What I Learned from 'Tidying Up with Marie Kondo' on Netflix

Have you watched Tidying Up with Marie Kondo yet? I wanted to share my thoughts on this Netflix show & the KonMari wave as someone who's been practicing the KonMari method since 2015.

What do you think about minimalism vs. KonMari? Do you lean more towards one end?

// more on KonMari

// Marie Kondo on Netflix

// KonMari books

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// F O L L O W

❀ tiktok | @lavendaire

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// R E S O U R C E S

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Edited by Loryn Teranishi | @yoloryn

// M A I L B O X

Aileen Xu
PO Box 296
Brea, CA 92822

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// A B O U T

I’m Aileen, a lifestyle blogger sharing knowledge and inspiration on creating your dream life.

Lavendaire is my blog about personal growth + lifestyle design. Follow along and learn how you can create a life you love.

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Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored video. All opinions expressed are wholly my own. Some links I share are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them.

[studyquill]

agreed, I love how the Netflix show has brought minimalism into the public eye! I just hope it doesn’t start a cycle of buying just to declutter :’)

[AudreyNguyenVlogs]

I love that KonMari is not minimalism. Evaluating what sparks joy makes my life so much brighter!

[melanysuarez]

Marie Kondo sparks so much joy herself. I would definitely keep her.

[paskulls]

Minimalism is not just about having less, it's about being conscious of what really gives value to your life - and with that I mean joy, use or emotional attachment. There's a scene from the Minimalism documentary in which they state just the same: if you really love your collection of books, hang on to them! Sometimes we forget about the real core of these movements. Of course everyone will use the term they feel the most comfortable using. Just remember that the whole "minimalism aesthetic" and real minimalism don't necessary overlap.

[stephanieasuka]

i think its possible to be a minimalist and still have a lot of books... or certain clothes or... 'a lot' of something. i agree konmari and minimalism do share many similar values. i think that's the point... you use all these things and get value from them. people always try to push a 'right way' to do things. there will always be a spectrum imo♡ i think if you push too hard in any specific way, you are missing the point....

[shesontop]

I bought her book years ago as well and went through my house. I find it has ripples effects. Every year I've gone a bit deeper with it. It's the gift that keeps on giving. I love her book because it documents her personal journey. I agree she is a spark of joy. She is living proof of her own method:)

[christinefrazier]

I like how loving and compassionate she is. I was actually really surprised when people kept certain items and Marie never judged what items brought joy though it seem frivoulous to others. The point is we shouldnt keep all these things that dont give us joy takes up space in our lives. Its actually very freeing using our intuition when sensing what gives us joy!

[alliahrose]

she's really a tiny 'little' fairy indeed ❤️❤️❤️

[abc-gbjf]

I love the way you explained the difference between Konmari and minimalism. I think they both serve the same purpose, to make your life happier and easier with stuff.

I think what is minimalist varies a lot between cultures (and people). For example, I'm from Finland and many minimalist videos seem just the general Nordic/Scandinavian style for me. And my minimalism would probably look crazy extremism for many people.

But you do you. Everyone has the right to find the style that best suits them regardless of how some others would call it.

I love your style and videos, keep going your path and encouraging others. :)

[MrSmile-yjun]

For sure Marie kondo deserves this attention and fame. In fact she deserves even more...

[alliahrose]

but i want to thank you too because you are the one who introduce me to her.❤️ thank you, Aileen.

[viana]

You're literally blooming, Aileen!! 😘 💕 My favorite is also episode 3! I love that she doesn't shame people about what they want to keep. Can't wait to see more videos in your 'new' home! 🏡

[johanna.ontheweb]

The way I see it minimalism is about having the things that actually have a meaning in your life and you're actually using them in everyday life. Yes, minimalism refers to owning as little stuff as POSSIBLE, but it doesn't mean you have to have a very little amount of stuff and I think that's where people get confused/mistaken because it's really just having the things that you really use instead of owning things that are just collecting dust at back of the storage and never gets used. In this sense, minimalism is similar to Konmari method because you only have the things that have meaning in your life i.e. 'sparks joy'; people still can have a lot of clothes as long as each item has a meaning and they are actually used. I like minimalism because it has helped me to think what do I really need in my life and how can I make life easier. I've moved a lot in a few years, and owning a lot of stuff was frustrating and I realised that not every item is needed nor it doesn't bring me joy. Thanks to minimalism I only have the things I use and has a meaning in my life, and I really try to think when I have an urge to buy something 'do I really need this? am I gonna use it?'

[mindymaddness]

I have too many hobbies to be a minimalist, lol. I do love the KonMari method, though. I've been slowly going through my little studio apartment for a year and really starting to love it. My goal is to make it a space that I just absolutely enjoy and will be stress free in, kind of like my own little sanctuary. Before the KonMari method, I would almost say that I was a hoarder, mostly an emotional hoarder, keeping everything that would have a memory to it, but after doing her method, she definitely changed my life and my way of thinking. So I am very thankful for Mari.

[MarielaMerino]

I feel you on getting judged about minimalism in videos. I even get judged for decluttering certain items that other people don't think count. However, I try to keep my focus on the positive and inspire people with my minimalism tips. I also think your older minimalism videos were the reason I got into it lol :)

[BernadetteBelle]

Marie's tweet debunking KonMari = Minimalism was news to me. Because I thought her rule: What sparks JOY... using the word JOY was intentional. It didn't say what sparks happiness? Comfort? It was Joy. And in my interpretation... Joy is very selective in our lives. The strong, explosive yet etherial feeling that comes very rarely means that the selection process is "strict" in a way. In my mind, very little material possessions would spark joy and therefore, the outcome would be minimalism. I actually cleaned out my room KonMari style last year and didn't achieve minimalism which left me feeling a little bit disappointed in myself but after watching her Netflix show and having other people as point of comparisons, I felt quite accomplished with my cleanse haha.

[MsSquarebanana]

Even minimalism is different for each person - what we value and need in our lives differ from person to person. I think the Kon-Mari method helps you see value in what you own and rid yourself of things that do not add value, which also can work with minimalism, which wants you to utilize the things you own and embrace multi-purpose items. I think both concepts can live together peacefully. With anything, there are extremes, so there are people who have a goal of only owning 100 things, so it's more about what works best for the goal vs. what makes you happy.

The only time I think the Kon-Mari method doesn't really work is for people have actual disorders, like hoarding. Thanking items for most people is a way of showing gratitude and understanding the value things can bring to us in our lives, but for others, like my mother, it would encourage her to keep EVERYTHING, because she has an emotional connection to every thing in her house. I could see the method backfiring on people with those thought processes. I'd like to point out that anyone Marie Kondo works with is considered "normal". I've never seen her handle someone with actual hoarding tendencies.

[kindergartensaranya]

After watching your first video on Konmari method, I too decluttered my life. Now I am able to work on my passion with full of enthusiasm . You introduced that book to my life. You have introduced a lot of things in my life. Whenever I feel bad, I watch your video. Then I get an instant energy, joy. You are really filled with positive vibes. This is not an exaggeration. I want to meet you at least once in my life. But I am not sure as I am in India.. But I hope the law of attraction will definitely do a miracle in this case. Love you Aileen.

[hanhtien]

I love the idea of selling just the boxes! I would buy them 😅

[AdrianaGirdler]

Love the 'greeting the home' aspect of it because it really gets you to take a moment and just sit in gratitude. Tidying and decluttering always feels so good. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!