If you’re working on organizing your house during this shelter in place order, this one is for you! We’re all going to come out of this with very organized home lives, and plenty of relaxation time (unless you’re an essential employee).
Marie Kondo is an organizing champion. She created the KonMari method of tidying up your life. In fact, she has several books and a Netflix series about how she helps people discover their inner peace through organizing their life. In fact, she is getting a new Netflix show this year. According to the method, tidying your physical space allows space to attend to your psychological needs. After watching her series, I thought I would try it out.
Here are the basics of the KonMari Method. Home organization is broken into 5 categories: Clothes, Books, Papers, Komono (Miscellaneous), and Sentimental. The goal is to tackle everything one category at a time rather than a room at a time. It is important to note that her method is not about minamalism, but rather about living with items that are truly items that make you feel joy.
Start by piling every single item in that category in one area. Include everything, even if it usually resides in a different room. Pick up each item, one by one. Ask yourself “Does this item spark joy?” If the answer is yes, it goes in the keep pile. If the answer is no, you thank the item for its use, and then discard it into the giveaway or trash piles. Thanking the item for its use gives you permission to let go, and it also allows you to view things from a place of gratitude. If you have hoarder tendencies, this method just might help you release things.
Before/During:
After:
I feel like doing each category all at once instead of breaking it up gives you chance to really evaluate how much you are holding on to and why. I tend to keep clothing that I might need “someday” like Halloween costumes, things that I felt didn’t flatter my body type, pantry products that were way past their prime, and every single cooking implement known to man, in triplicate. Not kidding, I had 4 meat thermometers. Who needs that??
What did I do differently? My mom is a CPA so when I read the Marie suggests getting rid of papers, I almost pooped my pants. Instead, I found a system that works for me. I keep a binder for the year. It is divided into categories with tabs for easy access. In this binder I keep all of my bills for the year: power, water, mortgage, healthcare, pay stubs, etc. The purpose is to make sure I have everything I need for tax time. I keep the binder for one year in case there is a question, and then I shred it at the beginning of the next year.
All in all, this method did help me feel more organized. I ended up sending about 4 bags to BSW and threw out about the same amount. I especially like the folding method. I can already see the benefit of being able to see exactly what is in the drawer when I open it, rather than digging. Whether or not this system can last well into the future…to be determined.
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