Marie Kondo Has Given Up on Keeping Things Perfect – Maybe You Should, Too

Once upon a time, the world was swept with the fervor of the Marie Kondo obsession. Kondo, a 38-year-old with

Jan 27, 2023
Marie Kondo

Once upon a time, the world was swept with the fervor of the Marie Kondo obsession.

Kondo, a 38-year-old with a mild demeanor and sweet smile, taught the world how to “Marie Kondo” their homes and get rid of all clutter and excess.

But as it turns out, the Kondo method may not be sustainable in a chaotic home filled with children.

The expert organizer has given up on keeping her home perfect, and maybe it’s time we all do the same.

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Marie Kondo Gives Up?

Once upon a time, Marie Kondo was the queen of clean, but now she’s just like the rest of us.

The Washington Post writes, “In her latest book, ‘Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life,’ Kondo expands on the Japanese concept of kurashi, or ‘way of life.’ She elaborates on simple ways to bring calmness and happiness to everyday things. Yes, that can mean cleaning out your purse every night, but it can also mean playing classical piano music during breakfast. Or making your mom’s recipe for black vinegar chicken wing stew. (The recipe’s included in the book.)

The cover of ‘Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home.’ (Courtesy of KonMari for Marie Kondo)
This book is a bit of a reality check. Kondo, 38, has caught up with the rest of us, trying to corral the doom piles on our kitchen counters while on hold with the plumber and trying not to burn dinner. The multitasker seems somewhat humbled by her growing family and her business success, maybe realizing that you can find peace in some matcha even if you drink it in a favorite cracked mug rather than a porcelain cup.”

In the book, Kondo explains, “Tidying up means dealing with all the ‘things’ in your life. So, what do you really want to put in order?”

In a recent webinar, the organization guru explained that life has changed a little since having her third child, and she’s not keeping up the same standards she could before; “My home is messy, but the way I am spending my time is the right way for me at this time at this stage of my life.”

Kondo now says that the perfect space may not be attainable for all, explaining, “Up until now, I was a professional tidier, so I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times. I have kind of given up on that in a good way for me. Now I realize what is important to me is enjoying spending time with my children at home.”

In the new book, Kondo challenges readers to come up with a doable joy routine and stick with it for 10 days. After 10 days, she wants them to see whether the daily habit changes are making you feel better.

Why So Many People are Lashing Out at Marie Kondo

If you take a minute to scroll Twitter, you’ll find a variety of reactions to Kondo’s new revelations.

Many people find it funny, some find it relatable.

But others are offended, and they have good reason to be.

After all, Marie Kondo and organizers of her ilk sold the idea that in order to be organized and successful, you had to be perfect. Your home had to be spotless. Signs of a lived-in home were considered offensive and messy.

And people bought what they were selling.

An entire generation of overwhelmed Millennial and Gen X parents just coming of age with babies on their hips dove into the concept of minimizing and decluttering.

They eschewed family artifacts and antiques, opting for a modern and clean aesthetic that involved very little visual clutter.

And it was exhausting.

People aren’t mad that Marie Kondo has found her inner average mom, they’re upset that they were chided and pressured into being more perfect than even the experts could be in the real world.

Some people are telling the public not to blame Kondo for their feelings of inadequacy while completely ignoring the world Millennials and Gen X came to adulthood in the midst of. With a preceding generation more likely to shame than guide and an uncertain economic future, the now-aging generations faced a crisis of self-identity which was ripe for the picking by self-help experts promising a way to fix the problems in their lives.

Now, with Kondo dropping the revelation that the quest for perfection is just too much, maybe it’s time to strike a balance between chaos and militant order.

Maybe it’s time to let the mess accumulate and pick it up at the end of the day, like most people do.

And maybe it’s okay if homes look lived in.

But you’ll pry our organizer bins and countertop cereal jars out of our cold dead fingers.

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