Over the weekend I watched a couple more episodes of Marie Kondo’s new Netflix show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. I saw the episodes with the retired couple who were borderline hoarders and the family which had downsized and needed help culling their stuff. The retired couple was not relatable to me but I definitely could understand the mom who did everything around the house and whose kids and husband loved her but didn’t know how to help. She needed both a method to organize as well as cooperation from her family. They ended up learning how to all work together, and their two tween children decluttered their own room, it was impressive. The show is very popular and is inspiring a lot of people to get rid of their stuff. I’ve read quite a few pieces with charity organizations saying it’s been a boon to them. Well Marie did a new interview with Variety and she was just as gracious about the reception to the show as she comes across on screen. She said she was overwhelmed at how quickly it has caught on.
How do you feel about the reception to the show so far?
I love seeing all of the posts and stories about how the show has inspired people to tidy their homes and find joy in their lives. What has surprised me the most is the speed at which people have responded. It’s only been a week, but viewers are putting the KonMari Method into action immediately — folding their clothes and joy-checking their belongings! I’m still a little bit in shock — and overwhelmed with gratitude.How is the Netflix series different from the book?
With “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” I was able to introduce the fundamentals of my tidying method. The benefit of “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo,” is that you can see what it looks like when the KonMari Method is implemented in a home. My hope is that by witnessing this transformation, viewers will be motivated to join the movement.What’s the biggest lesson people can take away from the show?
My greatest wish is for all the viewers to begin their own tidying festivals — and to move through the process. I hope that they will develop a greater sense of gratitude for their belongings and that their lives will spark even more joy than before!
She is so kind and genuinely helpful, and it’s fun to watch her get excited seeing people’s houses. She never shames anyone for their stuff, and that’s part of the reason her show and method are so popular. There is such a need for this, especially in the US where we’re taught that more is better and where we use shopping as a hobby. It takes time and effort to both develop a system to clean up your house, to maintain it, and to make sure everyone in the house can chip in. As I always mention in these posts, I prefer Clutterbug as I don’t think Marie’s “one size fits all” approach works for everyone. I can’t fold like that (although this helps) and as long as my clothes are put away relatively neatly I feel like I have my sh-t together. This can only help people though.
My parents recently moved to Florida and in the process they got rid of more than 3/4 of their stuff. I was so sad while they did it but they told my brother and me that they didn’t want us to deal with their possessions after they died. (I hate even writing about this!) When I see shows like the one with the retired couple I realize what a favor they’re doing for us, and that I should be grateful.
The only thing the #MarieKondo show has taught me is that men and children are the quickest way to ruin your peace.
— Meghan Tonjes (@meghantonjes) January 9, 2019
#MarieKondo brainwashed me.#doesitbringyoujoy pic.twitter.com/f8PCVgDObI
— Cari Croson (@CariCroson) January 11, 2019
Me after watching one episode of #MarieKondo #thankyou pic.twitter.com/zBVooZ9dyZ
— Kaci✨ (@kaci_rachelle) January 7, 2019
So only thirty, Marie Kondo? #MarieKondo pic.twitter.com/X5TOGfaS78
— Lord Isasi (@lordisasi) January 13, 2019
I love this….But I need more than 30 books lol
She says to keep any book that sparks joy. Even if that is more than 30.
I guess she would okay my full 10-foot wall of bookshelves, then.
We’ve got tons (tons!) of books, but regularly lend them out, so in my view, every book in my house brings me joy. And I think the point is only to think critically and truthfully about your possessions.
Can’t wait to see Goop being all like “did you know I invented decluttering?” lol but seriously, I always feel better mentally when my spaces are tidy. Always.
Lol. I can imagine Goop seething with envy, actually. And I’m 100% with you on feeling better when my house is tidy. Both my husband and I are kinda militant about it.
Me, too! I like tidying, and I like having tidied.
I’m going to watch with my 17 year old. We both need to know how to fold like that. But 30 books? Yeah…no.
She doesn’t actually say only keep 30 books. She keeps her collection to thirty. She focuses on only keeping the books that spark joy in your life.
Seriously, keep as many books as you want. I have to say that I had over 500 books a few years ago, and I did her method. I didn’t think I would want to let go, but after I tuned into what joy felt like, I was more than happy to part with most of them. I still read all the time, but I don’t need a visual confirmation. Also, I never re-read a book, so this might just be me.
It’s kind of hard to explain and sounds a little new age self help, but it cleared up mental room for me.
It’s also possible that after you go through the process of confirming that you love every single book you’ve chosen to keep, you’ll be even happier with them than you are now.
No, I’m the same way. I don’t re-read anything. There are too many new (or newly discovered) books to spend time going back to what I’ve already read. Besides, my memory for the printed page is really good, so there’s no need.
The folding works! I’ve done it with my tee shirts and sweaters, and I don’t wear just the top layer anymore. With her folding method, you can see and choose from everything.
I love her. I just redid a closet and I am attacking another one this weekend. Goodwill loves me these days.
I did my closets this weekend. I have 17(!) trash bags filled with clothes to donate. I’m 39 and found stuff in my attic closet that I haven’t worn since I was 25.
The biggest game changer I got from her book was that you take all your clothes from every closet and put them in a pile on the floor. That really helped me purge all my stuff. Up until then, I was just moving things around from closet to closet, which is why I had no room.
And her folding style worked for me. I have so much space now!
I try to go through my closets at least once a year (generally in the spring or during my summer vacation) and even I’m going to try the “pile method.” It seems like it could be really helpful to visualize exactly how much stuff we really have…though right now I only have 1 bag ready to donate, I’m sure I’ll end up with more.
Though I definitely don’t agree with her method on books, the rest of it looks pretty helpful, so maybe one day I’ll try to Kondo my own place, heh.
Since I assume you’re in Mtl, I hope you know that you can send about any type of fabric to Renaissance. If it’s too used to sell in their stores, they’ll sell it to a shredding company that makes cloth. Makes the sorting of clothing at home much easier!
My parents moved countries when they retired and were ruthless about getting rid of as much as possible.
Having recently helped a friend clear her mother’s house which was filled from top to bottom with stuff, I am very grateful they did it themselves.
I’m glad your parents were kind enough to do that for you.
People are getting really caught up on “30 books” or “weird folding,” but I think Marie Kondo’s method is really about recognizing that letting go is a necessary part of a healthy life. She advises people to be grateful for what you truly love (e.g. fold your clothes with care) and say goodbye to things you keep for negative reasons such as obligation, fear, or simple laziness. That’s pretty good advice for most folks.
Ellie,
I love this –> “I think Marie Kondo’s method is really about recognizing that letting go is a necessary part of a healthy life.”
So well written!
I totally agree, and would add that it also shows that adding “things” to your life may bring little joy, or just a temporary boost. When you look at how much you give away, you recognize that most of it was never special to begin with.
That’s lovely Ellie
I find I’m increasingly drawn to this phenomenon, against my ingrained scepticism.
I’ve no TV to watch her, but I think I’ll definitely buy her book.
It’s an exciting feeling, that a clearer space and as you say, letting go, might change much of my life. 🙂
I’m still genuinly angry at my grandparents for forcing me to do what they had refused to do all their life: clear their appartment. Every rent invoice since 72 had been kept, every xray, every copy of prescriptions (and leftover drugs, I brought 4 garbage bags full to the pharmacist), every piece of clothing and the thousands of books… It was a mess and it felt unfair that I’d be the one doing that once one of them would die since there was no way the other could live there on their own. To make matter worst, my Alzheimer grandma would open all the bags I’d make and go through it cuz she couldn’t understand what I was doing. It really left me a bitter taste and bad memories of them (even if I was aware I’d have to do that one day).
I’m so glad that my mom isn’t like that and keeps only what she needs/wants. When I flew back home, I got rid of multiple books, bags of clothes, kitchen stuff and of my thousands of CDs and donate all of that. I was eletate when they come to pick everything up, it was a wonderful feeling!
That being said, it’d be great if more organizations were doing home pick-ups. That’s one of the reasons why I was stuck with those things: I don’t have a car but wanted to avoid sending good stuff to trash.
Arpeggi: I had to do that with my mother’s stuff. She had every single pay stub she’d ever earned, every utility notice (PAID), every credit card bill (PAID), every tax return, & etc. And she was by no means a hoarder, this was just the accumulation of paperwork everyone deals with. Today I’m ruthless about my own monthly bills & tax returns: I try to do most things electronic, shred last month’s once the new bill has come in, & shred every tax return once it becomes four years old.
Here’s a really compassionate and understanding thread from Jack Monroe, a British cook who writes cookbooks for people surviving on food parcels/minimum wage. She writes about how her own background as a person surviving on almost nothing, being a victim of abuse and moving house constantly meant that she hoarded once she became more prosperous, and how Marie Kondo helped her to let go of that.
https://twitter.com/bootstrapcook/status/1084601036726251520?s=21
Thanks for sharing, that was really great read about this gentleman’s journey and I liked how he defends Kondo.
I loved this: “As I have started to create space in my wardrobe, on my shelves, in my periphery, I’ve started to sleep better. I’m less anxious, less irritable. I have more time to spend with my family because I’m spending less time shuffling insurmountable crap from one place to the other.”
My MIL is a hoarder and her mom was a hoarder, too. Monroe mentioned that he believes hoarding tends to come from trauma so that’s really got me thinking about what trauma might have occurred in their lives. I know depression is/was a big factor with these women, poverty was not, but now I’m wondering if something truly terrible happened at some point.
Trauma does seem to be a pretty common theme in hoarding. Especially when it gets to the point of being dangerous for one’s health and safety.
If you ever watched the show Hoarders on TLC, pretty much all the people who were hoarders started hoarding after some kind of emotional or physical trauma in their lives. I had a friend whose family were hoarders… I never knew exactly who was the hoarder in the family (though I suspected it was her mom). Her father has since passed away and I can only imagine the mother’s hoarding has gotten worse.
I watched a few episodes, enjoyed Marie’s efficiency and charm, but ultimately I had to stop after a few episodes because I was unconsciously absorbing the emotional turmoil of the subjects involved. I mentioned on another topic that I suffer from anxiety, and although I manage it well daily, the fact is that watching dysfunctional people in action is really upsetting. I’m okay if someone is having a problem and solicits my help. I’m very, very solution-oriented. But I can’t watch systemic dysfunction play out before my eyes. The Pakistani (?) American mom was particularly difficult to watch. She was so controlling and so turned off by any criticism, very insecure and defensive. Reminded me of my mother and one of my former bosses. I felt so horrible watching her poor husband. My favorite episode was the Japanese-American couple — the husband’s flourishing was so magnificent! Anyway, Marie is delightful and I’m all for this new trend!
Love this. But I hate all the memes and tweets about how she is a monster for saying you can only have30 books. One, she never said that (she said SHE prefers to have 30 books HERSELF) and two, having a lot of books is not a personality, folks.
Oh man, yes yes yes to your last point. I work in academia, so I’m surrounded by people that couldn’t possibly get rid of their stacks and stacks of books and it’s not because they use them for their research 😐
Yeah, academics are massive hoarders! It’s ridiculous because most of the textbooks are available for free in pdf through the library and you can also save a pdf of whatever paper you find interesting, there’s no need to clutter!
While trying to clean up my now ex-boss’ lab a few years ago, I found vials in the fridge from 1986! (Yep! Older than most of our students!). I had the hardest time convincing him to let go of an unused machine that only accepted floppy disks and worked on Win97…
I watched the episode with the retired Japanese couple. I would have classified them as straight up hoarders. The volume of clothing, decor, etc. they both had was overwhelming. I got anxiety when the camera crew walked into their house. They made a lot of progress and at the end the amount of stuff seemed manageable.
We are expecting baby #3 in April. I plan to start working on many aspects of Marie’s plan. Although I just cannot get on board with the 30 books.
Oh yeah they were straight up hoarders! I mean, if every surface is cluttered and you have kg of clothes with their price tags still on them, you are a hoarder. At the end, their place seemed better, but it still like a “before” would look in my eyes. Also from what we could see of the backward, it seemed that it was just as filled as the house with boxes everywhere. I almost stopped to watch, it was too much. But I’m still happy for them, they went through a lot of work!!
I liked the book. I do remember listening to the audio book a couple of years ago, and got rid of a lot of stuff. So when it came to changing countries, I was ready, I think. Because I’d already gotten rid of things that ‘didn’t spark joy’ and felt clear headed enough to make a decision to move.
That’s a really good point. I wonder how many people would like to move but don’t because they are paralyzed by the thought of moving so much stuff. Probably a lot.
My parents’ basement flooded a few years before they downsized from a house to a condo so we were forced to get rid of a ton of stuff when we cleaned up. I wonder if the bare basement helped them in their decision to move since there wasn’t a ton of old clutter to deal with.
It is a really nice show but sometimes (almost all the time) I am overwhelmed with frustration about those Americans. They have so many things and I always feel like they should do another round of cleaning and would still be left with clutter. WHY do you keep/ buy so many clothes?? Do you really never clean or tidy?? Seriously help me understand. I know we Brazilians are known for being too ‘clean’ and actually ‘washing’ the house and etc. but HOW can Americans never even clean their closets every year or so? Oh my gosh I get really stressed over this show I’m sorry
Americans clean and tidy their homes. Perhaps your opinion is clouded by TV shows that are more likely to show the extremes (i.e. like Hoarders) than the average person’s place.
As for your point on clothes, many in North America have 4 seasons a year, not 1. People dress appropriately.
Also I didn’t know Brazilians were known for being clean?
Definitely agree with the 4 seasons. And sometimes you need to combine a couple of seasons in one day with wild temperature swings. We have a LOT of outdoor clothing, but it’s because there are so many conditions we need to plan for.
You’re seeing extremes on a TV show, that’s definitely not representative of most people in the US.
I think I know what you mean… Americans have more of everything compared to most other countries. Fast fashion, bulk/wholesellers, Amazon, etc. allows us to buy so without breaking the bank and many have issues letting go of the old, while they keep buying more new. It can be overwhelming. But it is also generalized, many are organized and donated often to control volume.
As for the more clean, i have Brazilian/ Portuguese family… i once caught my grandma ironing her dollars between cloths as they were too wrinkled.
Hahahahahah! I love it! Ironing her dollars, I know I’ve been tempted in my life, but have never actually done it. That is so cute and amusing at the same time.
What do you mean by ‘those Americans’? Are you assuming that every American is like this? You are seeing only a very small fraction of some people here. Don’t judge an entire country by what you see on a TV show. I get enough grief as it is being from the south.
I agree with you Lilag. I’m American with a Chinese immigrant mother (by way of Hong Kong) and I was raised with a version of Marie Kondo’s methods and still live this way in my late 30’s. Maybe it’s because there’s less space/sprawl in places like Hong Kong and Japan. Having spare rooms for overflowing junk and garages full of stuff where can’t park your car in seems crazy to me. As a kid I remember being shocked at my friend’s homes with things covering every surface. There’s definitely an American mindset of more and bigger. Larger food portions, heaps of fast fashion, Target hauls etc. I love that people are discovering they can be more happy with less stuff…Minimalism is a great doc on Netflix as is that tiny houses show.
Yes, I agree: North America (because I include Canada there too) is very suburban in general. Houses are big, very separated from others’ and we sell this idea that a big house with 2 garages and a swimming pool in the backward is what you should aim for. It’s totally different than the housing situation in the rest of the world. And such big houses (I’m not even talking about macmansions here) will be more filled with stuff than a 2 bedroom appartment where 4 people live. That being said, you can also clutter and hoard in a small place.
I think American culture is missing some important aspects common to traditional human cultures, which perhaps shopping and accumulating stuff attempts to fill. We don’t have a long history of place, families are often split up or kids move away and start anew without an extended family present, religion/spirituality is optional, meaning is less evident… there’s just a lot of inner emptiness here, plus the consumerism that is pushed on people from childhood on is tough to resist. It’s deep programming that clearly, many of us want to move beyond, hence the popularity of Kon-Mari tidying.
That is a really nice point of view. Of not having the attachment to things but at the same time being incredibly materialistic. I meant no offence to Americans, but you have to admit that the image you put through to the world is not the best lol. That is way I was really trying to understand why you would need so much. Even I understand the need for more clothes for different seasons it still feels too much. People have things they haven’t touched for years but still keep it for some reason. Going through more episodes of Tidying Up I just can’t imagine living in a house with clothes stored on every single room and not feeling overwhelmed. I think the comment that said you just have access too so much really blurs your perception on what really is useful or needed. It maybe a cultural difference but is just one shaped from capitalism sadly. That is why Americans are perceived that way from different cultures. No offence intended again.
I read her book when it first came out and did a modified KonMari lite version at my house (like I don’t do the pile method because I don’t want to lug things from floor to floor).
My difficulty is with paper and my husband and kids were not on board so I couldn’t do their things. But now my kids are older and we watched the first episode together and they enjoyed it. I’ve been “vertically storing” clothes for years now, so they were surprised to learn that most people don’t. I believe storing clothes in this way has helped them choose their clothes and get ready in the morning independently from an early age. (Personally I think if you are familiar with her tidying principles, the show as a show is kind of boring. But if you are not familiar, it’s a good visual way of learning her method.)
I agree with Ellie that people are getting too hung up on certain out of context sound bites “30 books” etc. If having a 1000 books bring you joy, her method is perfectly fine with that. I will say that I used to have a “keep all books” philosophy, but when I actually went through and culled my collection down, it was very freeing. Like I lost the figurative weight of the books from my shoulders. It was also partly about forgiving myself for not “getting around” to reading certain books.
When I watched the episode with the toddlers it was almost like they were in my home “how could you leave medication on the counter? it doesn’t go there” from husband, and a “I had a crazy kid in my arms and didn’t get a chance yet” from me. We’re both ocd so our clutter is controlled (minus the occasional tylenol) but it made me want to do more to get rid of things we don’t use.
And when i redid my kid’s drawers with the next size up i did her folding method. I don’t agree with standing up on shelves (better neatly piled), but in drawers it’s very helpful.
I feel SO much happier and less stressed when my house is tidy. I always knew that, but this show drove home just how anxious I was around the holidays specifically because of the extra clutter in my house. Now that my Christmas decorations are away and the gifts are out of my house, I’ve been able to keep up with keeping things clean. It has been amazing.
I used Marie’s method for folding t-shirts and it is WONDERFUL.
Putting away Christmas decorations is always my favorite part of the holiday season. Every year I put out less and less, too. I even got a smaller tree this year in anticipation of dismantling it more quickly. Call me Scrooge but I feel like I don’t have time for that kind of clutter anymore.
Hear hear!
My parents just moved to a slightly bigger house which my sister and I don’t quite understand but it’s their life, their choice. One of the reasons they moved in the first place from NY to CT (I grew up very close to the New York State and Connecticut border but on the NY side) was cheaper property taxes. They did get rid of of some stuff like the family piano which they had been trying to get rid of for ages. It is incredibly hard to get rid of pianos! (Protip: if you list it for free on Facebook Marketplace, you’ll get flooded with requests. Craigslist was not working for us). And other things like old clothes, my sister’s old flute, stuff like that. But they did buy a bigger house and bigger house = more furniture!! They weren’t ready to downsize. I’m kind of dreading the day they decide to… or if they never decide and my sister and I will have to go through all their stuff someday.
I saw what my mom and her siblings’ went through after my grandparents moved into a nursing home and all the stuff they had to go through in that house. Even after holding several tag sales there was so much stuff that had to be thrown out. Really hope we don’t have to go through that.
The idea of acquiring anything as major as more furniture makes me queasy, I can’t imagine. I’m in Chicago and was happy to hear a radio story just last week about how Habitat for Humanity has opened a furniture warehouse that people can donate to and in just a few months they were able to fully furnish dozens of homes. I know where my stuff is going when I finally downsize.
We have a Habitat for Humanity thrift store near me, and it’s great – you can donate, and you can buy stuff from there (I got a neat antique piece for pretty cheap) and it all helps their programs.
That thrift store stuff is no joke. Went to our local Good Will and it had seriously at least an additional THIRD more than normal. It was actually difficult to walk through. The quality of items was insane, too.
Not everything in life is about “joy”. There is – should be – place for other emotions and moe complex, reflective approaches, too. It is all a legitimate part of life. Maybe the translation – “spark joy” – is inadequate, but it sounds very puerile.
P.S. A few days ago, I found a few pages – 25 years old – that I certainly did not keep because they “sparked joy”; I had kept them because my main line of work has to do with writing, so I have massive paper clutter. Now, I “found” something in them that I hadn’t seen before; and I was able to use it. None of it sparked joy – if anything, it “sparked” sadness – but it was certainly useful.
And that’s just one of many examples I could give.
Like someone mentioned in the last thread, kitchen utensils don’t spark joy but you obviously need them – and she’s not expecting you to toss them! Perhaps if the paper clutter was better organized, it wouldn’t have taken 25 years for you to get some benefit from those particular pages?
Ex-Mel, that’s all addressed. Perhaps become familiar with the content before you state adverse opinions that comply with the method.
I am familiar with her method; have been for the past four years. The above were my thoughts on the subject of “joy” – because it IS presented as the main criterion (at least in the books it is), and it simply cannot be.
Love the show, but I definitely felt uncomfortable with the level of stuff people have in their homes, the Japanese American couple still had a desk in their bedroom despite all the rooms in their house and a doll display in the garage?! As much a fan as I am of the book I couldn’t watch all the shows because it’s peak tv and I’d rather be anxious watching The Americans or laugh out loud at Schitt’s Creek.
The wife’s obsession with Christmas decorations was deeply disturbing. In her defense, she did clarify from the start that they inherited the house and many of its belongings from her mother (or his mother) who lived in the home for many years before she and the husband got it. So the stuff in there was literally full of decades’ worth of multiple people’s lives because she never purged the home of “stuff” before she added her own family’s stuff to it. I just found it overwhelming and stressful to watch.
I’m curious about trying it out but I don’t think I will. I’m big into donating/recycling books and recycling clothes at thrift stores. So I guess it’s kind of like I’m on a perpetual cycle of ridding myself of things that no longer bring joy.
That said, I definitely still have too much of what I have. It’s scary to let go! I’m afraid I’ll get into it and toss things that I later regret getting rid of.
I love the Konmari method. I used the Konmari method twice in my home: once before and once after my daughter was born. I got through everything except for sentimental items an a storage locker, which is not too bad for amateur, which I consider myself to be.
My one bedroom apartment still gets VERY messy. I would rather play with my toddler than clean. But when I do clean, the mess is manageable. My drawers, cupboards and closets are pretty organised. I can find what I need. I know when I have run out of something. When I think that I need to buy something, I find myself looking for substitutes from what I already have.
And clutter still builds up. I have bags of baby clothes that my daughter has grown out of that I bought at the thrift store or were handed down to her, and I plan to donate them back to the thrift store, because they are still in good condition. But when the clutter builds up again, I know how to deal with it.
“Of course, in order to feel comfortable throwing out all your old socks and handbags, you have to feel pretty confident that you can easily get new ones. ”
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/03/marie-kondo-and-the-privilege-of-clutter/475266/
And the response:
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/03/marie-kondo-and-the-privilege-of-clutter/475266/
People process trauma in different ways. Personally, I think that it is a privilege to be able to throw things away and I’m very glad that I can do such. There’s a middle ground to all of it though. Being a hoarder (for whatever reason) is unhealthy and unproductive (on the one hand). Dismissing the urge to hang onto things as solely being the result of tragedy or poverty is a little blithe if you don’t look deeply into that notion (on the other).
Post-poverty is a great time to let go of things but not everyone is past that stage. And maybe someone has healed to a certain extent but requires a few extant pieces of the past so as to keep their ancient wounds tangible at the same time that they are contained.
Each person has their story, and so does their stuff.
Hear, hear!
I see people are still confused about her stance on books. She doesn’t say get rid of all you books till you only have max 30. That’s her number, it works for her. But if your number is 80, 100, 200, or a massive library, and that’s actually useful for you or it brings you joy, than that’s totally fine as well!
Personally I love her method, most of us are too attached to “things” is good to have a method that relives hesitation and guilt from letting things go, and that helps you appreciate what you do keep, your space, and sometimes it even can change your life.
Anyways, people need to get over this 30 books thing, it’s not what she meant.
I watched the first episode over the weekend, and I was already amazed.
My boyfriend and I have a 600 sq. ft. condo, and the amount of crap we have between the two of us is overwhelming. We also have a little storage spot in the parkade, as well as a hanger FULL of junk (my parents have a couple planes… so we use a hanger to store junk)
I’m watching another episode tonight and am going to start with pulling out all of my clothes.
I’m not the only person who gets really anxious looking at messes, but can’t seem to do anything about them am I?
My place is a disaster, yet my boyfriend and I never seem to do anything about it…
We Kondo’d our house a few years ago and it was so liberating. But it didn’t stick and I keep fighting myself over clutter. ADHD and Bipolar II don’t help. Since we moved into the RV and started traveling (two years ago) it’s become a bigger struggle. I have trouble getting rid of kitchen things. I embrace the library and Kindle Unlimited for books. All of my other books are in storage with our furniture. I want to blindly give away/sell off what’s in there since we obviously haven’t used or needed it in two years. Husband is too attached. We’re a mess.
**Except the folding! I never stopped Konmari folding. It’s a necessity in such a small space.
I got on the ‘organize your living space’ bandwagon years ago after having a ton of family crap dumped on me after the death of my sister who was nearly a hoarder and from my parents who’d downsized from a large townhouse to a small 2-bed apartment. I thought I’d offend them if I got rid of their stuff so I hung onto it all and lugged it around with me for years until I had an epiphany that if THEY didn’t use their stuff and got rid of it, they must not be attached to it. I gave all my sister’s stuff to a women’s shelter, basically had to throw most of my parent’s stuff in a dumpster and gave the rest to the Salvation Army. Boy was it liberating…I did the same with Mr. Jaded’s stuff, he has a paper fetish and when I moved into his place 4 years ago every bloody closet, cupboard, drawer was filled with tons of totally random crap. Well I’ve organized the place now and it feels great. Disorganization makes me feel anxious and claustrophobic. I don’t like my possessions to possess me.
I wish people would remember that even if they declutter/clear/donate their things they don’t magically disappear. The ecological footprint we leave behind by over consuming is really big.
I really hope that all the people that downsized dont just end up with more things a couple of years down the line.
There’s a great movie called “the story of stuff” about this issue-
https://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff/
My3cents,
Thanks for the link! After reading The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying Up, and watching the Netflix series, I notice that Marie Kondo does not tell people to buy less stuff or to buy more ethically produced stuff. One could say her method is flawed, because she is not explicitly against consumerism.
On the hand, Kondo’s work may be considered to be against consumerism for these reasons: she gently, but effectively leads people to confront the fact that we have more than we need or even want; she encourages people to consider what we do actually need and want; while consumerism manipulates people into dissatisfaction soon after any purchase, Kondo encourages people to cherish what we have.
So while I like her method, I am as uncertain as you are about the effect on consumerism.
Me and SO did our clothes this weekend, and after that it’ll be room by room. I brim with joy knowing that I actually have room in my drawers and on my rack (suggestiveness unintended). Ended up donating four bags of clothing between the two of us, and the rest will be disposed of as responsibly as we can, and we’re repurposing at least some of the clothing for floor rags n crap.
Most importantly though, we’ll have to make sure that we don’t ‘re-clutter’. Like ‘My3cents’ above mentioned, the eco footprint won’t really shrink when we throw stuff back into the circulation, so now we just watch that it don’t grow bigger.
So far so good. Ended up saying good bye to a lot of stuff I’d kept in previous attempts at decluttering. It’s her advice on the joy sparking, as well as being grateful for what something has done for you, the joy it has brought even if it does so no more, that really helped me to not hold onto that stuff. No ragrets.
Ok, I totally need to watch this. All the talk of this show is making me want to declutter and try this out LOL
Just did a quick mental zoom around my little house, and really, my problem areas are thousands (really) of books, and shelf after shelf of cosmetics. I keep only a minimal wardrobe, and have very few gadgets and appliances. A peculiar lack of balance.
I can’t bear parting with books (though I’m an avid rereader, so that at least explains a bit.) But I’ve 50 year old school books, and my old university reference books still. For example, an enormous Encyclopaedia of Western Literature published in the 50s….fat lot of use ….eeek
But worse is my inability to chuck out attractive cosmetics jars and perfume bottles. That truly is bonkers.
So, it hits me right between the eyes that I have certain problems, and this might be my moment to erase them!
You could keep the empty perfume bottles in your underwear/linen cupboards. The fabrics will absorb the remaining aroma from the bottles. And the cosmetic jars totally can be reused. The trick is to actually DO it.
No. Nope. Nah. And nope. I love all my clutter. All my books… All my shoes… All my belts that don’t fit my waste anymore.. My wedding dress that don’t bring me joy. Not getting rid of nada. Grew up poor in the West Indies… 2 irons, 2 fridge, 2 toothbrushes.. 2 everything. More is more as far as am concerned. *Over here counting my 10000 handbags***. Nope yo this Kondo woman.
Reading all this moved me to remember a favorite book, “God On A Harley.” It’s not a prostelyzing book at all, but a short fun read about a woman clearing out old stuff and how it changes her life. Highly recommend. You can probably get it from the library.
I seriously wonder if any of the people who say they loved her show and her method have actually read her book. Because she’s clearly the one who needs help, asap. I read her book a few years ago because a friend of mine who is into Japan was reading it. I came away thinking that she had found a way to monetize her obsessive compulsive disorder. Like, as a kid, she would clean the closet in her class instead of play with the other children in the schoolyard. WTF??! She says that you have to empty your purse every fucking night so that it can “rest” and then put it all back in (who the hell has the time and energy to do this shit?). Screams OCD. Or suggests that you rip pages of books so that you can keep the best parts and then throw away the rest. None of this is remotely sane or healthy. Just completely crazy. A for this “sparking joy” crap, it’s so simplistic and lacks substance, which explains why it’s so popular I guess. People want a self-help guru to tell them what to do so that they don’t have to think too much. Typical. Finally she seems to embody in her show the giggly, twee, and shy Japanese stereotype of how adult women should behave. It’s creepy and racist. But of course lots of Westerners love it because they fetishize Japanese culture and especially Japanese women.
My parents are in their late 60s and recently started a clear-out of their house. The way they explained it, they had recently cleared out and updated my grandparents’ house after they died and realized how much they would have enjoyed living in that space with the improvements made. They are looking to perhaps downsize in the next ten years or so, and want to enjoy the space themselves. Maybe it was framed this way for my benefit, but I do think there is a point to that!