Tidy Philosophy

Certified in the Marie Kondo method, Joy & Space coaches clients through a mindful decluttering and home organizing experience Yuriko’s Japanese clutter organizing service provides coaching and hands-on support as clients choose what to keep in their lives and home. Alongside Yuriko, client’s declutter by category, starting with clothes, and determine which items bring them joy. Items that don't bring the client joy leave the home with gratitude. Items are either discarded or donated. As clients hone in on their sense of joy, they are guided through the other categories, ending with sentimental. By the end of each lesson, clients have a deeper connection to themselves and the items they own.

In addition, clients start to break the cycle of clutter. Clutter overwhelms the brain and leads to guilt and sometimes retail therapy. The KonMari Method™ and Yuriko’s decluttering services recognize that the cycle of clutter has a tremendous impact on the stress level and ability to enjoy our homes. Yuriko’s experience teaching time management classes and expertise in psychology help her clients to recognize the emotions linked to the clutter.

Tidying can be challenging work. Lessons are typically scheduled in four hour blocks, but clients can schedule lessons for more or less time. Once all categories are completed, clients will have a tidy and joyful home.

This process doesn't require additional storage containers, closet systems, etc. Clients simply use what they already have and are guided to see the possibilities. Small boxes in the style of hikidashi boxes or drawers are ideal for storage.

Clients only let go of items that don't bring them joy. If they love something, they keep it. 

Become a client and you can make space for an amazing life. Start by making space in your home and you'll be amazed by what flows in.

PICTURE YOUR IDEAL LIFESTYLE AND SPACE

The first step is to picture your ideal lifestyle and space. Yuriko, who holds an M.S. in Clinical Psychology, finds that this part of the process is the most important and creates a vision for the KonMari home organizing experience. Using Marie Kondo’s method, the professional home organizer will help you to clear the clutter by category, starting with clothes, and choose which items to keep. Rather than focusing on organizing the clutter, KonMari tidying encourages you to choose what to keep for your ideal lifestyle and space. By the end of each session or lesson, you will have a deeper connection to yourself and the items you own. After you choose what to keep, you discard or donate the clutter and designate a space for the items you love.

Yuriko’s in-home organizing services or tidying sessions are typically scheduled in four hour blocks, but you can schedule sessions for more or less time. Once all categories are completed, you will have an organized and joyful home. Click the organizing consultation button below to schedule a free consultation with Yuriko.

KONMARI AND MINIMALISM

Both Marie Kondo’s method and Minimalism provide an opportunity to step back and think about how you want to live your life. They are an invitation to pause and consider your home and life. The KonMari™ method’s signature question, “Does it spark joy?”, is similar to a Joseph Campbell phrase, “follow your bliss”. 

Practicing KonMari can provide the experience of a lifetime. You’ll be encouraged to live a life that sparks joy and to intentionally choose items and experiences that speak to your heart.

While minimalism can be an overall source of inspiration, but it doesn’t click for everyone. There is value in both methods and practices. Both practices encourage reflection and an opportunity to check in with current values. There are so many ways to live an intentional life. Joy & Space’s clutter organizer, Yuriko, found hers through KonMari™ and yoga. Intentional living is a choice. Find your path to joy and bliss.

Why KonMari Is Successful and Life-Changing:

• Marie Kondo's tidying techniques have helped individuals to maintain a tidy home for years. She hasn't had a single client go back to clutter!

• Tidy your home based on categories rather than rooms.

• When you intentionally decide what brings you joy, it will be easy to let other items go.

• The goal is to bring more joy into your home not just to declutter or purge.

• Learn a space-saving folding technique that will make it easy for you to find items in your drawers and on shelves.

DOES IT SPARK JOY?

In the KonMari Method™ you choose what to keep in your home based the items ability to spark joy. While this practice sounds simple, it’s vastly different from other organizing practices such as minimalism. When you choose to keep items that spark joy, you are connecting to your values. The items aren’t in your home just because they are useful. (Any item can be useful.) The items are in your home because they brighten your day.

When you make this mindful choice, you are practicing the magic of KonMari. If you work with Yuriko, she will help you to determine how to follow your bliss. As you clear the clutter, you’ll keep coming back to your joy sparking questions.

KonMari Is Successful and Life-Changing:

• After you reflect on your relationship with the items in your home and you'll find yourself shopping less.

• Some clients can complete the tidying marathon in a few lessons, but there is no set time to finish. Spark joy at your pace.

• Declutter services with Joy & Space will help you to develop a tidy mindset!

TIDY MINDSET

In addition to picturing your ideal lifestyle, when practicing KonMari you need to believe that you can and will be tidy. The practice of KonMari is a change process, so you need to believe that you can change. More importantly, you must believe that you can grow and accomplish your goals. Marie Kondo says, “Tidying is an act of confronting yourself.” It’s important to note that this self-confrontation is also combined with gratitude and reverence for prior choices that were made. KonMari is more importantly a practice of self-compassion. In order to clear the clutter you need to believe in your ability to grow and change or stated another way you need to develop a tidy mindset.

Positive Psychologist Carol Dweck has researched how we grow and change for decades. Her research and books on this proven success tool have made “mindset” a buzzword. Her influence can be seen in the work of others, for example Mel Robbins’ mindset reset. Dr. Dweck’s theory and research focuses on how our mindsets or beliefs shape our approach to challenges. In a 2016 article in the Harvard Business Review she summarizes, “…Individuals who believe their talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and input from others have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset (those who believe their talents are innate gifts.)”

The clutter in our homes is a challenge. Becoming tidy is a skill that we learn to help us cope with this challenge. When we develop a tidy mindset, we shift our thinking. We shop differently, both for ourselves and for others. We make intentional choices that are aligned with our values and allow us to follow our bliss. A tidy mindset supports us as we navigate our KonMari journey.

TIDYING VS. CLEANING

KonMari tidying or decluttering is different from cleaning. As Marie says, “Cleaning the temple is part of Buddhist training, but tidying the temple is not. With cleaning, we can let our minds empty while our hands keep moving, but tidying requires us to think - about what to discard, what to keep, and where to put it. You could say that tidying orders the mind while cleaning purifies it.”

KonMari tidying and cleaning are both skills that we learn. Many of us have learned to clean and can quickly identify tools to use. When you learn Marie Kondo’s method you are learning another skill. 

Working with a certified KonMari consultant and professional organizer like Yuriko will provide you with a hands-on guide and support as you learn the skill of KonMari tidying, discard with gratitude, and develop a tidy mindset so you can break the cycle of clutter. In addition to guiding you through a KonMari tidying journey, Yuriko’s decluttering service will decrease your stress level. Schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation today!