Streaming service Netflix has released a new show in the hopes of getting people to organize their lives in new ways. The result? Thrift stores and donations have seen a surge in numbers that far exceed the average expectation for
The new show titled “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” was perfectly released on New Year’s Day. As they nursed their hangovers or began their resolutions, countless Americans have resolved to tidy up with the encouragement from the show’s host, Marie Kondo.
Kondo is the author of popular 2014 book “The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up” which later spurred the Netflix show. In this show, Kondo visits different homes in the effort to tidy up their spaces and organize their lives for the better.
It’s estimated that nearly 95% of Americans have participated in some form of charitable giving, but this number may increase as more people watch Kondo’s new show.
The show is already making waves among charity groups, thrift stores, donation centers, used bookstores, and more, as Americans are inspired to tidy up their own homes by asking themselves, “does this item bring me joy?”
For example, Ravenswood Used Books in Chicago received a month’s worth of donations in only a week. Beacon’s Closet in New York City has received thousands of pieces in a single day.
“The point of this process isn’t to force yourself to eliminate things,” claims Kondo in the final episode of the first season. “It’s really to confirm how you feel about each and every item that you possess.”
It seems simple but Kondo is a master organizer for a reason. She suggests you separate your items into several categories before analyzing each item to see if it sparks joy within yourself. If it doesn’t, thank the item — and the KonMari method — by donating the good and creating a clutter-free space in your home.
Some tidy uppers have also used this as an opportunity to make upgrades in efficiency. For example, while it’s estimated that a heat recovery unit can recover up to 90% of the heat that would otherwise be lost, many others only recover 50% depending on the design. In the name of efficiency, employers and homeowners alike are making upgrades.
But Kondo’s doesn’t just want to create a more efficient space. She wants to thank the home for its work in the first place, almost as a type of meditation.
“All we’re communicating to the house is that we’re thanking it first for always protecting you and that we’re about to begin this process of tidying,” she says as she sits on the floor and introduces herself to each space she seeks to tidy.
NBC writer, Elena Sheppard, notes the blend of philosophies that are incorporated into the series. Kondo’s philosophy of gratitude and humility is a force that permeates each episode of the first season, inspiring homeowners to show their living space a new form of respect that might have otherwise been lacking.
If you’re one of the many Americans hoping to streamline their lives in 2019, streaming content like this might be your first step.
