After finishing Phase I of my massive decluttering KonMari project, I took a bit of a break. I think I needed it. Don’t get me wrong, I am glad I went through the whole process, but it was emotionally and physically draining.
There were a few small projects in there. A year or so ago, I purchased some drapes that I finally had hemmed by a very kind person. Those are now in my bedroom and I replaced a few things, chucking the older items.
So Phase II.
So you want to try this Marie Kondo thing?
A couple of people have been asking me if I have advice about doing this. I do.
My first suggestion is that you pick a couple of small categories or subcategories that aren’t emotionally loaded for you. Make sure you get all of the category/subcategory together in one place, and then try the method. If it doesn’t work, you’re not out a ton of time or effort. If it does, you have proof of concept.
Then:
This worked for me.
I learned a lot about myself, what I really liked, just how much guilt I’d put into the things that surrounded me (I can’t possibly get rid of that even though I never really liked it because it was a gift from so-and-so), that I’m a very visual person, and that I’m not terribly self-aware about certain things.
It wasn’t always easy. In fact sometimes it was downright hard.
But since starting this, I’ve maintained all the spaces I’ve decluttered. I can find things now. Getting dressed is not a terrible chore.
Phase II is me trying to see what the best possible way to organize what remains. I have some ideas, but I’m trying to make thoughtful, careful decisions about this. I’ll blog about that as I go.
My life is still very stressful. Work hasn’t calmed down. My health is still a problem. The factors that were out of control are still kind of out of control, but for the first time like ever, my home feels in control. And for that I am very grateful.
It took a few days, but, Reader, I am done with “sentimental” and therefore also done with Phase I.
I have now gone through every single one of my possessions.
I thought I would take a momentary break from all KonMari stuff.
On a friend’s recommendation, I gave The Great British Bake Off a try and I loved it.
Amateur British bakers compete in a series of skill-based challenges for a trophy and apparently the honor and glory of winning. That’s it.
There’s very little in the way of staging/shaping a story that you’d see on a similar American show. If they are doing it, it’s being done in an incredibly subtle fashion. Nobody is sabotaging anyone. The presenters seem to be very kind people who want the best for the contestants. And the judges are pretty fair and so far, compassionate.
It’s civilized. The food is mouth-watering. The contestants are interesting and clearly talented. And it’s watchable.
When some TV exec decides to make an American version (and they will–it’s inevitable), you can bet all of that will fly out the window.
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Reader, tonight I finished the miscellaneous category of my possessions.
I’m well at the half way mark, probably for the entirety of my house as well as this category.
https://instagram.com/p/8bzYsQEpp_/
Yeah, I know (and that really doesn’t properly convey the enormity of what I had). Continue reading
I keep surprising myself.
The next subcategory I wanted to tackle was linens, meaning: towels, bedding, table linens, rags, and some miscellaneous fabric. I chose to do this for two reasons. The first is that I want to clear some space and I happen to have a decent sized linen closet, a hope chest, and a massive steamer trunk. The second is that I thought this would be a nice manageable, easy victory subcategory.
I am getting to the point where I’m just opening every box, every storage container, every drawer I find. I have a vintage hard suitcase that sits on my mantel. I was convinced it was empty. Guess what? It’s not. Nope, instead I found two atlases (one in Finnish—don’t ask), counted cross stitch stuff, two massive books that I got from a vendor luncheon at MLA, my mother’s wedding portrait, assorted news articles, some stuff my father wrote for a trade magazine, and an anatomical print of an eyeball.
https://instagram.com/p/8Ro5PUEptc/
It’s a good thing that I am approaching my next category. After you do clothes, books, and papers – or in my case – papers, clothes, and books, you’re supposed to tackle “komono” or “miscellaneous.”
That’s a rather large portion of my home.
I had found these nice sheets, but I don’t think they’re going to work for me. Then I happened on this blog post, and will adopt their method slightly for me.
While I suspect I’m overlooking something, I’ll begin with these and add as needed. These are in no particular order. I really think I’m going to jump around here and there. This is partly because some of these projects are going to take more time and energy than others and every so often I will need a small victory to keep me going.
The other reason to do these small little subcategories is because I’m finding that I keep unearthing stuff and it makes no sense to put it back in the vessel it came from. Consequently, I’ve got lots of random items spilling out all over the place and getting rid of clutter is the whole reason I came into this project to begin with!
https://instagram.com/p/8RfmNakps-
As you can see, I have a lot of books. Like a lot. They were taking up three bookshelves and 4 shelves of my built-in cabinets.
___is black the new black? 