Tidying Up is Magic

So if you follow along on Instagram, you know that I’ve been reading “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. I pride myself in being organized and tidy 95% of the time. There are just some days I say to hell with it all, and I’m a complete mess. That’s a rarity though, because clutter and mess actually stress me out. Why this book? Another blogger recommended the book, and I thought it would, at the very least, give me some ideas. I truly believe there is always room for improvement…well the book gave me a lot more than ideas.

This book explains the importance of keeping a tidy home and how it impacts our well being. The clutter in our homes can represent the clutter in our minds. It may even represent some personal baggage. Marie lays out the exact order to sort through your belongings. She recommends starting with clothing and asking each piece if it brings you joy. If is doesn’t, it needs to go. You continue this simple method until you’ve sorted through everything in your home. (Marie recommends saving sentimental items for last.)

I also watched a documentary on minimalism while reading this book. To my amazement, many of the ideals in both the book and documentary represent my own beliefs. I think I’ve always focused more on needs than wants. I was never one to dream about owning a mansion. I couldn’t imagine dealing with that much space!

Back to the book… So I’ve really been examining my own happiness in recent months, and I think this was just another way for me to look at it all. In the beginning of the book, Marie encourages you to picture your perfect life. Start with a perfect day. What does that look like for you? My perfect day includes some or all of the following:

• Not waking up to an alarm clock (I despise that damn thing)
• Enjoying time with my husband
• Playing with my cats
• Not rushing to get ready (Bubble baths are the best!)
• Listening to ocean sounds or visiting the beach
• Exercising in the morning (walking, yoga, swimming, etc.)
• Spending a couple of hours simply creating
• Enjoying the outdoors whether it’s chilling on a patio with a cold drink or kayaking

These things bring me joy. With that in mind, I started going through our home. Two weekends ago we donated several bags of stuff. We only trashed a bag or two. I was shocked at how much stuff I found, because our house stays neat and tidy. I’m so good at organizing that I was able to hide some items from myself! We’ve still got a few more categories to tackle, but I can already see the difference. We completely emptied a dresser, eliminated some storage under the beds, and cleared a closet.

Now I’m not suggesting you get rid of all of your stuff, nor is Marie. It’s just about only keeping what brings you joy or value. I’m not getting rid of any of my art, but I was fine getting rid some extra clothes. Clothes simply don’t bring me joy. I gathered all of my clothes, which covered about 1/3 of our bed. I eliminated that by 50% and now everything (including all seasons) fits in our closet. Amazing! It has now been two and half weeks since I completed the process. Guess what? I don’t miss anything.

I tell you all of this to encourage you to free yourself from clutter. I think we tend to think more stuff will make us happier. In the end, we’re here to love each other and enjoy the life we have. If you were looking for pictures, my apologies. It has been a stressful couple of weeks, but I hope to be back at it 100% next week! Stay tuned 🙂

Advertisement