I can’t believe it has taken this long to share The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
I actually thought I had already made a post about it. I read this book 2 years ago.
Just like Ashley, I love to read, and books are where I get pretty much all my life changes, from diet to changing my perspective on just about everything.
I would totally put this book in there as one that changed my life. But in being honest my house still does not have the minimalist look I crave, nor is it currently tidy. So it doesn’t work, you might be thinking.
Just like anything you read or learn, it’s up to you how you’re going to implement.
If you follow Marie’s advice and tidy once and for all in shortest span of time possible, say over a weekend, you will accomplish the first shift in perspective very quickly. Your desire to put everything away after every use will be very strong.
The only thing that can really mess you up is, “new items”.
The reason I feel my house is a mess right now is because of new items.
A friend just gave us 8 huge bags of kids clothes from sizes 2 to 8! This kinda goes against the KonMari method of only keeping what you currently need and use.
But, I have 3 kids and clothes are expensive.
These are some really nice items, which totally sparks joy for me and the kids.
It has not been easy finding time to sort all these bags, measuring out the pants, deciding what doesn’t fit both girls, what should be stored and what is the length of time they will need to be stored.
If they won’t fit into them for a year or two, I’ll just bag them and toss them in the closet.
If it’s something they’ll be into for school, I’d like them to be more accessible. Then, you have all the clothes that currently fit them.
They will not all fit in their drawers, and they don’t need that many items at one time anyways. That’s where the capsule wardrobe comes in.
I need to pare down their spring wardrobe and store the rest till summer when I can switch up a few things.
Having an area of your house cluttered, even with somewhat organized piles of clothing, actually creates mess in other areas of the house. It truly is weird, but clutter attracts clutter.
The comfort in the KonMari method is the change in perspective. In the book she says you really only need to tidy up once and you are done, for life! As the kids get older I know we will get closer to that actually being a possibility.
It’s comforting to know that once I get control of this new clutter, the clutter that has been gathering in other rooms will be quickly tidied up, and we will be back to that peaceful state of mind where every item has a home.
Improving your life 1% at a time.
Casey
