Clutter, emotions, and folding our socks - Kondo thread 6. All welcome!

[SteptoeAndDaughter]

The Book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo, Cathy Hirano

Summary of the process link from mipmop

Article of top tips by Marie Kondo

Thread 5
Thread 4
Thread 3
Thread 2
Thread 1

And BeCool's copy of Coughles list of ORDER from Thread 2 for everyone:

"ORDER TO DECLUTTER/LOCATE THE JOY*

Clothes folding by rummy
Books
Papers
CDs
DVDs
Skincare products
Make-up
Accessories
Valuables (passports, credit cards, etc.)
Electrical equipment and appliances (digital cameras, electric cords, anything that seems vaguely ‘electric’)
Household equipment (stationery and writing materials, sewing kits, etc.)
Household supplies (expendables like medicine, detergents, tissues, etc.)
Kitchen goods/ food supplies
Other (If you have many items related to a particular interest or hobby, such as ski equipment, then treat these as a single subcategory.)

KonMari stresses that sentimental items should be left till the end. So for example, when you are doing papers, don't include photos of your children, love letters, old school reports etc, leave anything with a sentimental connection for later."

*As discussed in previous threads, your order for decluttering and finding the joy/spark/recognizing may be different to recommendations.

Wardrobe done :)

Zippidydoodah Komono is miscellaneous crap stuff to be put away, dumped or found its own designated home.

Am still on paperwork. Doing odd bits when I can.

Found an old proofreading course I always meant to do (an at home one). Knew it needed to go as its old and I haven't done it in years.
15 years to be precise.
And I found the bill - £120

But have let it go. Not sure I can thank it exactly and it's just going in the recycling so not exactly passing on joy but it reminded me of that bit in the book when she talks about courses.
If I feel I have the time and inclination to do a proofreading course in the future I will sign up again.
Some of it was very dated anyway and how you did it - pre the Internet as we know it today

My medical notes I requested before Dd was born, what to do with them? Cost me a lot to get them - big thick file. But I don't need them.

So far I keep putting things inthe sentimental section to come back to.

But I am filling a big box of recycling. And have gone through lots of ds2's epilepsy/early medical days/charts of what drugs to take when, etc. most of that is in the bin.

Have had to pause to collect ds1 from cubs. Get them to bed then I'm back to it.

Lin and Zip. It took 3 months but I did anything from 30 minutes to 4 hours a day, most days. I had a lot of junk! The family are very pleased as our lives are much easier.

The vintage knickers are thanked and GONE.

JKS I think I may have done the same proofreading course as you! Also 15 years ago and it looked very dated even back then. The price sounds familiar too. If it's any consolation, the course doesn't have a great reputation; I never finished it, but still manage to get quite a bit of proofreading work and am not sure I learned much from what I did do of it.

The book talks about it taking six months. I think it obviously depends on how big your house is and how much stuff you have. My advice is just to start and not worry about how long it takes.

bring glad to have been of some use! But seriously feeling like a second rate citizen - not good! And leading questions - not good either! I ended up saying things to my acupuncturist I could never tell anyone in real life - from those brief conversations she tailored my treatment. I can't imagine, from what you have said, you would be able to relax enough around her in future sessions and without the relaxation it's completely pointless anyway.

She should have been able to make you look at yourself in a calm and relaxing way - not walking away feeling rubbish!

Don't give up on it though - I have had a few different treatment types for my issues (physical and mental) and acupuncture is definitely one of my most successful for both! You just need to find someone you click with and can be honest with or there is just no point!

Well done on nipping it in the bid though, I definitaly agree that somehow kondoing makes you less tolerable of things/people that don't make you happy!

Iqueen, well done with the old knickers ;)

I must admit I have kept a bikini from the 1990's, a particularily nice one that has so many memories as I bought it when DH and I were on holiday (in my early 20's) and I looked fab wearing it and got tons of compliments for how I looked in it. I like to think I could still wear it and that the only reason I don't wear it is that it is a bit worn and see through ;)

I have kept some less charming knickers as period knickers. They obviously don't bring me joy, but I guess they ensure that the joyful knickers keep bringing me joy. My best knickers are from Uniqlo (and I have 3 pairs!), just a tip if anyone is about to buy new under wear, they make very lovely looking knickers that are very comfortable and wash well. And it's a Japanese brand!

I am currently kondoing my career (soon to be ex childminder) and looking for something new! Though stalling as the run of the mill 'mummy' jobs aren't going to make me happy! Thinking of taking something simple on whilst perhaps retraining?! Am definitely tempted by some sort of counselling/treatment (NLP/CBT) type training and would really love to work with people who struggle with hoarding?! Just trying to pluck up the courage to say all of this out loud to DH who isn't really into that kind of thing (if a hammer and nail can't fix it then he is lost!!). Eek!!

Linzer - it was Chapterhouse does that ring a bell?

I would still like to do proofreading. I do it for dh whenever he has complicated letters or similar. And have told my friend/ds1's HT that he should let me proof his weekly newsletters!
He hasn't taken me up on it but he really should.

Ill keep the medical notes for now. And add them to sentimental rather than 'health'. Maybe I'll feel more ruthless when I get there.

We have put our house back on the market and tidying it and cleaning it for a viewing today took about half an hour max. Previously it was taking hours because I was having to tidy so much before making it look nice. And when we viewed a house the other day I wasnt thinking about storage and how we would fit all out stuff in because there's so much less than we used to have.

It's very odd but also nice too. Only have photographs and letters to go. Photos are about 50% done though. My worktop in my kitchen has been clean for nearly a week now. There's no junk on it because I can put stuff were it goes. I have never lived like this and whilst it's strange, it's really quite nice.

JKS and Linzer - yes, I remember that proofreading course too!! I am pretty sure that I ditched it a while ago (in my pathetic attempt to declutter before emigrating)but it may still be lurking in a box in our basement!

I seem to have come to a bit of a standstill the last few days. More or less did DVDs and CDs at the weekend but need to wait for some of those zip-up binders to be delivered so that I can ditch the boxes and just keep the discs.
I don't want to go on to books yet so am thinking I need to do paperwork. Some of it is fairly organised but needs reducing. I have time over the next couple of days so have pulled out some relevant boxes and left them in the middle of a room!

For now, I am settling down with a coffee and going to have a re-read of the next few sections of the book.

Bringme well done for sending that email.

I'm amazed what can be achieved by just chipping away at the clutter bit by bit each day.

Meant to also say well done to you bring for kondoing the acupuncturist! I hope you can find someone more suitable soon.

up - I look forward to having my house like yours though I think it will feel really strange! I have never managed to keep things tidy before!

Upand what are you looking for house wise?

I recon I've put at least 15 hours a week in, so that's at least 60 hours a month, which makes 180 hours to date!! . We probably have another 20 hours to go still. So a grand total of at least 200 hours to completely kondo my extremely messy child filled house.

violetta that's incredible, such an amazing commitment. I've no idea how many hours I've put in. But since the beginning of January I've done it every single night after the kids have gone to bed without fail, in the day time too as much as I can with two small children and then flat out through the weekend. I was desperate not to lose momentum and at the peak the house was so messy with everything waiting to leave or to be put away that I was really struggling to cope with the mess.

We are just looking to move to a village, perhaps with a little more space for the kids to play in.

bring ! Mention of cassette tapes at your parents' house reminds me of 2 things - that I, too, have some cassettes stashed away at mum and dad's and, even worse, however well I do with my kondoing here, I still have quite a lot of belongings in my old room at home - aaagh!! Hopefully, when I have finished sorting here I will be able to whizz quickly through the things stashed at my parents' when I visit in the summer!

violetta - that is amazing! Well done at putting in all those hours! That is just the inspiration I need at the moment! I really need to get going again and to keep the momentum going.