Marie Kondo, at 34, has become a media darling, first with the success of her 4 books on “how to organize your home” and now has a popular series on Netflix.
Using her method of organizing called KonMari, Kondo asks her readers/clients to keep only the objects that “spark” joy. She suggests that to begin the process, all like items (i.e. clothing) are put in one pile allowing you to see just how much you actually have. Then you determine what to keep and what to give away. Before discarding unwanted objects, she asks that you give “thanks” to them for what they have provided in the past. I wonder…doesn’t this make it more difficult to give items away?
Once you have edited your pile, Marie Kondo further recommends organizing by size. Everything is then folded as shown here and put into your drawers “standing” vertically. Admittedly the presentation looks neat and tidy.
I’m not sure how I would organize my t-shirts if I were to use this method. Most of them (80%) are black. How would I know which ones were sleeveless, short sleeved or long sleeved, v-necked, crew necked, scoop-necked, or turtle-necked?
Since January I have spent more time indoors than I can ever remember. Once the holiday decor was put away for another season, I got into a “serious cleaning up mood” that rarely strikes me! I started in the den (so much paper!!!) organizing files into what’s relevant and what really was not. I even bought a filing cabinet! So not pretty…and how was I going to disguise it so that it faded into the decor?
Next, the hardest job for me was going through the bookcases and deciding what could stay and what should go. Marie Kondo says she tries to keep the number of books in her home to about 30. That is not possible for me. All of my books bring me joy, however, I did pack up 3 big bags and dropped them off for charity. I hope that others are finding the same hours of joy that those books gave me in the past. The bookcases were then washed, and all the remaining books were dusted. Thankfully my inhaler was close by!!!
From there I have moved on to the bathrooms. Sorting through my makeup was embarrassing! Thankfully I was home alone (no witnesses)…I doubt that I will ever have to buy lipstick or eyeshadow again. Going through the vanity drawer with the first aid and cold/flu medications was like going through the kitchen junk drawer! And I don’t need to buy another band-aid…ever. So many more rooms and spring is not that far off!!!
When I had my store, I didn’t really have the time to show my home the care it deserved. I had a very capable woman clean every Friday and loved coming home after work to a clean house for the weekend, especially if we were entertaining. When Suzie decided she wanted to move on, I decided to clean my own house and much to my surprise I really liked the process. I will never be a “Martha Stewart domestic diva” or a “Marie Kondo organizing guru“, but I am getting so much satisfaction from getting to know my house more intimately. Also, I have tackled the small maintenance jobs as they have come up and the paintbrush is close at hand for touch-ups.
My personal “editing” process would be more in keeping with the words of William Morris. I am too sentimental about the “things” in my home to successfully organize using the KonMari method. A well lived in home is far from perfect. Like an accordion, it expands and contracts with the rhythm of what’s moved in and out. Mostly it reflects the energy and life of those that dwell there. I do, however, agree with what Marie Kondo says about giving thanks to our homes. Caring for my home has made me realize how important it is to me. I can’t see myself living anywhere else…
Any tips on how to organize this nightmare?
One of the biggest frustrations in my life Judy – KEEPING what I organized, organized. My craft/silversmithing room gets organized, until I can’t find something, and then it gets torn apart again! The same story with piles of black t-shirts – lol – now where in the pile is that long sleeve V-neck? Sometimes I think being semi-organized, is as good as it’s going to get. Thank you for your post. It’s a comfort to know that I am not alone.
I’m trying to get semi organized too!