Marie Kondo Gave Up On Tidying...Now What? | A Pro Organizer's Take

PSA: Marie, is indeed pronounced Ma-Ri-Eh as opposed to Muh-Ree. Marie (westernized name) and Marie the Japanese name are false conjugates and are unrelated. The Japanese name Marie is represented by three characters in hiragana or katakana and each sound is to be pronounced separately. Marie may be too polite to correct people or has just accepted that Muh-ree is the accepted westernized version of her name. As someone who has had their name misspelled and mispronounced for my entire lifetime and having worked for years in international students services, I try to be respectful of others’ proper names to the best of my abilities. Marie always introduces herself with three syllables but corrects no one.

I feel so bad for all the horrible responses people have given to Marie Kondo's announcement. She was always kind and realistic to the clients on her show, and she's showing that same kindness to herself. And that's healthy and good.

I have no doubt that even after the announcement, three children or no, her home is still cleaner than the homes of 98% of us.

It sounds like Marie Kondo’s children are sparking joy for her at this point in her life. And that is wonderful!

Let's be real, anyone attacking Marie Kondo about the changes she's made in her life were never for her in the first place. They're probably folks who can't get their homes together, envied her, saw her approach as unrealistic, and now feel validated for being stuck in their own lives. I still say she's helped so many people and continues to, I'd be more surprised if she didn't adapt after 3 kids (I say that as a mother of 6).

Giving up on organizing as a career doesn't mean that's she's giving up on organizing her own home. She's just re-prioritizing, and her children bring her joy. That clutter means her kids are having fun, and she's having fun with them.

Right now, what sparks joy for her is family time. It makes perfect sense.

So she changed her priorities, it doesn't mean she suddenly became a mess. I imagine there are a lot of jealous people got some joy from her adjusting her mindset simply because they feel like it lets them off the hook, which they weren't really on. There will always be people who celebrate what they perceive as someone else's failure, which is sad.

I had not heard about her announcement, but now that I know I'm glad you're defending her. People fail to realize that as our lives change, our priorities often change. That does not mean what we did in the past was wrong or a waste of time. She helped many people who I'm sure still appreciate her.

I took her statement at face value... she is focusing on her family and stepping back from "work". People are so judgmental. I hope she is finding joy and doesn't see all those hateful comments. Loved this video and your message. Hugs.

I believe her kindness influenced her success as much as her craft. Good for her for knowing what is best for her and her family. And good for you for telling it like it is!

She didn't quit, she evolved. I read Marie's book and it really helped my hoarding mess. If it wasn't for the pandemic I would still be organized. Marie helped me actually have a bed to sleep on.

Her book is the most relaxing book I have ever read. Im glad she's living her best life.❤

I don’t tweet so hadn’t heard about this. Her life has changed drastically and it makes perfect sense that her priorities have as well. Keeping a tidy home was low on my own priority list when I was raising my daughter, because I worked outside of my home and was a single mom from the time she was five. Quality time with her was my top priority. So I say GOOD for Marie!

I owe Marie Kondo soooo much, she really helped me get into the mindframe. Honestly, the shift in priorities FITS WITH WHAT SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN TEACHING. Her kids SPARK JOY.

I was a non professional organizer as well. I would go to the home and together we would work on one area. If they wanted to keep everything, that was fine. If they needed things to leave their house that was fine too. I was there to help them see how the space worked best for them. Marie did and is doing the same thing. Peace and grace; that is what is offered. We all need that.

There is waaaay too much judgement out there on social media. It's toxic. I feel sorry for those who have to live their lives "out there" . Kay, protect you heart.

I love that she was willing to publicly say this. So many people would not have done so. I think this is a wonderful gift she's given, it's ok to do what works for you at the stage if life you're in.

Thanks for your thoughts, Kay! I feel like all of the backlash is reminiscent of the same backlash that came with her Netflix show. People took things out of context left & right. Marie Kondo seems to be nothing but kind, gentle & respectful of her clients. While some of her methods seem a little weird to a western audiences, let's not forget, that her book was originally written in Japanese, for a Japanese audience, so obviously there's some cultural stuff that just doesn't correspond & may not translate well. So I think there's a little bit of xenophobia, racism & also misogyny in the negative comments. I mean, if something doesn't work for you, don't do it! I think the outrage says more about the person being outraged than it says about her. I think Marie's new focus on her family is actually the same philosophy that she's had all along - keep the things that make you feel happy, fulfilled & allow you to live the life you want. I doubt she's letting her house become a pigsty, it's just that her priorities have changed - after all, an organized house with routines makes it easier for everyone in the family to enjoy being home.

I’m so glad you mentioned nuance. It is LOST in the massive dark sea that is called the internet.