(2 min read)
Fresh Start
In 2016, while living in Pacific Beach San Diego, CA, Katie and I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo.
It did change our lives.
We sold both of our cars and nearly all of our other possessions, too. Moved out of our townhouse.
We bought a 1-way ticket to Europe to go exploring various countries.
Marie Kondoβs KonMari Method
This is not a summary of the book, but these are the ideas that stood out to me most:
Keep only those items that βspark joy.β
Hold each item in your hands, and ask yourself whether it brings you joy.
If it doesnβt, thank it for its service, and let it go.
Donβt KonMari for someone else.
The reason to tidy up is to create a more peaceful, joyful life.
Overstepping your bounds and making decisions about belongings that matter to someone else would cause drama.
I.e. Donβt tell your family member βItβs time for you to get rid of _____.β Not your call.
Donβt give anything to people you know.
Donβt offload your stuff to friends and family.
Everyone feels the temptation.
Youβve decided something is no longer sparking joy for you, but you still see it as useful for someone.
So youβre tempted to offer your old books, electronics, clothes, etc. to various friends.
This is problematic for at least 3 reasons:Youβre dragging out the process and interrupting the flow you were in.
Youβre inadvertently passing on the burden of decision-making and clutter to them.
Youβre not getting the full benefit of closure.
Offering items to others can be a way of holding onto things indirectly, which can undermine the transformative power of decluttering your own space.
Personally, this rule was the hardest for us. But it made sense!
$20 Rule
If youβre considering a certain item and are unsure of whether to get rid of it, one guideline that adds a strong case for βyes, get rid of itβ is:
If you can replace an item for $20 or less and within 20 minutes, let it go.
This probably wasnβt in the book. I think we learned it from other minimalism enthusiasts.
For example, we uncovered old walkie talkies:
Not sure whether I had any future use for them (but still hesitating to get rid of them), I did a quick search.
Plenty of GMRS radios are available on Amazon for $20.
Probably better than these old ones anyway.
Decision made.
Mentally lighter
Itβs amazing how much our belongings and surroundings can affect our mental and emotional states (for unenlightened mortals like me, at least).
There is an invisible cost to having cabinets and closets and containers brimming with stuff that you never use.
And you might only notice the cost once you free yourself from that burden.
Update
Later in 2016, after returning from Europe and the other US / Puerto Rico trips that we made, we found a home to rent in the Atlanta suburbs.
In 2022, we planted ourselves even more firmly by buying a house in the area.
Iβve noticed that weβve accumulated more stuff in recent years, and itβs time for another purge.
A cluttered garage and basement doesnβt feel good to me.
This is the first home weβve had where we feel permanently rooted.
So it will be interesting to see how the next round of decluttering feels!
π Caught my eye this week:
This quick 2 min video will sound obvious at first π but will also make you wonder βWhy am I not doing this all day every day?β π€¦ββοΈ
π What we learned in recent posts:
π’ Unfiltered
π’ My addictions
π’ You are The One
π’ [See all posts]
I watched the video clip. I like getting all sorts of ideas from all sorts of places. I know my perception of life is unique. I prefer to keep to myself. Getting in someone elseβs shoes doesnβt give me joy. I just accept that they have their own perspective. If someone gets me then my ideas might help them. If I get someone else then I will try to add their perspective to my life.
I have been decluttering in a small way over the last few weeks. I found out that decluttering and liking housework are connected