clutter
verb clut·ter \ˈklə-tər\
: to fill or cover (something) with many things : to fill or cover (something) with clutter
verb clut·ter \ˈklə-tər\
: to fill or cover (something) with many things : to fill or cover (something) with clutter
While I have never aspired to be a minimalist, being most definitely a collector of "things," I have reached my limit for living with clutter.
The reasons for this reaching of the limit are twofold. First with my oldest off to college and my youngest now in high school I will be having more time to myself. The youngest can now get a bus to school so I don't have to drive her and we get up earlier (not quite used to that yet). This has added at least 2 more hours to my "alone time." Second, since I have more time, I want to focus more on growing my little business which means I need to be more organized. Being organized is hard to do when there is to much clutter around. It's hard to find what your looking for, hard to work when your work surface is covered with "stuff" and just generally frustrating!
The problem is how to declutter. None of the strategies I tried in the past worked. Even if I did clean up it never stayed that way. I definitely need a new approach which I hope I have found in the KonMari Method.
I came across reference to this book: the life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kondo. The method is certainly different from anything I have tried. In a nut shell, her approach is to "tidy" by category not room by room and to do it all at once. The key to success is discarding. According to Ms. Kondo the criteria for keeping something is if it "sparks joy." She maintains that by following her method, you can become tidy forever and ever. So, scary as this is, I have decided to take this journey to the realm of tidy forever and ever.
The reasons for this reaching of the limit are twofold. First with my oldest off to college and my youngest now in high school I will be having more time to myself. The youngest can now get a bus to school so I don't have to drive her and we get up earlier (not quite used to that yet). This has added at least 2 more hours to my "alone time." Second, since I have more time, I want to focus more on growing my little business which means I need to be more organized. Being organized is hard to do when there is to much clutter around. It's hard to find what your looking for, hard to work when your work surface is covered with "stuff" and just generally frustrating!
The problem is how to declutter. None of the strategies I tried in the past worked. Even if I did clean up it never stayed that way. I definitely need a new approach which I hope I have found in the KonMari Method.
I came across reference to this book: the life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kondo. The method is certainly different from anything I have tried. In a nut shell, her approach is to "tidy" by category not room by room and to do it all at once. The key to success is discarding. According to Ms. Kondo the criteria for keeping something is if it "sparks joy." She maintains that by following her method, you can become tidy forever and ever. So, scary as this is, I have decided to take this journey to the realm of tidy forever and ever.
The KonMari Method has a specific order for how to declutter. The fist category is clothing. She recommends that you gather all of your clothes together and go through them all at once, so that is what I did.
My pile of clothing
Now I always considered my self pretty good at getting rid of clothing I don't use, either recycling it for my business or giving to charity, but when I piled it all up together I was surprised at how much was there. When I started going through it I was even more surprised! I found things I didn't know I still had, things I had been looking for but couldn't find and some things that I don't even remember where they came from.
In the end, I ended up with 3 large bags of clothing, shoes and accessories for donation.
Now one other thing about clothing that is recommended in the book is to fold as much clothing as possible and there is even a specific method of folding. At first I did not believe this would make a difference but it does and the result is definitely worth the effort.
Now one other thing about clothing that is recommended in the book is to fold as much clothing as possible and there is even a specific method of folding. At first I did not believe this would make a difference but it does and the result is definitely worth the effort.
Now Ms. Kondo says that tidying is a special occasion and not to be undertaken every day. The next category is books so that will take some courage which I will need to work up to.
Have a fun day!
Cynthia
Have a fun day!
Cynthia
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