I have a confession to make. I am not the neatest, most organized person. (I have many other good qualities). I remember paying my sister Jill to clean my side of the closet when we were growing up! So you can imagine my excitement in beginning the closet purge.
But it is a necessity. I live in a small two bedroom one bathroom condo with ample closet space. I literally have clothes in every closet, most of which have not seen the light of day in years. Do you agree that we basically wear our favorite comfortable outfits most of the time, with the rest just taking up space?
How should I begin? I follow a blog called Susanafter60 and decided to look there for guidance. Susan did a YouTube Video which takes her followers into her closet and demonstrates how it is organized by color, by dressy v. casual clothes and by season. To be honest, I would rather die than show you my closet now; I felt rather nauseated after watching her video. She is just too perfect and it suddenly felt so difficult and unattainable!
Next I turned to Marie Kondo the organizing consultant who created the KonMari Method, a system of simplifying and organizing your home by getting rid of physical items that don’t bring joy into your life.
The first step of her method instructs you to physically hold or touch items in your closet (or house) as you attempt to clean up clutter. Ask the question “Does it spark true joy”? She claims focusing on what you love creates more happiness in your life so that other items fall to the wayside.
I watched Mari Kondo’s YouTube Video on how to fold clothes. She advised “stroking the garment with your hands, touching it to communicate your love and affection for the item of clothing and for its continued support”. Really? Is this a pair of socks or a lover we are talking about?
Another rule in the KonMari Method is that you tidy all at once, like an entire weekend, rather than a little at a time. She even suggests locating every piece of clothing you have and laying it on the living room floor. I don’t think so! Also you must visualize the destination e.g. set concrete goals like “I want to live like a Goddess surrounded by beauty and harmony” rather than “I want to live in a clean house”. I’ll settle for the latter. Ok. So much for Marie Kondo and her KonMari Method.
More research revealed a recent article in the LA Times entitled “Can’t Kondo, Declutter Your Way for Your Own Sanity”. Now we’re talking! The journalist discusses a book by Gretchen Rubin which takes aim at the KonMari method because there is no single way to get your house in order. Different methods work for different people.
Everything in your house doesn’t have to spark joy (a plunger?) and you don’t have to tackle everything at once—that can feel insurmountable and cause more stress. Do it your way, whether it is cleaning one section or drawer per week or finishing it all on a Saturday. Once you get started, it energizes you and gets easier. Decluttering brings more focus, a boost of energy and positive feelings.
Rubin says to consider 3 big questions when deciding to keep an item or toss it.
Do I need it? Do I love it? Do I use it? If you haven’t worn the item in a year, donate it.
Because I donate to a family I know, there is another important query: Does this family need the item more than I do? That helps me to eliminate some clothes I am unsure about.
Let’s grab some trash bags and donation boxes and get started in making our closets (home) a center of calm, not chaos. I appreciate your feedback and welcome your comments, ideas and questions. XO Penny
Resources
Www.SusanAfter60
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Outer Order Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness by Gretchen Rubin
Can’t Kondo, Declutter Your Way for Your Own Sanity by Melinda Fuller. LA Times, April 17, 2019