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To help you create and maintain a living environment that works for you, check out this ApartmentGuide article that I’m featured in—full of useful tips and strategies from me and other organizing professionals! 🌱
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When we declutter and organize with the KonMari Method, we use the test of "Does it spark joy?" to decide which of our belongings to keep. But what if that question leaves you scratching your head? Or doesn't inspire you? Or you just can't relate?
Joy doesn't always have to mean an intense feeling. Our most prized possessions might make us want to jump up and down for sheer delight. But sometimes joy can be much more subtle and low-key.
One example is the plain white soap dish in my kitchen. It's shaped with a small spout, allowing any water in the dish to drain directly into the sink. Does this make me want to sing my heart out? Not really, but it does save me from having to periodically clean out a wet, messy soap dish. It's just one small thing that contributes to my life in a positive way.
Maybe the question "Does this spark joy?" simply does not resonate with you. It can help to remember that this phrasing is just an approximation. In Marie Kondo's books, "spark joy" is a translation of the Japanese word tokimeku ("to flutter" or "to beat fast", like an excited heartbeat). In other words, when you touch the item, you feel something. You could try alternative questions along these lines, such as:
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"Is it beautiful?"
"Do I feel something when I touch this item?"
"Am I excited to use or wear this item?"
"Does this item make me happy?"
Or perhaps fluttery feelings aren't your thing, and you're focused more on practicality. Try asking:
"Does it have a purpose?"
"Do I use it often?"
"Does this item help me do the things I want to do?"
"Does this item make my life easier?"
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If you feel undecided, ambivalent, or "blank" about an item, Marie Kondo suggests that you try praising it. Tell the item how much it improves your life. What features do you appreciate about it? Can you find something nice to say about the object's functionality, durability, design, color, size, or safety features?
If you can, then keep it with confidence. And if you really can't think of a single good thing to say, then feel free to let that item go (with gratitude).
Very often, it's when we start second-guessing ourselves and spending a lot of time ruminating that we come up against the wall of indecision. Try asking yourself, "What's my first impulse about this item?" and use that as your decision-making test.
In the end, "spark joy" is just shorthand for learning to listen to yourself and to trust your instinctive feelings about what belongs in your life and what doesn't. Find a way that works for you, and you can’t go wrong. 🌱
In the KonMari Method, the first step in tidying books is to take them off the shelves. This might seem like unnecessary work, but there's a good reason for it. Over time, books on a shelf can become dormant. Your eyes will tend to glance over them, seeing them as a wall of spines. Removing the books from their customary place allows you to see them with fresh eyes.
In my client's case, in addition to books stored on shelves, he had books in plastic bins up in the attic. These were brought downstairs and added to the book pile.
After de-shelving, the next step is to sort your books into subcategories. In my client's case, the subcategories included:
novels
writing
games
history
religion
educational and reference
self-improvement
travel
law
business
film
Next, it's time for joy checking! (If you come across sentimental books, set them aside.)
Touch or hold each book, treating each one as an individual as you make your decision. Then ask yourself:
✨Does this book spark joy? Is it useful? Is it beautiful?✨
You'll often know right away when something is a keeper. You can feel it. The longer you stand there ruminating, the more likely it will be that the item can be let go.
Here are some additional questions that may help if you're having trouble deciding:
✨Return to your vision. How does this book fit in with the reason(s) I have for tidying up my home
✨Does this book reflect my current interests and/or values?
✨Have I read this? If not, do I want to read it? Would I be excited to start reading it today?
✨Or does this book feel like an obligation? Like a "should"?
✨If I let it go and then changed my mind, could I easily get another copy?
By the end of our session, my client had pared down his book collection considerably. His shelves are filled with only joy-sparking titles now. As for the rest, they were donated, with gratitude for the knowledge and usefulness they had brought him. For a book-lover, this can be such an important part of the tidying process: knowing that while not all of your beloved books may be keepers, you're giving them safe passage to a new home.
Want a tidy and joyful home library? As a KonMari consultant, I'm here to help. Contact me to learn more. 🌱
Removing the books from their customary place allows you to see them with fresh eyes.
You'll often know right away when something is a keeper. You can feel it.
Tidy tip: "Clirty" clothing refers to clothes that are neither dirty nor clean--for example, the jeans you've worn once or twice, or the Zoom shirt you wore for a few hours this morning. Clirty clothes are a common source of clutter. They belong neither in the laundry hamper, nor in the closet or dresser with fresh clothing, so they tend to pile up in strange places.
The solution is to give these items their own home, such as a basket, a special drawer, or a hook. Voila, no more "transitional" clothing piles!
Do you have a designated spot for "clirty" clothing? 🌱
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Think about the extra work involved in wiping down a surface where many objects "live". We have to move each item out of the way, wipe away the dust, then return the item to its original spot. Perhaps we'll discard a few items deemed unnecessary as we randomly come across them, but the end result—though it might be cleaner—hardly looks much different than it did in the beginning.
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"Tidying" and "cleaning" are often used interchangeably, but as Marie Kondo explains in her book Spark Joy, the meanings are really quite different. When we tidy, we move items and put them away, whereas when we clean, we are removing dirt.
Dirt and dust tend to naturally accumulate, without us doing anything at all. It's a law of the universe. But often you will hear people talk about items "piling up", or "finding their way in". The truth is that objects don't grow legs and walk into our homes. We bring them in. The responsibility for clutter lies with us.
This means that while cleaning is about confronting nature, tidying is about confronting ourselves.
Cleaning (unfortunately!) is a process we'll have to do over and over again. But tidying is different. Once you've gone through the process of deciding which of your possessions spark joy, and then deciding where to store your joyful things, you'll never have to do it again. Your relationship with your home and the belongings in it, as well as the way you shop and acquire things going forward, will be permanently transformed.
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Which brings us back to cleaning. People who have completed their tidying journeys often remark that cleaning hardly takes them any time at all now. Some folks even enjoy cleaning, now that it's been made simple because they don't have to do all the extra work of navigating around stuff and clutter.
Whether or not you'll become a person who actually enjoys dusting and mopping, one thing is clear--if you want a clean house for the New Year and beyond, it makes sense to tidy up first.
🌱Ready to embark on your tidying journey? I'd be honored to be your guide. Contact me to get the conversation started.🌱
"Have gratitude for the things you're discarding. By giving gratitude, you're giving closure to the relationship with that object, and by doing so, it becomes a lot easier to let go." - Marie Kondo
In the world of decluttering and organizing, you will often hear: "Let's get rid of this crap!" or "This is junk. Trash it!"
It's helpful to avoid this kind of negative language. The KonMari Method is all about joy, respect, and gratitude. When you let go of one of your possessions, thank it--for the usefulness it has provided, for a lesson it has taught you, or perhaps for the value it will bring to somebody else.
Our stuff is never just stuff; it has feelings and emotions attached. When we let go of an item, we are often letting go of a part of ourselves, such as:
✴️ a former identity or role
✴️ a phase of life we are no longer in
✴️ goals that no longer fit us
✴️ an old job or position
✴️ an obligation we seek release from
✴️ a relationship that no longer serves us
✴️ a gift that doesn't suit us
By showing respect to our discarded belongings, we are also respecting ourselves.
Ready to embark on your tidying journey? I'm here to help. Contact me to get the conversation started. 🌱
🌱 Today’s post is by guest blogger Laura Sinclair, a professional home organizer and certified KonMari™ Consultant.
(Photo credit: Laura Sinclair)
You may also be thinking about fall cleaning and getting your home ready for the holidays... Feeling overwhelmed? You are not alone.
Getting physically organized helps with our mental well-being. Spending some time organizing can decrease your stress and overwhelm this season. However, the act of organizing can be very overwhelming, too. So where to start? And how to proceed? Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizer who created The KonMari Method™ in her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. She recommends that you always begin with your clothes.
Why not start with one small category—your fall sweaters. You know you're excited to see these old friends! ;)
(Photo credit: Laura Sinclair)
Remove all of your sweaters from the closets, drawers, etc. Check every room of the house and any boxes where you may store seasonal items. It is important to find ALL of your sweaters before you begin.
Pick out your favorite three sweaters from the pile. Hold them. Notice the joy and positive feelings you get when you hold them. As Marie Kondo would say, do they "spark joy"? Those are the feelings that you want to replicate.
Now, go through the pile and pick up one sweater at a time. Notice how it makes you feel. Do you feel joy? Do you love it? Do you want to put it on and wear it all day? If so, keep it with confidence! Do this with each item.
Are you unsure about your feelings? Ask yourself WHY you are having a hard time deciding whether or not to keep a sweater. What is getting in the way? Was it a gift? Was it expensive? Did it used to be your favorite? Take the time to reflect on the "why". You can journal or talk it out with a friend, too.
(Photo credit: Laura Sinclair)
Have you tried folding and storing your sweaters vertically? It makes it easier to see them all at once, and it reduces wrinkles!
Click here for a great thirty-second youtube video that demonstrates how to fold using the KonMari Method. The video was created by KonMari Consultant Ann Dooley of Simple Joy with Ann.
Donate those sweaters that no longer support you today. Be grateful for the support they have you in the past.
Great job! You have just finished your first tidying session! Now, pick a sweater and enjoy the rest of this fall day. :)
This blog post was originally posted on the Flourish Organizing website.
Laura Sinclair is a professional home organizer and certified KonMari Consultant. As the owner of Flourish Organizing, she combines her love of teaching and organizing to help people to declutter, reorganize, and solve their daily frustrations. Find out more at https://flourishorganizing.com/about.html
Since I completed my KonMari journey, I've become a more careful and mindful shopper. I almost never make impulse purchases. In fact, my problem is usually that I wait too long while considering whether to buy it or not--and then they're sold out of my size!
Some questions I have found helpful to ask myself before buying clothing:
Does this item fit my lifestyle? Will I wear this, or do I just like the idea of wearing it?
Do I already own a similar item? Is there a compelling reason why I should buy an additional one?
Can I get a better quality item, or a more reasonably priced item, somewhere else?
Which other items in my wardrobe will "go" with this item to make an outfit?
Is this an item that I would want to make myself? Or is it worth it to me to purchase one that someone else has made?
How do I feel about supporting this particular company or seller? Are they an ethical business? A small business? Local? Woman and/or minority owned?
I've recently acquired two vintage sweaters to add to my joy-sparking wardrobe. I love buying vintage things when I can. They're often better-made and cost less than the equivalent item costs new today. And I find that I often prefer the styles (being that I am a retro fashion weirdo). The only drawback is that I'm 5'10" with athletic shoulders and long arms; sometimes I have to look long and hard to find vintage items that will fit me. But that's part of the "thrill of the hunt" that comes with vintage and thrift shopping. Another benefit is feeling good about being more sustainable, by giving new life to a pre-owned item that's still in great shape.
What kind of a shopper are you? Have you changed your shopping habits from what they used to be? Why or why not? 🌱
“It’s not about the dress you wear, but it’s about the life you lead in the dress.”
- Diana Vreeland
Photo by @thelazyartistgallery from @pexels
Tidying up is never really about the stuff. When we say something sparks joy, we mean it sparks joy for us. Objects without context are merely objects; it is we who imbue our possessions with meaning. That's why the first step in deciding which dresses (or any other belongings) you should keep is to decide what kind of life you want to live.
It's tempting to skip the self-reflection, and get right to the "decluttering" part. But the decluttering part will go much more smoothly if you're guided by your vision.
"Being organized" isn't a goal. Dig deeper. The more specific, the better.
😐"I want to clean this place up" vs. 😍"I'd really like to be able to invite friends over for dinner and enjoy their company, without worrying what they think of my house."
😐"I want to clear out my closet" vs. 😍"I want getting dressed in the morning to be a stress-free experience that makes me feel good about myself."
😐"I want an organized kitchen" vs. 😍"I want my kitchen to be clean, tidy, and well organized so that I'll enjoy cooking wholesome meals as part of a healthy lifestyle for myself and my family."
What kind of life do you want to lead in that dress? 🌱
“Being organized isn't about getting rid of everything you own or trying to become a different person; it's about living the way you want to live, but better.” —Andrew Mellen
Photo by @bolovtsova from @Pexels
Sometimes, picture-perfect pantries on Pinterest can shake our confidence. “Eep, my spice rack doesn't look like that! Am I doing this all wrong?” Or maybe it's someone else's minimalist capsule wardrobe. “Ack, I have more than three t-shirts! Does that make me a loser?”
OK, I know I might have put that in a slightly silly way. But my point is: tidying up is about the life YOU want to live, and no one else can define for you what that is. That's why it's so important to do some self-reflection before wildly discarding everything but a toothbrush and a pair of pants like we saw some minimalist person on the internet doing.
I believe that within each of us, there is a part that already knows what brings us joy and what kind of life we want to live. A tidying journey is the process of learning to listen to that part. And it's wonderful to be inspired by others. Just don't forget to take inspiration from yourself too.
Looking to clear the clutter and create a joyful home that works for you? I'm here to provide guidance, support, and accountability. Contact me to get the conversation started. 🌱
I had the best office today! The hubs & I were driving home from a family visit in Missouri, but took a break at a lovely park in Springfield IL so I could do a virtual tidying session with a client in the Chicago suburbs.
Truth be told, before the Covid situation arose, I never imagined myself doing virtual tidying. Well, obviously I've had to rethink that. And fortunately, I've discovered that for me, it sparks a lot of joy. While video conferencing isn't the same as in-person interaction, it is truly amazing what we can do with the magic of technology. We can see and hear each other, we can show each other things. We can make that all-important connection.
Just like in-person tidying, virtual tidying can provide emotional support and encouragement, structure and accountability, and inspiration. Advantages include:
✳️Being able to work with a professional organizer, even if there are none located near you.
✳️Being able to work with the specific person you desire to work with, even if they’re not nearby.
✳️The ability to maintain social distancing in this age of Covid
✳️Sessions are often shorter (60 to 90 minutes). Ideal for people with busy schedules. If you prefer to go longer--such as a 3 to 5 hour session with breaks in between--we can do that too!
✳️Some tidying can be completed as homework. More cost effective if you're on a budget.
✳️Offers you more time flexibility--no need to block out a half-day for an organizing session.
Ready to embark on your tidying journey? I'd be honored to be your guide. Contact me to get the conversation started.🌱
Photo by @koprivak.art from @Pexels
"Tidying is the act of confronting yourself; cleaning is the act of confronting nature." - Marie Kondo
"Tidying" and "cleaning" are often used interchangeably, but the meanings are really quite different. When we tidy, we move items and put them away, whereas when we clean, we are removing dirt.
Dirt and dust tend to naturally accumulate, without us doing anything at all. It's a law of the universe. But often you will hear people talk about items "piling up", or "finding their way in". The truth is that objects don't grow legs and walk into our homes. We bring them in. Therefore the responsibility for clutter lies with us.
This means that tidying is the act of confronting ourselves. And the process of self-confrontation can get uncomfortable at times, because we are asking ourselves questions such as:
🔸 Why is this item in my house?
🔸 What was I thinking/feeling when I bought this?
🔸 Why have I kept this item for so long?
🔸 Why do I have so many of ______?
🔸 Why do I find it so difficult to get rid of this item?
The good news is, if we are willing to go through the process and tolerate some discomfort, the rewards are amazing. Confronting ourselves and making decisions, rather than putting them off until "later", can leave us feeling joyfully tidy, both inside and out.
Are you ready to confront yourself?🌱
Several years ago, I was helping my mom clear out her garage, when I came across a box of toy soldiers. "Those belong to your brother," Mom said. "They've been in here for years."
I remembered my brother playing with them when we were kids, but that was a long time ago. We were all adults now, with families of our own. Surely he would never miss these items. After all, they'd been sitting at Mom's house forever.
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“Before you start, visualize your destination. Think in concrete terms so that you can vividly picture what it would be like to live in a clutter-free space.”
— Marie Kondo
You might think that the first step of the tidying process is to begin discarding things. But wait -- before you start out on a journey, wouldn't it be good to have some idea of where you would like to end up?
Why even start tidying in the first place? Why is it worth doing?
It's important to visualize your journey's end. What kind of life do you want to have? Specific goals are more helpful than broad, vague ones.
"I want to clean this place up" vs. "I'd really like to be able to invite friends over for dinner and enjoy their company, without worrying what they think of my house."
"I want to clear out the clutter" vs. "I want my sewing table to be easily accessible and my supplies organized, so I can have fun working on sewing projects."
"I want to be healthier" vs. "I want my kitchen to be clean, tidy, and well organized so that I'll enjoy cooking healthy meals there."
Imagine your ideal lifestyle. Then get it out of your head and into a tangible form. You can take notes, draw pictures, write a blog post, make a vision board — or whatever works for you. You can focus on things you want to have or do, but the most important thing to focus on is how you want to feel.
Need a tidy coach? I'm here to help. Get in touch with me -- I'd love to hear from you!
I rearranged my books this weekend.
Before: These are Serious Books!
It started when I looked at our bookshelf and realized that something--no, somebody--was bugging me. Actually, it was four somebodies: Winston Churchill, Bruce Catton, Shelby Foote, and J.R.R. Tolkien. My husband and I own series by each of these authors, and while we consider them very much worth keeping (and yes, re-reading), I realized that I didn't really like the "These Books Are The Weightiest and Most Serious Tomes We Own and They Must Always Live Together on the Top Shelf, Right Side" thing we had going on.
So I moved them away from eye level, and all to different places.
The six volumes of Churchill's The Second World War now reside on the third shelf, accompanied by a selection of pre- and post-WWII history books. The Civil War trilogies by Bruce Catton and Shelby Foote also live on the third shelf but on the opposite end, next to our other Civil War titles. J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of The Rings books now live on the second shelf, near some other favorite fantasy and science fiction tales.
After: A little less serious
What's on the top shelf, right side now: books about Chicago, the American West, our National Parks, paddling, hiking, and nature guides.
Somehow our personal library feels a lot lighter. I feel more inclined to walk up to the bookshelf and pick something out. And yet we have the same books.
It's kind of like I broke up the group of kids in the classroom that talked the loudest, and moved them all to different desks in different corners of the room. Not to silence them--they do have important things to say--but to give the other kids a chance to be heard.
Sometimes it's not just what you own. It's where you put it.
You might not think of paper as the most sentimental of categories, but the papers in the storage space packed the biggest emotional whallop for Mom and me.
But after all, Dad didn't need these papers any more. Mom and I decided that he'd be okay with us letting them go. It doesn't change how much we love him, or how proud we are of his service as a state representative.
This August I visited my mom in Hawaii, where she lives (and where I spent my high school years). Of course we did the typical things we always do: go to the beach, walk the dog, and eat a lot of yummy "local grinds" (food, that is).
And then there was a non-typical, somewhat daunting vacation task: clearing out Mom's storage space.
Mom had been renting a 10 foot by 8 foot unit at a local self storage facility. She explained, "When your Dad's health began to decline, all this stuff was in the way. I just needed to get it all out of the house."
Dad had been gone seven years now, and Mom really wanted to clear the space out and be able to save the $244 monthly rental fee. But as a busy community organizer and activist, she hadn't been able to find the time. Every so often she would go to the space and tackle a few items, but most of the stuff remained. And she wasn't sure exactly what was in every one of those boxes and containers. After all, it had been a while.
We definitely needed to get the space cleared in one fell swoop, because I was only going to be there for a week. So we went over there and took stock of things.
The space contained three shelving units, each about 8 feet high. Each shelf was stacked with either plastic bins or cardboard boxes. As we began to pull boxes and bins down and investigate their contents, we found there were several categories of stuff.
First, there were household items such as clothing, decorations, books, and random knicknacks. These were mostly Mom's things, and she and I were able to divide them fairly quickly into "keep", "sell", "donate", and "discard" piles.
There were several boxes of games and miniatures that belonged to my brothers. We marked these as "keep", making a mental note to ask later if they still wanted them. There were also boxes of my brothers' high school and college notes. Mom and I felt confident putting these in the "discard" pile.
Then there were picture frames. Lots and lots of picture frames. Some contained photos, but many were new and still in their packaging. An avid photographer, Dad had always enjoyed framing enlargements of his favorite photos. Mom and I appreciated this, of course, as one of the many ways Dad showed us how much he loved us. But we also had to chuckle at how Dad's framing ambitions had turned out to be much greater than the available wall display space in my parents' modestly sized home.
The new picture frames went into our "sell" pile. We decided to remove all the framed photos and put them aside for later inclusion in a photo album, which takes up a lot less space. The reclaimed frames would be sold or donated.
Finally, there was the largest category: paper. My Dad, a retired Foreign Service officer and former state representative, had always had a thing about paper. He saved all of it.
We quickly realized that most of the papers in the storage space dated from Dad's time at the Hawaii State Legislature. He served ten years and was a prolific writer. There were many papers relating to bills he had helped pass, including letters to various departments and officials. There were also op-eds he wrote for the newspaper.
You might not think of paper as the most sentimental of categories, but the papers in the storage space packed the biggest emotional whallop for Mom and me. It was the way Dad had stored them. There were hundreds of large manila envelopes, each meticulously packed with letters, articles, and often additional envelopes full of more papers and business cards. We also found tax returns dating from as early as 1977, also carefully packaged in manila envelopes.
In his own way, Dad had probably felt that he was being organized and taking care of things for us, with his elaborately nested envelope system. And here we were discarding most of it, save for the best pieces of writing and a few photos.
But after all, Dad didn't need these papers any more. Mom and I decided that he'd be okay with us letting them go. It doesn't change how much we love him, or how proud we are of his service as a state representative.
And that's how Mom and I ended up getting the storage space cleared out. It took us several sessions of about 3 hours each. Now Mom has more money in her pocket each month, and the storage space is no longer an unfinished task hanging over her head. And we said goodbye to Dad, again.
It's never just about the stuff.
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