here are seven reasons why the Marie Kondo method will not work for you.
Are you setting yourself up for failure if you choose to follow the Marie Kondo method of decluttering?
If you don’t know who Marie Kondo is, she’s the author of the bestselling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. She also had a show on Netflix that was just as popular as the book and was sending people into a decluttering frenzy.
And, while I think it’s great that she’s brought decluttering to mainstream media and made it all the rage, I believe her methods won’t work for everyone.
Here’s why…
Why the Marie Kondo Method May Not Work For You
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1. Cultural Differences
Marie Kondo is Japanese and, of course, her lifestyle will be very different to other cultures around the world.
The average Japanese apartment is 1000 sq ft and has about 4 rooms, while a house is around 1300 sq. ft. On the other hand, the average American home is around 2000 sq. ft. with several rooms that serve separate purposes.
It will be a lot more challenging to declutter an American home vs. a Japanese home when you go solely by those statistics.
2. It Can Be REALLY Overwhelming
The main concept behind the KonMari method is that you have to pull out everything that belongs to the category you’re working on. So, if you’re decluttering clothes, you need to pull all the clothes out of your closet, dressers and anywhere else you’re storing clothing.
This will certainly result in a humongous pile that you then have to sort through. And for most people, this will be extremely daunting and maybe even paralyzing.
Unless you’re incredibly determined or have someone pushing you to the finish line, most people are just not going to finish this task.
3. It’s Very Time-Consuming
Making the effort to declutter everything at once is a great idea but the reality is that most people don’t have the time to do it.
And, I fully support the idea that you should make an effort instead of waiting on the perfect time and the perfect circumstances to be able to go through everything at one time.
4. It’s Just Not Practical If You Have Kids
The Marie Kondo method really wasn’t practical for people with young children. And, it’s no wonder. She had no kids when she wrote the book.
In fact, after she had her children, she stated that it was okay for parents with young kids to declutter smaller groups of stuff instead. For example, you can sort through just your athletic wear instead of your entire wardrobe.
5. You Have To Fold
One of the key things you’ll learn following the KonMari method is the art of folding clothes, towels and everything else. And, you don’t just fold them any old way, there’s a very specific manner in which you have to fold them.
If you’re one of the many people who absolutely hate folding anything, the Marie Kondo method is definitely not for you. Please don’t let your laundry pile up because you have to fold your clothes in a specific manner.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the way the clothes look all neatly lined up after using the Marie Kondo folding method but it works for me. At this point, I don’t have an issue putting my laundry away. I don’t mind taking the time to neatly fold my clothes. It actually bothers me when I don’t do it.
6. The Marie Kondo Method Doesn’t Fully Address Dealing With Sentimental Clutter
Getting rid of anything can be an emotional process and this is part of what makes it so hard. You may find that you struggle to let go of items because you’re thinking about how much money they cost or you feel like you’re being wasteful.
So, when it’s time to declutter sentimental items, it’s ten times as hard. If you have lots of mementos, deciding which ones to get rid of all in one go could be very draining.
If you’ve lost a loved one and now are in the position of having to go through their entire house, that would be a huge deal. There’s no way, you could possibly get that all done in one day.
The book doesn’t give you a whole lot of guidance for this category. I say, just give yourself grace and take it slowly.
7. Decluttering is Not A One Time and Done Thing
The KonMarie art of decluttering is based on the fact that you declutter all in one go and you’re done. But, if you’re honest, clutter has a way of creeping back into your home.
You buy more stuff or your kids bring home lovely “works of art” that you just can’t part with. Then, there’s the paper clutter that you just can’t seem to get rid of once and for all.
Decluttering is usually a slow process that you have to revisit time and time again.
If you want to give the Marie Kondo method a try, go right ahead. The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up is a great book with lots of really good ideas. But, just be aware that you might need to adjust some of her tips to fit your personality and lifestyle.
I also think something being overwhelming doesn’t mean we should simply quit it, more than often habits really help us take time to get used to or important jobs tend to be boring, overwhelming 🙂
that doesn’t mean we should not stick to them!
I 100% agree! I definitely don’t think you should quit something just because it’s hard but the reality is, a lot of people do.
I feel like the method does address sentimental clutter. It is later in the process so that you get practice decluttering before getting to the sentimental things. I feel like the folding gives you time to build appreciation for what you have. If you can make it through the process it changes your mind set and there is less clutter coming through the front door.
I agree that it will work well for those people who will actually stick with it. But, a lot of people might not because it can be quite overwhelming for them.
thank you ! thank you ! thank you ! your practical / realistic advice is the voice of reason and its much appreciated . annie
You’re most welcome!