‘My life felt like a giant mess,' so I quit my job to become a Marie Kondo-trained pro organizer—I have no regrets (2024)

The spring of 2016 was a perfect storm. I dealt with a deteriorating relationship with my live-in boyfriend; a prestigious, high-pressure public health job I dreaded showing up for every day; and the death of a close friend.

My life felt like a giant mess. No wonder a tidying expert seemed like the right person to listen to.

For years, I'd helped my friends downsize their closets or rearrange their furniture, just for fun. I had a knack for assessing spaces and issues. I loved Marie Kondo's book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" because it added a practical and transformative spin to what I enjoyed doing in my free time.

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So when, in the midst of my burnout, Kondo announced she would train people in her organizing method, it felt like a sign to make a big change.

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"Jenny-who-is-a-mess-right-now, you can learn how to tidy up your life once and for all," I thought. I signed up for the course and, that summer, quit my job to focus on decluttering full time.

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By the time I turned to professional organizing, I'd been cleaning up messes for nearly 20 years, usually the type brought on by bad policies or lack of funding. I worked for the U.S. government to design and manage women's health and HIV/AIDS programs throughout Southern Africa, for example.

Sometimes it was great, like when I got to interview women to find out what they needed and then unravel red tape to establish more effective systems to serve their communities. Other times, my jobs felt tedious, demeaning, and stressful.

‘My life felt like a giant mess,' so I quit my job to become a Marie Kondo-trained pro organizer—I have no regrets (3)

As a newly minted KonMari-certified organizer in 2016, I figured my work would be drastically different. I pictured myself chatting about sparking joy, thanking old books, and hauling away bags of goods.

But when I dove into this new role, I realized it was similar to and built on great parts of what I'd been doing. My new clients were desperate to feel better. They felt smothered by stuff they didn't want, unequal domestic workloads, misaligned priorities, and jobs that zapped their energy.

I felt so fulfilled using my existing skills to help them solve problems and make things better.

I wasn't working in hospitals and clinics anymore, but I was still interviewing people to find out what was going wrong and helping them set up new systems, ones that could help them lead healthier and happier lives.

Finding satisfaction and freedom in work that 'sparks more joy'

Emotionally, I knew that leaving my public health job was the right decision. Still, the financial switch was tough. I'd been making a six-figure salary with benefits. Suddenly, as a new entrepreneur, I found myself struggling to pay my bills.

In my first year of business, I earned less than a quarter of my public health salary. I no longer had employer-sponsored health insurance, and my new marketplace plan cost more than $300 per month.

At least I'd made sure to save up more than six months of living expenses before I quit.

‘My life felt like a giant mess,' so I quit my job to become a Marie Kondo-trained pro organizer—I have no regrets (4)

Early on, I took out a low-interest Home Equity Line of Credit on my condo. I accepted other kinds of work when I needed it, such as picking up shifts at the front desk of a local yoga studio. I consulted on public health assignments, and even temporarily took another full-time public health job while I continued building the decluttering business on evenings and weekends. All that helped.

Most importantly, I fought against the mindset that I realized had been ingrained in me, one that equated my professional worth with a particular salary.

In eight years of professional organizing, I still haven't matched the income I left behind. But it doesn't matter. I've found something richer. I traded in a paycheck that looked a certain way for a career that offers me more freedom and sparks more joy.

A new definition of success

As hard as the career transition was, it turned out to be the best decision I've ever made. I love working with my clients.

I reimagined success as I increased my client roster each year, expanded my offerings to include corporate workshops, and wrote a book that draws on my expertise in public health and organizing.

Sharing my career change experience with clients is one way I hope to help them see that, yes, we can create a new story for our futures, on our own terms.

Jenny Albertini has been organizing health systems and closets around the world for more than two decades. At 36, she left a high-flying career in international health to train under Marie Kondo and become one of her first certified KonMari consultants. Jenny's first book, "Decluttered: Mindful Organizing for Health, Home, and Beyond," guides readers through how decluttering mindfully can improve our well-being.

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‘My life felt like a giant mess,' so I quit my job to become a Marie Kondo-trained pro organizer—I have no regrets (2024)

FAQs

How do you declutter your life like Marie Kondo? ›

The KonMari Method™ encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy.

What are the 5 steps of the KonMari Method? ›

To KonMari your life, there are five basic guidelines to follow:
  • Commit yourself to tidying up. ...
  • Imagine your ideal lifestyle. ...
  • Finish discarding first. ...
  • Tidy by category, not location. ...
  • Ask yourself if it sparks joy.

What does decluttering my life like Marie Kondo mean? ›

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing explores how putting your space in order causes “correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective.” Marie Kondo, the author, recommends that you defy conventional wisdom and start by discarding and only then thoroughly ...

What is KonMari checklist? ›

The KonMari Method teaches organization by category: clothing, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items, like home decor, makeup, and kitchen utensils), and sentimental items. It's also necessary to organize in this order. Your purge should also follow this order to help you move along in the process.

How much does Marie Kondo charge per hour? ›

They are trained at her conferences worldwide and are ranked on how many homes in which they have successfully sparked joy. Kondo speaks at the three-day event, which includes hours of tidying tips and client services. One platinum-ranking member charges $100 per hour, with an additional $50 travel fee.

How do I completely declutter my life? ›

Here are some ideas:
  1. One in, two out. Make it a rule: for every new item that comes into your life, you need to remove two. ...
  2. Limited storage. ...
  3. Clear floors and flat surfaces. ...
  4. Designate a home for everything, and be fanatic. ...
  5. Regular decluttering sessions. ...
  6. Reduce your desires for more. ...
  7. Change your habits.

What is the golden rule of decluttering? ›

Remember the Golden Rule of Cleaning: "A place for everything, and everything in its place." Take a few minutes each day to tidy up and keep your space organized.

What are the 6 rules of tidying up Marie Kondo? ›

Marie Kondo's 6 basic rules of tidying
  • Commit yourself to tidying up.
  • Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
  • Finish discarding first.
  • Tidy by category, not by location.
  • Follow the right order.
  • Ask yourself if it 'sparks joy'
Jan 8, 2019

Is compulsive decluttering bad? ›

If you suspect that you suffer from obsessive decluttering, you should see a therapist, preferably one that specialises in OCD. As mentioned, obsessive decluttering can cause significant problems just like any subtype of OCD. It would be beneficial to seek help to manage it so that it does not affect your daily life.

What is the 4 pass method of decluttering? ›

Start by choosing a room, closet, corner, or drawer and follow four simple steps: Clear out, categorize, cut out, and contain. First, you'll clear out the space you've chosen so you can start with a blank canvas. Then, group every item by category, cutting out (or donating) items you don't need to keep.

What is the first rule of decluttering? ›

Vow to Bring Less Home

The most important rule to set before you even begin to purge items is to make a sincere effort to bring less stuff in. There's no point in putting forth the effort to declutter if you undo all your progress by buying more stuff.

What is the rule of 5 decluttering? ›

The Decluttering Rule of 5 is a focused approach that simplifies the decision-making process when clearing out unused and unwanted items. It lets you evaluate whether you've used an item within the last five years. If not, it's likely you won't need it going forward.

How do you ruthlessly declutter your life? ›

An easy way to be more ruthless as you're decluttering is by getting rid of duplicate items. Duplicates are items you have multiples of the same item or items that have a similar function. Keep your favourite, the one that's in the best condition or the item you choose to use most often and get rid of the extras.

What is the tidy toss method? ›

The 'tidy toss' method (throwing shoes in one basket, swimwear in another and not worrying about folding) is a brilliant time-saver that simplifies closet organizing so that it's easy to stick to. I have organized my own closet in the same way for years because it's so straightforward.

How do I declutter my minimalist life? ›

To begin, spend five minutes throwing out or setting aside things you no longer need. If even that seems like too much, just find one thing you don't want and either toss it, donate it, or give it away. If you did this every day for a year, that would be 365 fewer items in your home.

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