Show notes by: Sharleen Estrella
You may have heard about Marie Kondo and her famous question, “Does it spark joy?” But why is that question so important? Join Renelyn Tan-Castillejos, a certified KonMari consultant, as she and Rise Up podcast host Janeena Chan unravel the true essence of what sparks joy and how the KonMari method can positively affect our well-being.
It’s not cleaning. It’s tidying up!
We have to start differentiating tidying up from cleaning. At the start of the episode, Renelyn clarified that tidying up is like asking yourself, “In this stage of life, what do I want?” Through the process of tidying up, we get to remove the unnecessary things around us or the things that don’t make us happy. Renelyn mentioned that our belongings represent our inner feelings, and things that we find useless have to go because they would bring about negative emotions. And who needs that?
I know it’s hard to move on, but we have to.
Sometimes, people tend to remain in the past or choose a future that won’t benefit them. Renelyn shared that the KonMari Method helps us to live in the present. As we tidy things up, we decide on keeping the things that will only be beneficial to us based on our present situation. Oftentimes, our clothes have sentimental value — like prom dresses — which makes it even harder for us to discard them. In keeping these useless objects, we waste our precious time by reliving the past memories in our head. The KonMari Method suggests tidying up so you could maximize the functionality of the things around you, not the ones that used to be beneficial.
If it doesn’t spark joy, “thank you, next!”
Tidying up may seem like such a simple word yet it’s a considerably big task. Renelyn advised that when tidying up, one should set a deadline. Tidying up is a process. The KonMari Method suggests that we should discard by category — from clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous items, and sentimental items. The process starts from the easiest to the hardest. But of course, before saying goodbye to these things, always make sure to say, “thank you,” because “once upon a time, it made you happy,” Renelyn advised.
An organized space encourages positivity.
In the long run, the KonMari Method can yield positive effects, like having a more organized and peaceful space for you to think and relax. This can be very beneficial for people who are currently working from home. Renelyn stressed that having an organized work-life balance is very important. When your surroundings reflect a well-organized space, you will be able to think more clearly and freely.
Tidying up takes time and effort.
Since tidying up is a process, it’s only natural that it would take time. If necessary, create a vision board as your guide. As Renelyn firmly believes: Our belongings represent us. Therefore, if there is a lot of internal clutter, that mess would reflect in our life. When internal clutter is taking up a lot of space in your mind, take a little time to tidy up. You must fix your internal self. But most of all, always remember that one must never compare his or herself with others. Rather, compare your present self with that of the past, and you’ll see how far you’ve come.
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