MARIE KONDO, a Japanese organization expert, recounts in her book how she loved to tidy up even as a child.
In the hallway of her family home, there was a large closet filled with stuff from all family members. She loved to tidy up this particular closet, and of course, she didn’t miss an opportunity to reproach her family for their messiness.
Eventually, her parents had enough, and they imposed a tidying ban on her! She was not allowed to tidy up anything for two weeks, except in her own room.
That was tough.
Well, it’s not like she didn’t actually have enough to clean up in her own room. But organizing other people’s things was much more interesting. After a few days, though, she couldn’t stand it anymore and started tidying up her own things.
And after about 10 days, something amazing happened: Slowly, every single member of her family began tidying and organizing their things, all on their own. Without her intervention or lectures.
Why is this story so valuable? Because it describes a natural law:
I must always be the one to take the first step. I get to start by changing MY stuff.
The others will follow.
But they should decide the WHEN and HOW themselves.
Ask yourself:
When do I always want to have control?
What do I absolutely want to enforce?
Who should really do, say, make, let go of xy?
And now:
Where could I let others decide?
The Secret of Change
How could I apply what I expect from others to myself? Is it really that important?
It’ll work out for sure! Yours, eVe
