Marie Kondo Admits She Has ‘Kind of Given Up’ on Extreme Tidiness, Says Her House ‘Is Messy’
Written by on January 28, 2023
Netflix
Marie Kondo is no longer in love with tidying up.
On Thursday, the queen of organization revealed in a webinar promoting her latest book, Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life, that she has “kind of given up” on keeping her home perfectly clean.
“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,” she said, according to the Washington Post.
“Up until now, I was a professional tidier, so I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times,” Kondo, 38, continued. “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.”
Kondo welcomed her third child, a boy, in 2021. She and her husband Takumi Kawahara, whom she wed in 2012, also share daughters Satsuki and Miko.
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Marie Kondo/Instagram Marie Kondo and her family
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The author became a household name for her KonMari method of organization, which helped her many followers clear their homes of clutter and, according to Kondo, transform their lives. (Her bestselling book, 2011’s The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has sold more than 10 million copies and been translated into 40 languages. Her 2019 Netflix series Tidying Up was a viral hit.)
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In her latest book, which was first published in November 2022, Kondo discusses the Japanese idea of kurashi, or “way of life.”
“Tidying up means dealing with all the ‘things’ in your life,” the author writes, per the Post. “So, what do you really want to put in order?”
However, she confessed that “sometimes I pack my schedule so tightly I feel frazzled or am overcome with anxiety.”
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Michael Buckner/Shutterstock
In 2020, Kondo spoke to PEOPLE about her former perfectionist tendencies and how they negatively impacted her before she changed her ways.
“There was a time when my schedule was so packed, I was physically and mentally exhausted. I also happened to be pregnant with my first child, and the pressure took a toll on my mind and body,” Kondo told PEOPLE. “Sometimes I couldn’t control my emotions and would burst into tears at the end of the day.”
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“I used to be a perfectionist, but it became difficult to maintain that standard after having my children. So much was out of my control,” she explained. “I hope my openness on the subject will help others to ease up on impossible standards. I gave up on perfectionism a while ago!”
