Blog: Marie Kondo chose life beyond tidying

Evolving your career: 3 things Marie Kondo taught us when she chose life beyond tidying

Marie Kondo became an international household name in 2014, when her landmark book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up was published in the U.S. The book’s success launched Ms. Kondo’s career to include interviews with well-known personalities and even her own Netflix series Tidying up with Marie Kondo. Lately, however, Kondo has been the topic of conversation, for her recent ‘admission’ that, with her growing family, she can no longer maintain the standards espoused in her books.

Kondo recalled Just after my older daughter was born, I felt unable to forgive myself for not being able to manage my life as I had before. But, with time, I eased up on myself; then, after I gave birth to my second daughter, I let go of my need for perfection altogether.

As popular author and speaker Brene Brown said, "Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable."

Oftentimes we hesitate to own our story, bowing to real or perceived expectations from others, or unrealistic expectations of ourselves. In this case, the desire to be present for her family drove Kondo to own her story – not only for herself but for the public that was watching her.

Marie Kondo’s experience provides a model for women who want to maintain a sustainable impact throughout their career. Here are three examples of what we can learn from Kondo’s courage:

1.      Embrace the pivot

There are many seasons of life. Just as Marie Kondo began with tidying up, her focus evolved as she herself matured as a person, mother, and businesswoman. She remained committed to her essential values, resisted

being limited to tidiness, and allowed her genius to continue to provide inspiration and impact to those she influences in new ways.

Reflect: What is my core expertise? Am I trying to live it out in a way that I have outgrown? How can I shift the way I use my expertise, skills, and competencies to align better with my current phase of life, interests, and the needs of those I serve?

2.      Embrace the season

There are seasons of life that we can commit the majority of our efforts to a single end. Most of the time, however, we are required to balance competing priorities. Kondo initially put pressure on herself to maintain the same high standards in her career alongside the new, consuming demands of motherhood. Pressure from the outside world undoubtedly played a role.

However, she slowly began to push back, choosing instead to prioritize her time based on the unique circumstances of that season of life. My home is messy, she now states, but the way I am spending my time is the right way for me at this stage in my life.

Reflect: What season am I in? Is there tension between what I want or need to do and what I feel is expected of me? Is this expectation true or perceived? How can I take steps to align my career with my season?

3.     Embrace the long game

Kondo may have given up on tidying, but she has not abandoned her vision of helping others ‘spark joy’. Allowing herself to pivot made space to continue evolving and bringing value to her followers.

Kondo’s focus is now on the Japanese concept of kurashi or way of life, and her teachings appropriately center on what matters most in order to live one’s best life. Just as she once helped followers choose which things did or didn’t spark joy, Kondo now challenges her readers to consider this: What if every decision you made, every goal you set and every aspect of your life was guided by what sparks joy?

With limited time, energy, and resources, it seems that Kondo herself has successfully answered this question – for this season. In choosing the right thing for the moment, she also built on and evolved her career vision.

Reflect: What are my long-term goals in my career, in my family, as an individual? Are there areas where I am allowing other people’s short-term expectations (real or perceived) to drive my career and life decisions rather than my own long-term goals? What is one high priority area? Name it and identify a courageous first step in setting boundaries to make room to start shifting your decisions in service of your goals.

Allowing pivot points and seasons help us make decisions that ‘spark joy’ in the moment and embrace the long game. Through her example, Marie Kondo encourages us to own our story and to choose courage, to evolve and apply our own genius with a fresh breath and a new direction.

Just think of what we could do if we thought less about what our paths look like from the outside – especially in the short term – and allow our own long-term vision and season to determine when and how we pivot. 

If you need help working out what this looks like for you, talking to peers can help – Join a WIT Network monthly Mentoring Circle.