This week is the time for decluttering and donating to charity. In an effort to get ahead of the game, I convinced my spouse that we needed less clutter in our bedroom. Thus we decided to jettison one dresser and full confession – it was his dresser we eliminated.
Within minutes he rifled through five drawers and the majority of clothing went into a trash bag (I think it had been over a decade since he had gone through the drawers). We then successfully wrestled the bulky dresser down a flight of stairs and placed it at the edge of the driveway with a brightly colored “Free” sign taped to the side. In less than an hour it was someone else’s new treasure and we whooped and hollered.
My family and I have been living in the same household for 19 years. Suffice to say our accumulations outweigh what we have disposed of. Not only do we have an abundance of furnishings in our farmhouse, we also have three other buildings on the property; a garage, a barn and yes, a playhouse constructed by our daughter and her father over several years. It’s definitely time to say adieu to maps, old garden hoses, life jackets that have lost their punch and glass bottles collected in the 1950s by long gone relatives.
Now that we have tackled a tidbit of decluttering I am prepared to engage in a much lengthier purge. According to organizational consultants, clutter holds us back from living fully and in the present. The more organized our homes and our offices, the healthier we will become. Though I have yet to read any of Marie Kondo’s books, (she is the Japanese organizing consultant known as the decluttering guru), I am ready to give some of her enduring tips a try.
Kondo suggests that all tidying take place at once rather than one project or room at a time. For me, that probably means allowing myself a four to six month window. Next, before throwing anything away, she says individuals must visualize their ideal lifestyle and dig deeper as to why they want to live the way they envision. For example, if you want to live free of clutter to get more rest, what is underneath that statement? When you discover the answer as to why you truly want to be tidy, it’s time to get started.
Kondo suggests following an ordered decluttering routine – clothes first, then books, then paper and finally miscellaneous items. Work with one category at a time. For example, if you wish to tackle books, first put them all in one pile from wherever they might presently live.
And then – and here’s the illuminating and magic moment – rather than focusing only on items to trash, (which Kondo says will only bring unhappiness), you must take time to cherish what you love. To do so, take each item into your arms and ask yourself “Does this spark joy?” If yes, then it stays. If it doesn’t it’s time to say farewell and discard it.
Lastly Kondo says when we allow unused possessions to leave us, it liberates their energy as well as our own. Perhaps my husband’s former dresser is now rocking and rolling in its new environment. Based on Kondo’s assumptions, donating to charity or gifting items to others will bring you happiness and bliss.
Clutter be gone! Post your favorite photos.
See you on the PATH Ahead,
Shevonne, Gillian, Amy and Ashley