View Full Version : The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up
For those of you curious about it, or, like me, are somewhere on the waiting list at the library, here is a full-length audio download:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxES7EDFyt4
Gardenarian
4-3-15, 9:17pm
Thanks! I'm number 51 on the library wait list :)
Same here, thanks, I had a note to myself to see if our library had it yet. This is better.
I ordered from www.bn.com (http://www.bn.com) There is a facebook group called konmarie adventures that I joined, also. I felt like I'd done a pretty good job of decluttering several years ago, but just from the bits and pieces I've gotten from others about this book, I'm already seeing a LOT more that is ready to go.
I finished listening to the book and will still read it when I borrow my copy. There are a few notes I'd like to take. At the end she goes on about how to look at the things you bought in the past---pretty interesting. Not sure how much i'm ready to get rid of but I'll start with my clothes when I do my seasonal switch. We really do deserve to be surrounded by things we truly love.
After waiting two months, I hate to turn it back into the library...
The two points in this book that inspired me (well there were many actually) were:
Declutter by category - so amazing to see how much you have of one category when you lay them all out in one area.
Too many books - the experience you enjoyed by reading the book is in the past (will you really ever read it again); let someone else enjoy it.
I need to read the photo section again as that is one to tackle at our house.
Not long ago I went through a few boxes of photos (all were filed and labelled neatly). I had found a site called My Green and Tidy Life and she suggested flipping through all your photos very quickly and discarding those that are fuzzy, boring, not of interest anymore, etc. without thinking too much about each one. I ended up with a pretty huge pile to get rid of. http://mygreenandtidylife.co.uk/blog/page/2/ It was quick and painless.
Just saw that I'm #1 in the queue!!! I should be receiving notice of it being in for me early next week. After all this waiting, I'd better do some actual decluttering. And I just started listening to the audio version again.
Thanks for that link, pony mom. I like what I've seen so far. I will go more into it when I have more time. I need to declutter. I have too many hobbies and things for those hobbies have gotten a little out of hand. I'm not a hoarder, but I do have too many things that I just don't use anymore.
I'm listening to it now, thank you for the link! So far I have two reactions: pleasure with her concept and some of her descriptions which strike a chord with me, and the sense that this Marie Kondo is a very young and privileged young lady with OCD. I like her concept of seeking an inspiring reason for wanting to "tidy", a visual and practical vision of what might be possible if the clutter were gone.
The categories - which we must follow in order - are clothes, books (or books and papers), kimonos, miscellany and mementos, which makes me think of the possessions of a Japanese 10 year old. I think 95% of what I own and need to organize and sort falls under "miscellany". There seems to be no room in her philosophy for cleaning products, cooking utensils, tools, electronics, appliances, or the big things that are REALLY hard to make decisions over like real estate, autos etc. The concept that new things must be purchased, with money that can be hard to come by, appears totally foreign to her. She is married, but the idea that one's things to be sorted are in "her own room", the childhood concept, seems prevalent, the issue of keeping shared spaces organized hasn't come up.
I'm now descending into the madness of how to properly fold clothes and to organize closets so the hemlines "point upward" to the right. I can already promise that I will never be a person squatting down to be sure I have my hemlines in proper order.
OCD
I have often wondered if the current obsession with minimalism and decluttering isn't just the opposite of hoarding - a compulsive activity at least for some of us. I recall being similarly obsessed with order as a child.
I would spend hours arranging books in alpha order or cleaning out my mother's desk and putting everything in its place. For me, it probably was an attempt to make sense out of a chaotic childhood but hers didn't really sound that way. However, I will still treat my socks cruelly and roll them into balls rather than fold so I guess there is hope.
Yep, I basically followed the KonMari method as a kid: I'd remove every last thing from my 10*12 room, scrub it from top to bottom, rearrange the furniture and then put it all back spic n span. Maybe my impatience is masking nostalgia for a time when "putting my house in order" and getting a sense of organized control over my life was really that easy.
ApatheticNoMore
4-12-15, 12:52pm
I have often wondered if the current obsession with minimalism and decluttering isn't just the opposite of hoarding - a compulsive activity at least for some of us. I recall being similarly obsessed with order as a child.
certainly it's a marketing promise "life changing", just like the stainless steel kitchen with granite countertops is supposed to, just like the house remodel, just like the new car ... back to reality: no, that's absurd, such things don't change anyone's life. But ... but .... if you are a hoarder would it change your life? Um if we are to believe hoarders have underlying issues behind their hoarding and it doesn't address that, then I'm not so sure. I'm not at all OCD on cleaning (ha! :)). I can find my brain occasionally slip into true OCD though (not a severe case) but did I lock the door let me check for the 3rd time, is the stove off, let me check again. What triggers OCD lately? Trying to relax. Oh heavens not that! Remain vigilant! Is the stove off?
Lol. I don't know. I'll check it in passing as I go out to be sure the automatic irrigation system is actually working. I remember a gruesome story of a kid who won a pet rabbit and then just forgot he had it. That's my recurring OCD nightmare, that something tragically important might just slip my mind as I'm so busy remembering ALL the details of EVERYTHING. (ETA, I realize OCD is a specific diagnosis of a psychiatric condition, more a repetition compulsion than I'm using the term here, it's just a lazy shorthand for "obsessive".)
Marie Kondo has a lot to say about the amazing peace of mind and happiness that comes from achieving perfect organization, that once you taste it, you'll never stop wanting it and having it. I feel very conflicted as that sounds like both serious mental illness and naivety ... and heaven. :|(
I had been thinking lately that what I needed is another freestanding shelf to keep stuff on, to ReOrg my house garage, which I have been using as a winter workshop for small projects. I thought I might check the local flea markets, but Friday, when I was out and around in my $200 pickup and stopped at the India Gas Station(gas, beverages, cigs, india groceries), I swung around back to check their dumpster, and right beside it was a display case, used for cigarettes. Well, I went inside to contact the owner & he said "take it!" So, I loaded it, and took it home. It's not super heavy-duty, so you wouldn't want really heavy stuff on it, but it's perfect for my purposes. It fits in the spot I had in mind. I had to spend several hours reassembling it and reworking it, but it's good. My labor is not worth much, or so I'm told. Now, I've got a nice shelf with a low cash investment, plus scrap materials and my work to make it useable. Total shelf space on it is 20 square feet. See, I do not "declutter" by putting everything in a yard sale/dumpster. My stuff is tooo good for that. Instead, I ReOrg. How do you like that? Next: the boyz in da hood.
Yeah, I love trash picking. Marie Kondo would probably say if it sparks joy, then that's great and good for me/you to have found something we're so happy about. Which is why I'm still listening, she's not entirely insane.
I have often wondered if the current obsession with minimalism and decluttering isn't just the opposite of hoarding - a compulsive activity at least for some of us. I recall being similarly obsessed with order as a child.
I would spend hours arranging books in alpha order or cleaning out my mother's desk and putting everything in its place. For me, it probably was an attempt to make sense out of a chaotic childhood but hers didn't really sound that way. However, I will still treat my socks cruelly and roll them into balls rather than fold so I guess there is hope.One of these days, I will write an essay presenting case histories about "People Who Mow Too Much".
I haven't read the book but I have been more successful with her idea of looking at your things by category. For example today I cleaned out my hall linen closet, and ended up with a big bag of linens which I promptly donated to Goodwill. I would not have guessed I had that much extra that I didn't need or want, but seeing everything in a pile on the bed made it pretty clear, plus the decision making went pretty fast.
So, maybe the books and magazines will be next..
I don't think I have a lot of clothes, especially compared to the more average woman. But when I make my seasonal clothing switch, I will put everything on the bed. Probably will be shocked. Right now I really do like most of my clothes and do wear almost all of them.
Recently I visited a friend and she showed me the inside of her closet. It made me feel like a minimalist. A lot of her things were "just in case", "couldn't pass it up but have nowhere to wear it", "when I lose some weight", etc. At least I use my things; hers was totally stuffed with things she probably never wears.
The main problem now will be my pants/shorts will be too loose. I lost 10 lbs. and finding size 2s and 0s is difficult. My weight will most likely increase at some point so I'll be keeping the loose bottoms. Now I wish I kept the too-small things I got rid of a few years ago!
Yeah. I've realized that the whole 'get rid of anything you haven't worn in six months' motto isn't really designed for those of us who don't care about style that much and keep changing shape. I've honed down the clothes a lot, but I still have a range of four sizes, with those too big or too small boxed up. If they were my favorite shorts the last time I gained 10 pounds they're probably still my favorites, and by this age my high and low weight is pretty well defined. So spark joy, yes, using at the moment, not necessarily.
Picked up my book today. The Youtube audio has been taken down though : (
While reading the book I can't get the monotone voice of the woman reading the audio version out of my head. I've been watching lots of videos of people decluttering their clothes using this method. It is pretty amazing. Hope I've got the guts to do it. I'm also jotting down some notes to keep me motivated.
Luvin' that library book smell.
After I finished the book I just wanted to smack her! What kind of person empties their purse ever day after work, having a spot for her wallet and keys on a special shelf??? She was really upset by the idea of rolling your socks and seemed to give possessions special powers of feelings and thoughts. The idea of throwing away all of your user manuals away because you will figure out how to use things on your own is just crazy.
All of that being said I think there are some translation issues (I hope!) and I did get some good ideas from her. I do enjoy folding my clothes and have pared down my book collection by about 3/4.
She is quite OCD but if there's a perfect career for anyone, she's found hers.
Wow, 3/4 of your books. Most of mine are packed away in a relative's basement so I don't really know how many I have. They'll be hard to go through unless I know they'll get a loving home afterwards. Perhaps giving them a final read will ease my pain.
Teacher Terry
4-17-15, 6:05pm
Loved the book! I have been decluttering for years & didn't think I had anything left. Boy was I wrong after 14 hours with her method my car was full for the thrift store & both the garbage can & recycling can which are huge were full.
Teacher Terry
4-17-15, 6:05pm
I also thought getting rid of manuals or unloading your purse everyday was stupid.
The audio is back on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WRZVDEHzlo
I also thought getting rid of manuals or unloading your purse everyday was stupid.
I load up my fanny pack with my cellphone, emergency numbers and house keys for walking my dog morning and evening. I take them out when I get back to the house and replace them in my purse each time so that it is ready to go. The fanny pack does not work for me as a purse but I may need to declutter my purse so that it will. I completely understand her unloading her purse so that she knows what is in it each day and some people change purses depending on the colour of outfit that they are wearing that day.
I was out yesterday to watch the HD Bolshoi ballet production of Ivan the Terrible which was wonderful BTW. Since the theatre was right beside a Chapters and I had a partly used gift card, I bought the book and will circulate it amongst two groups of friends who are exploring Fengshui and decluttering.
Sloeginfizz
4-20-15, 9:13pm
I tried unloading my purse every day. I kept it up for about a month. I stopped, but I think it was a valuable exercise. It helped me decide what I really need over the course of a day and what was just 'well what if I need that.' I stopped carrying a lot of stuff and lightened my purse load over all. That said, I think might also be useful if you're the sort of person who changes bags from day to day. I'm not. I own one big bag, big enough for the iPad, lunch, gym clothes, and I also own a little crossbody bag for when I just need keys, wallet, phone.
Finally Kondo'd my clothes!
Seven pieces went into the trash; they were to old/faded/worn for anyone, including me.
Will be donating:
2 coats
1 blazer
5 pairs of pants
4 sweaters
13 shirts
2 scarves (1 brand new w/tags--gift, sparkly thing I'd never wear)
2 belts
1 summer robe
Two pairs of shorts have gone to my mom; they're big on me right now but I'm sure my weight will come back some day.
Found a pair of riding jeans from 1986ish--they fit me perfectly! So it's not me that's too small for new pants---it's the pants that are too large nowadays. If only they sized women's pants by waist size, like men's pants.
I'm surprised I got rid of as much as I did, since I really like all of my clothes and most of them are newer thrift store finds (about 90%). Still have too many "just for around the house T-shirts" that will possibly get torn or stained at some point.
Shoes next!
Just an FYI - I recently read that goodwill stores accept all fabric even if the clothing is worn out. They send it on to be recycled.
Aww. Too late : (
What I'm left with are lots of polos, turtlenecks and some sweaters. Kinda preppy and boring, but mixing and matching the sweaters and turtlenecks was fun this winter.
Must. Keep. Out. Of. Thrift. Stores.
Teacher Terry
4-23-15, 2:40pm
I also found it easier to get rid of more clothes using her method.
TVRodriguez
4-23-15, 5:33pm
The audio is back on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WRZVDEHzlo
Thanks for this--I will check it out.
Books---Done!
And it was much easier than I thought it would be. I had about 100 books (I have two "sets", one of 10 very small books and another of 6---counted each set as one book as I wouldn't split them up). Ended up discarding 37 and keeping 63. Hoping that my library runs a book sale to raise money; otherwise, they'll go to the neighboring county's library sale.
Some books I use often were stored in a box in my closet; the rest, in my cousin's basement in three boxes. Now down to the one in the closet, plus two for his basement. When packing them away, I noticed two definite categories: Horse/Dog/Animal related, and England related (Anglophile here). So now, if I want a book about, say, "Are You Being Served?", I just go in the England box.
Deciding which to get rid of wasn't difficult, but there were a few I'm not sure about. So, I'll read them again and see if I still want them. In fact, since I have 63 books I do enjoy, I'll bring home a few at a time and read them through, and not go to the library for something new. Unless, of course, Marie Kondo writes a follow up!
Next---papers!
TVRodriguez
6-15-15, 3:19pm
I did go through my clothes (well, most of them) this weekend after watching an interview with Marie Kondo. I didn't follow the method perfectly in that I didn't dump all my stuff on the bed or floor--I left it in the closet as I sorted, but I kept my mind on what I wanted to keep instead of thinking "what can I give away?" I focused on what I actually wear vs. what I wish I wore.
I also really liked that she didn't focus really on "decluttering." She said in the interview that she doesn't try to tell people they have too much of anything--that if they love it they should keep it, if they can make room for it. What's too much for one person is not enough for another. That made me feel better about some things I kept.
This will be really helpful as DH and I are reorganizing our bedroom to fit a King size bed (we let the kids in too often to keep the queen size).
ApatheticNoMore
6-15-15, 3:34pm
I didn't follow the method perfectly in that I didn't dump all my stuff on the bed or floor
everything on the bed and floor, 5 weeks later it's still on the floor. "What was I thinking doing that? This place is a mess!" That's what would probably happen here. By then it all needs a laundry before being put away again >8)
TVRodriguez
6-16-15, 11:00am
pony mom, I'm impressed that you got through books! That will be tough, no doubt about it. I'm going to postpone that by dealing with the kids clothes next. In fact, my 6 year old told me this morning that she wants to get rid of some of her clothes because she has too many. I think she was inspired by my cleanout! I told her we could do it on Saturday.
ApatheticNoMore, I think that is what would have happened to me! I found it easier to have them still up on hangars so I could properly assess them rather than reaching down over and over, which just sounds tiring.
One of the best parts was giving away some good stuff to some good friends who can make use of it.
I'm listening to it now, thank you for the link! So far I have two reactions: pleasure with her concept and some of her descriptions which strike a chord with me, and the sense that this Marie Kondo is a very young and privileged young lady with OCD. I like her concept of seeking an inspiring reason for wanting to "tidy", a visual and practical vision of what might be possible if the clutter were gone.
The categories - which we must follow in order - are clothes, books (or books and papers), kimonos, miscellany and mementos, which makes me think of the possessions of a Japanese 10 year old. I think 95% of what I own and need to organize and sort falls under "miscellany". There seems to be no room in her philosophy for cleaning products, cooking utensils, tools, electronics, appliances, or the big things that are REALLY hard to make decisions over like real estate, autos etc. The concept that new things must be purchased, with money that can be hard to come by, appears totally foreign to her. She is married, but the idea that one's things to be sorted are in "her own room", the childhood concept, seems prevalent, the issue of keeping shared spaces organized hasn't come up.
I'm now descending into the madness of how to properly fold clothes and to organize closets so the hemlines "point upward" to the right. I can already promise that I will never be a person squatting down to be sure I have my hemlines in proper order.
Just a clarification - she talks about komono - basically, miscellaneous. I'm working through paper right now. I have a bunch of old statements stored under the stairs and it's a pain to get them out, but they're on my mind and I will try to get through them by the end of the month. Her "does this spark joy" rule is helping me in other areas of my life: food (I tend to graze for the wrong reasons), retail therapy has finally lost its hold on me, too.
Teacher Terry
6-16-15, 9:19pm
I did not throw everything on bed & floor-just did it in closet or drawers. Also who cares if your underwear/socks spark job. They just have a basic job to perform. I threw away the disgusting/worn ones. I loved the book & it helped me.
A few weeks ago I went through some papers, which were horse-related articles that were categorized in an accordian file. I got rid of most of them since practically anything I need to know I can find online.
Teacher Terry, funny about the underwear. When I tidyed mine months ago, I only kept ones that I wouldn't die of shame if wearing after being in an accident. But I'm sure paramedics have more important things to worry about.
The main problem now will be my pants/shorts will be too loose. I lost 10 lbs. and finding size 2s and 0s is difficult. My weight will most likely increase at some point so I'll be keeping the loose bottoms. Now I wish I kept the too-small things I got rid of a few years ago!
DD is short and small, she is a teen, wants to shop in Juniors but way too long and overall big. Thinks the Petite dept is for moms', not teens. Then she needed 7 days of business clothes for Business Camp (the first thing they should teach there is if you spent 3k for the camp, plus airfare and the wardrobe, you are a fool and shouldn't even be in Business Camp! However, the ex covered it when I pointed out that this is a huge budget blower and I am not doing it. Plenty of camps near home.) Since there are no business clothes in Junior, I got suggestions from small friends who don't spend a lot on wardrobe. Uniglo online has tons on relatively inexpensive options and small sizing. And H&M was where we found the most, $9 capri pants that fit her as normal length pants were a lifesaver. Tons of inexpensive tops ranging from size 0 on up. Maybe you can find things at these places?
The audio is back on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WRZVDEHzlo
down again, citing copyright infringement.
I've had the book from the library for a few weeks. My BFF is the most organized, clutter-free person I know, you wouldn't even know she has two small children at first glance of her home. She said this book totally changed the way she and DH think, their home is so much better for it. I have to admit, I am not very much like my BFF and I put off reading this book because I'm pretty certain I'm in for a ton of work. I want my life changed, too but not sure if I'm ready to take the plunge! I'm glad this thread is here, thank you
DD is short and small, she is a teen, wants to shop in Juniors but way too long and overall big. Thinks the Petite dept is for moms', not teens. Then she needed 7 days of business clothes for Business Camp (the first thing they should teach there is if you spent 3k for the camp, plus airfare and the wardrobe, you are a fool and shouldn't even be in Business Camp! However, the ex covered it when I pointed out that this is a huge budget blower and I am not doing it. Plenty of camps near home.) Since there are no business clothes in Junior, I got suggestions from small friends who don't spend a lot on wardrobe. Uniglo online has tons on relatively inexpensive options and small sizing. And H&M was where we found the most, $9 capri pants that fit her as normal length pants were a lifesaver. Tons of inexpensive tops ranging from size 0 on up. Maybe you can find things at these places?
I've shopped in H&M and looked at Uniglo's site and their pants are mostly low-rise, which I HATE!!! Some petites that I've found in thrift stores work but only if they are capris. Recently found a girl's/jr. pair of Lands End shorts in the thrift store, new for $4. The cool thing is that they have an adjustable elastic inside the waist that you can tighten if needed (I needed).
Perhaps the first lesson learned from Business Camp is to decide whether it's worth the money.
down again, citing copyright infringement.
I've had the book from the library for a few weeks. My BFF is the most organized, clutter-free person I know, you wouldn't even know she has two small children at first glance of her home. She said this book totally changed the way she and DH think, their home is so much better for it. I have to admit, I am not very much like my BFF and I put off reading this book because I'm pretty certain I'm in for a ton of work. I want my life changed, too but not sure if I'm ready to take the plunge! I'm glad this thread is here, thank you
I found it very motivating and couldn't wait to get started. Of course, the difficult sentimental stuff hasn't been sorted through yet, but a third of my books are boxed up and ready to be donated to a library for their sale. Start with your clothes, since it's something you need every day. Having a closet filled with only things you love to wear is wonderful.
I'm watching a friend on facebook go through the "Magic of Tidying Up" process. Apparently she has never gotten rid of anything. It's pretty amazing to see what she is purging from her 2 bed/2 bath condo. She's doing the books/magazines this weekend. Thousands of magazines never opened. She seems to be a very impulse driven purchaser. It must be pretty amazing to come to that Ah-Ha moment and then tackle it all at once. I've always been a purger and a cautious shopper. I'm the person you see with a handful of items who stand in line for the register then gets out of line to put everything back. I never saved a single toy or outfit from the boys younger years. I think that's why I like our 100 item a month challenge. It makes me dig deep to get rid of more.
Williamsmith
7-12-15, 1:04pm
It seems to have been a natural response to my retirement to get rid of all the excess baggage prior to selling and downsizing into a condo. Can't say I was influenced by any book but I'm curious about this one. Have to check it out. It took me four years to complete the move and only when I emptied out the house completely did I realize how much stuff I had that I did not need.
freshstart
7-12-15, 2:01pm
this week, I'm just going to read the book cover to cover and see if this is for me. It's hard to contemplate doing it because I am not well, but if I can embrace the concept, hopefully it allows you to go as slow as you need to. I got rid of so much 2 yrs ago when we moved, so it's not terrible. I think photos would be the actual hardest, I stopped putting them in albums after the birth of my second child in 1999, so not good and it's a job I hate. Plus, I somehow found myself the keeper of all the ancient photos of both sides of my family. Pics are cool, the 1920s, etc., but they all need to be scanned. If she's strict on photos, I'm doomed, lol
The joy criterion is wonderful to me. Simplified weeding out a lot and made the experience enjoyable. This book feels so sane.
Today my mom and I dragged a medium Rubbermaid container full of photos upstairs and went through all of them. Many many many of them went in the garbage. I've kept some of myself as a baby, nice ones of my parents and grandparents when they were younger, and some creepy old black and white ones of my grandparents and great grandparents. We don't think we'll regret getting rid of them, especially since we don't look through them, well, hardly ever. Now this container that needed two people to carry it can easily be picked up by one.
Wish we did this before we moved. A lot of the envelopes were full of negatives!
Ultralight
7-12-15, 8:22pm
You all are making me curious enough to read this book!
freshstart
7-12-15, 8:40pm
Today my mom and I dragged a medium Rubbermaid container full of photos upstairs and went through all of them. Many many many of them went in the garbage. I've kept some of myself as a baby, nice ones of my parents and grandparents when they were younger, and some creepy old black and white ones of my grandparents and great grandparents. We don't think we'll regret getting rid of them, especially since we don't look through them, well, hardly ever. Now this container that needed two people to carry it can easily be picked up by one.
Wish we did this before we moved. A lot of the envelopes were full of negatives!
What are you going to do with those you kept? Keep them in the bin or make albums? That's where I get stuck. Maybe photo boxes with dividers so then you just flip through all the pics?
I may do that. I'm planning on going through them again and culling some more. Luckily most of the baby pics are dated so I can keep those in some sort of order.
They are all in many different sizes: large thick ones on cardboard, black and white square ones with scalloped borders, 126-camera size, 35mm sized, and those stiff polaroids. We also have about eight boxes of slides; luckily we gave my cousin our little viewer so we'll be able to check these out too.
It was a bit sad letting them go, but we enjoyed seeing them. If we didn't do this today, we probably never would have looked at them again, as the task seemed so daunting.
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