"Marie Kondo" Your House... and Business
Hello, and welcome back to Monday!
I recently had a fun interaction with a client who, when discussed what she needed, said that she wanted me to “Marie Kondo” her computer.
This made me laugh, and I didn’t realize the value in what she had said until AFTER I “Marie Kondo’d” her computer.
Who is Marie Kondo?
In order to understand what I’m going to talk about, you first need to know who Marie Kondo is.
Marie Kondo, also known as Konmari, is the organizing guru that makes magical things happen with folding. She’s a Japanese organization consultant, and an author. Her method, called the KonMari method, has you put all your belongings from one category together, then go through those belongings and keep only what makes you happy. Or, in her terms, “Spark Joy”.
Most people associate Marie Kondo with her folding style. After watching some of the videos around her folding, and experimenting on my husband’s clothes, you really can fit an entire drawer of shirts into a shoe box!
Marie Kondo Your House
People typically use the KonMari method to clean up their house. It helps people downsize or enjoy the space they have now. And, while working through the KonMari method, you discover what is important and valuable to you .
It’s really easy to see the connection on how this method could benefit your house, your family, and your mental piece of mind. Most people associate this with the physical aspect of the method - you’re sorting things, you’re getting rid of things, you’re keeping things, you’re identifying things that make you happy.
However, after the client asked me to “Marie Kondo” her computer, my perspective changed a bit.
Marie Kondo… Your Business?
The base of the method could easily be applied to both the physical aspects and mental aspects of your business.
The physical side of things
Pause for a moment and look around in your office. Look at your file cabinet. Now look at your desk. Are you happy when you come into your office? Do you look forward to being in this space? Or, do you dread coming into it? Is it cluttered, stressful, and off-putting?
Why not take the KonMari style and modify it slightly? Go through and identify the important things that HAVE to stay to maintain your business, and identify the things that spark joy.
I will be the first to say how hard it can be to identify the important things that HAVE to stay. It’s easy to slip into a panic mode of “but what if I need this in the future?!?!?!” Trust me, I’ve been there, and 9 out of 10 times I HAVEN’T needed it in the future.
I’d recommend separating things into categories. Past tax years, current tax write offs, client folders, loose receipts, loose correspondence, etc.
Review everything and think about the logic side of these items. Do you REALLY need that email correspondence from ten years ago that simply says “Thank you for lunch, I enjoyed talking about the new product”?? Probably not. I don’t think that one will save you in the future from anything.
For more policy-driven, strict requirement things (like taxes), reach out to professionals and ask what the recommended retention rate is for these items. They are usually more than happy that you are inquiring and have great advice to provide you!
The electronic side of things
Now that you’ve gone through the physical side of things, on to the electronic side of things!
Treat your computer files just like you treated the state of papers on your desk. What important documents do you need to keep, and what makes you happy? Sort through your files and delete the ones that don’t fit into those categories.
Once you’ve done that, take a look at the names and how the files are organized on the computer. Do the file names make sense? Can you easily tell what the file is without opening it? Does it make sense where the folders are located?
After you’ve addressed your desktop and document folders, give some love to your email inbox! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, utilize an email cleanup strategy to help walk you through the steps.
The Benefit of “Marie Konding” Your Business
I know that this is a lot of work, but I firmly believe the benefits outweigh the stress of the work. Going through your business can give you a fresh look at everything. It can help you identify what type of work excites you, what type of customer you love working with, and provide readiness for you.
Through organization, you can be ready for potential opportunities that you might have not seen before.
If you’re overwhelmed, there are ways you can find help. Here are my recommended ways to seek help in organizing your business.
Ask a business partner or coworker for help and support;
Ask for volunteers from your team;
Hire an organization consultant to help you organize and create a strategy for sustainability; and
Hire a virtual assistant that has experience cleaning up email inboxes and files on computers.
