As the Queen of Clean herself would say, “If it doesn’t spark joy, why keep it?”
We all know the feeling; we get caught up with work and priorities, certain things at home are left unattended, and in the end we either ignore them completely or think that we’ll get to them eventually. Most probably never. The thing is, we all are very much creatures of habit. Though a little thing like clutter may seem unimportant, habits tend to affect our thinking patterns, which extends to other aspects of life and forms our overall behaviour.
Marie Kondo, Japanese organising expert and author, takes tidying up to a whole new level with her KonMari method. Inspired by spiritual practices of Shintoism, the method focuses on gathering up one’s belongings, discarding all the things that don’t bring joy to one’s life, and neatly storing the things that do. This process of elimination is the key first step, because only then can we truly live in the now, without the unnecessary weight from our past.
Here are 5 bad habits to KonMari, or “declutter”, in our direct selling business and in life:
1. Depending on others
Leaving things for someone else to do fosters a mentality of dependence. That’s not saying that we can’t have people assisting us; the point is to not get used to thinking along the lines of “someone will do this for me later”. In the beginning, of course you’d need guidance from your leaders, but there are many things that you will have to do on your own – particularly if you aspire to become a leader yourself one day. As an Independent Representative, be sure to act like one.
2. Micromanaging
In any team, when it comes to leading those under you, there is a big difference between ordering them and guiding Learn how to let go. Once you have guided your team enough, give them the independence to run their business, but still maintain contact and encourage them to perform at their optimal level. Let them do their thing, but always be there to give them the push when they need it.
3. Being negative
The worst one to keep and the best to do away with. “Negativity brings so much happiness,” said no one ever. Running your own business is challenging enough as it is without the addition of negativity. So, clear your mind from negative thoughts and attitude; all that are just garbage piled up and they spark zero joy. What’s in your mind translates to your actions, and eventually determines your life. Fill your life with positivity
4. Taking shortcuts
Building something of worth takes time. True, taking shortcuts is great to avoid traffic in big cities. True, working hard and smart are imperative to success. That much is obvious, but the by-product of taking shortcuts in your work too often is
In direct selling, taking shortcuts can cost you everything – from your success to your reputation and even your freedom. While it can be tempting to take shortcuts (e.g. overselling the products or earning potentials), this is the wrong way to build your business and will have serious consequences. Patience during your process is the only way to sustainable success.
5. Procrastination
Days turn to weeks, weeks turn to months… your anxiety level peaks when you see your leader’s name on the phone, because this is the tenth phone call to follow up on your progress – and you still haven’t done much. Isn’t it exhausting to always have things not done? This habit is the easiest one to snowball, and as that ball rolls down the hill, it’s going faster and faster on a one-way path to enormous stress.
Procrastination is a business owner’s biggest enemy; putting off work means you’ll have more to do later, so why give yourself problems on purpose? Get yourself in order, because the simple truth is that self-discipline leads to freedom.
“To put your things in order means to put your past in order, too. It’s like resetting your life and settling your accounts so that you can take the next step forward.”
– Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
In case you haven’t watched Marie Kondo’s hit show on Netflix… enjoy!
