As Canada’s first male Certified Konmari Consultant, I’d like to touch on how the Konmari Method can change things for the men in your life.
As a rough estimation, I would guess that about 95% of Konmari Method enthusiasts are women. I have to admit, I sometimes feel a bit of imposter syndrome just because the industry groups I am a part of tend to focus on supporting women entrepreneurs – something I greatly support.
I’ve worked with male clients, and I think the Konmari Method is just as powerful for men – but what we appreciate about it might be a little bit different. Here are my top 5 reasons the Konmari Method is perfect for a husband, father, son, or boyfriend near you.
1. Taking Ownership
Many men in this world have not participated fully in day-to-day tasks as simple as folding laundry, tidying up the bathroom, or cooking a meal. Many of these men don’t even realize this is an issue, or don’t notice this is something they don’t do – it gets relegated to the women in their lives, often unintentionally.
Some of these men have women in their lives who have done things like folding laundry without ever asking for help. Men: You shouldn’t have to be asked. But – you could argue that if a man goes from his mother doing all this folding, to his girlfriend, then wife doing this task for him, he might not even realize he should be contributing.
Part of the Konmari Method is learning how to take better care of our spaces and things, and I’ll let you in on a secret: Men love Marie Kondo’s Folding Method. I’ve taught this method to many men during workshops and one-on-one sessions, and they overwhelmingly tend to love the process.
After one session over 2 years ago, my father started folding his laundry every single time. He doesn’t want anybody else to fold for him because he now appreciates taking the time to do it for himself, and he takes ownership over his own clothes.
2. Easier to get Dressed
When you undertake the Konmari Method, you learn to keep everything that you love, and discard what you don’t love. The effect this has on the home, is it’s easier to see, find, and use the items that spark joy for us because they aren’t surrounded by the other clutter.
When it comes to getting dressed in the morning, anybody who has completed the Konmari Method can attest that it is simply easier to get dressed. You can see all your shirts in the drawer, and you can choose any one of them and know that it’s going to feel good to wear it – you aren’t sifting through a dozen shirts that you don’t actually like.
There is a certain type of man that likes simplicity. The kind of guy who would be happy wearing the same jeans and tee shirt every day, as long as it was clean – who doesn’t want to think about his outfit – and also just knows he doesn’t like that other shirt that he has to wear on laundry day.
This type of guy experiences an enormous benefit from applying the Konmari Method to his closet – he’ll be able to better identify what he does and does not like, and continue to take ownership about what belongs in his closet and what does not. He’ll get his simplicity, and it will be better than before. You’ll even see him wearing some new things that previously might have gotten lost at the bottom of a drawer.
3. A place for memorabilia
Many guys have collections of old memorabilia – whether from sports or other hobbies, that get relegated to the garage once they enter into a relationship because there’s just so much of it.
With Konmari, you take stock of all your possessions and decide what really sparks joy and what you want to move forward with in life. Men with trophy collections and old team photos can easily decide which of these pieces are the most important to them, and which are just clutter — especially with the help of a certified consultant.
The men I’ve worked with have been very happy to find a place in their home to display their most meaningful achievements, bringing them out of the garage and having a part of their personality contribute to the decor of the home, in a way that adds to, rather than detracts from, their partner’s style. In doing so, they feel their passions & hobbies and life experiences are respected and celebrated.
4. Consistency
Men thrive on positive habits, and consistency. I know I sure do.
Many of my clients who are women have worried about their partners’ willingness to keep things in their designated place. My experience in coaching men is that they really appreciate the idea that everything has a place, and everything belongs in that place. With some solutions for self-reminders, and the ability to help decide where things go, men overwhelmingly love when everything in the home has a home.
When a guy participates in the Konmari Method, he’ll have an active role in deciding where things belong and he’ll thrive on the consistency that brings.
5. Respect
The Konmari Method teaches us to respect our belongings and take better care of them. Whether it’s cleaning up dishes after use, hanging up tools in their designated space, or putting away board games with care, men can appreciate these simple ways of respecting each other, our belongings, and living environments.
If he’s anything like me, he might even start going through kitchen drawers on a regular basis to make sure things are where they belong, or take up ownership of watering the house plants.
Special Father’s Day Offer:
Is there a father in your life who can use a session with a Certified Konmari Consultant? I am ready and willing to work with him to help him experience the 5 benefits I’ve mentioned above. As a guy, I have a unique perspective into the challenges he might be dealing with.
I’m offering a special Father’s Day gift certificate offer. Book a 5-hour starter session for just $300 — that’s $75 off my standard rate of $375.
Contact me today to receive a digital gift certificate in time for Father’s Day!