Marie Kondo exiting her Marie Kondo phase is totally OK

Marie Kondo became a household name three years ago by preaching the cleansing gospel of keeping only what “makes you happy.” Now the best-selling author and television personality — who once taught us how to fold our socks — is stepping back and embracing the mess.

At a press event ahead of her latest book, Kondo spoke about her life priorities after the birth of her third child. “My home is messy, but the way I spend my time is the right way for me at this point in this phase of my life,” Kondo said through an interpreter, the Washington Post reported.

“Until now I’ve been a professional cleaner, so I’ve done my best to keep my home clean at all times,” Kondo added. “I gave that up in a good way for me. Now I realize that spending time at home with my kids is important to me.”

Marie Kondo rose to fame teaching others the art of tidying their homes. She led with the idea of ​​identifying and storing items that “bring joy” rather than simply deciding what to get rid of. Your Netflix shows Clean up with Marie Kondo (2019) and Sparkling with Marie Kondo (2021) have only sharpened her profile and the concepts she represents.

Those shows also sparked ridiculous controversy at the time, as some viewers seemed to have willfully misunderstood their advice, claiming they felt chastised for throwing things away. As it added organization products to its tidy empire, people continued to shadow it — even as other home networking giants launched their own inescapable product lines.

Kondo’s new book Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life, focuses less on decluttering the home and more on decluttering the way we live our lives through mindful routine building. Judging by the book’s description, she’s repurposed the idea of ​​sparking joy out of physical space and into the rhythms of everyday life, which makes sense given her busy life as a parent.

That’s part of what makes Kondo’s “surrender” so delightful. She still does what brings her joy; and honestly, raising three kids feels like the complete opposite of anything that could be considered “giving up.” We all deserve to refocus on our joys or do less of everything we’ve outgrown.