By Jamie Berg
Do you remember a moment you decided to make a change? You probably were in the same situation as you had been in the day before when you didn’t decide to make the change. And you probably had the same information, the same knowledge, and the same surroundings as the day before when you decided not to change. But in a moment, when you decide to change, something clicks, something happens in your mind, or you feel a change in your body, and you know that things will be different, that you are ready to make the change. And sometimes it’s a small change, and sometimes that change has lovely ripple effects.
For me, one day when I was on vacation, I decided that I would embrace the KonMari Method for my things. I didn’t think it was a big decision. I didn’t think it was going to be that big of a change. I actually thought it was not going to be that hard. I felt like it was totally doable because I was just going to do my things, not all of my family’s things. Being the mom, and being me, I usually feel responsible for my family’s things, and this shift in focus, this focus on just my things for the KonMari process, was a change for me. To define the ‘set’ as just my things seemed quite doable.
I decided that when I returned from vacation I was going to KonMari all my things.
I was looking forward to it. I was sure I was going to change my home environment using the KonMari Method after vacation.
And I did.
It took more time than I thought, and it was more energizing and also more tiring than I thought it would be. It
was also more satisfying and more liberating than I expected. When I changed my environment, my energy shifted. And the ripple effect began…
There were so many little things that shifted for me. I dressed in things I loved and my kids and husband noticed and gave me compliments:
“Those are nice earrings, Mom. Are they new?”
“I like that color on you. When did you get that shirt?”
“You look nice. Where are you going?”
These little compliments really boosted my mood. Also, I felt more confident as I left my room in the morning because I make my bed and notice how nice my side table looks. Leaving my tidy room, I feel a little shove, like when a friend gives a friend that little extra push on the go cart just before letting go. It gives me a tiny jump on the start of the day.
I think when you decide to make a change, it’s like letting go of a pebble over a pond. Once you let go, the pebble falls effortlessly and the ripples begin. I know I was holding on to my pebble for a while, and it was awesome to just let it go.
About Jamie Berg
I lived in a ginormous house for many years. I had more space than I could possibly use. I thought a lot about space and things. I lived in an RV for a few months with my family while traveling cross country and had to be very organized. I pared down my life to the essentials. I loved it. I was fascinated with the tiny-house movement for a few years. I spent all my free time learning about it. Then I built a tiny house and loved it. I sold it to a family who also loved it. I read hundreds of how-to books. Honestly, I rarely do what they suggest. But, when I read Marie Kondo's books, I loved them and I did follow her advice and found it really does spark joy in my life. I am now in training to become a certified KonMari consultant. I enjoy sharing my enthusiasm for this work!