I listened to the audiobook “The life-changing magic of tidying up” and was so immediately inspired by the thorough, straightforward, step by step approach that I jumped right in. The concept of “Spark Joy” spoke to me – I was encouraged to keep whatever I wanted, without guilt, and also prompted to part with items that I thought I should keep but weren’t bringing much or any positivity to my life – again without guilt. This gentle, yet effective approach really resonated with me, and as I finished the process in my own home and felt the many tangible and intangible benefits, I couldn’t wait to share it with others.
I took the course, completed all my practice work and evaluations, and became certified as a KonMari Consultant in 2020. To add to my skill set, I also received certification as a Certified Organizational Specialist™ that same year, studying home organization styles individual to each person. I decided to change careers to focus on my passion work as a decluttering coach in 2023. My previous profession in healthcare has given me a perspective and level of empathy for the unique experiences, challenges and needs of others, and a drive to support others’ wellbeing and quality of life in their home environment.
Working with clients as they declutter in their homes, I especially love helping people through a complete KonMari® “festival” – where they work the process throughout their entire home, and experience a level of transformation intended in this method. I love to see the difference that choosing to keep what sparks joy can have, not only in the way the inside of the home looks and functions, but in life as a whole.
I experienced this myself as I worked through the KonMari® process in my own home. At that time, I lived in an apartment full of things that lined every wall, filled every closet and piled high in the corners. I wanted my home to be easy to take care of, with less work moving items out of the way before I could use or clean a space. This method also helped me learn what actually mattered to me and to prioritize those things in my daily life.
Through the joy-checking process, I rediscovered several passions that I’d given up for no particular reason except that I’d “grown up”. Recognizing how much these mattered to me even years later, I started to engage with them again, bringing so much joy into my daily life. One example is learning American Sign Language (ASL), something I enjoyed in university but hadn’t pursued further. I started taking classes again from a local Deaf instructor and haven’t looked back. Learning and communicating in this beautiful language has broadened my communication, connected me to others, and continues to be one of my absolute favorite things to do even years later.
I value and feel so honored by the opportunity to coach and support others during their decluttering process, as this can be an emotional and personal journey. I love to learn about each individual’s unique preferences and who they are. I want to help others as they move toward the decisions and actions that serve them and the life that they want for themselves going forward. I bring my patience, encouragement, accountability, support, non-judgmental attitude, with confidentiality, actionable advice and guidance.