Kondoing away the chaos: Kondo thread 7 for yet more life-changing magic

[LinzerTorte]

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 6
Thread 5
Thread 4
Thread 3
Thread 2
Thread 1

Tips and links thread

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.

I agree that she isn't a pure minimalist. However, I think that if you only have things that being you joy then you are almost certain to end up with less stuff. Also one of the key things seems to be that if you have something that brings you joy you should use it in a way that will maximise that joy. Realistically there are only so many things you can use or display so if you follow this rule you do end up with less.

Oh yes you will end up with less, but it's not minimalist. Which is good for me. I'm not keen on the minimalist thing very much. I don't really understand how having less stuff is supposed to be better. I like "stuff", and having choice. I do agree it's good to have stuff you like, though.

Linzer I had a similar problem with my bookshelves. I took the opportunity to rearrange them properly into authors and group them attractively on the shelves (had been meaning to do that since I moved into the house but it always seemed like too big a job before). Where I have empty spaces on the shelves I just bookended the books (sometimes with other books as I don't actually have any bookends) and used the spaces on the shelves for some of my ornaments. Mind you I haven't kondoed my ornaments yet so most of them will probably be going soon!

Did a quick kondo of my CDs this morning (only had a shoebox full so that was easy) and also got rid of a big box of stationery and pencils etc that I never really use. I work with a couple of kids who are always running out of pens and love doing crafty stuff so they'll be happy to take them.

On to electrical items next! I'm enjoying decluttering so much I'm seriously thinking about changing career and helping other people throw away all their belongings too

Im sorry ive just Jumped back on without reading last few pages. I keep getting side tracked away from this thread. I've finally got the book on kindle and have just started reading it. I can feel her enthusiasm and energy! I'm really looking forward to reading this and accomplishing because my life is in such a rut that I am scaring myself with how low I feel. :(

I'm back after not doing anything for a couple of weeks. Managed to do the food cupboards in the kitchen yesterday. Not too much to bin, but have reorganised in a hopefully better way.
Also have to confess to buying some new furniture. Plan to Kondo dc3 room, use a chest of drawers from our room which we are replacing with new IKEA box thing with drawers in.
Had a little blip the other week when a bag with a few CDs and bits of jewellery to go to charity was left hanging around, did take some stuff out as started having doubts....did manage to return it to the bag, and get it out the house in the end. So definitely recommend getting rid of stuff asap!
Good to see the new Kondo konverts on the thread.

New Lakeland catalogue has arrived. It is definitely bringing me joy, or perhaps that's just lust?!
Got a bit depressed last night at the sheer size of the crap dh has. Opened another cupboard to find it stuffed with bags - mostly old magazines. Whatever I achieve seems minute next to this. Will need a chat with him - it can't all count as sentimental, can it?

Hello, what a lovely thread...I've been kondoing slowly since New Year and am loving it but have loads left to do! On what to do with books I tried the barcode apps and typing in ISBNs for Amazon trade in and one other (might have been we buy books) just out of interest - I was always veering towards charity shops. Loads of our books either didn't come up or they said they didn't want them and it was a right old faff (with my books and my phone at least) - if they did want them it was for peanuts.

Rummikub - Sorry you are feeling low :( I know this is a Kondoing thread but if you want to talk about how you feel we'll listen and be here for you :)

OMG your username is Rummikub!!! I love that game!!! I am addicted to the app!

(no one will play the board game with me in real life :()

MTWTFSS I love that game too. I play the app on my ipad.

Thank you for that :) I'm near to divorce being finalised now and I feel v v lost. And I do believe and hope that clearing my home will be a cathartic process but sometimes I feel over whelmed. And lose motivation esp when I feel lonely.

I made myself go on an on line date last night. It was disappointing. So for now maybe I concentrate on my home and my soul? Sorry for long post, thanks for reading :)

I have been following the categories but now need to skip ahead to do the kitchen so the photographer can get good pictures without all our crap in the way. I'm really looking forward to doing the kitchen as it's hopelessly inefficient in there at the moment.

Bertie I love reading your posts on this.

Rummikub sorry to hear about your date - I've done a lot of online dating in the past and know that feeling well! I find dating a knackering process and best done when feeling robust.

I've found clearing out all my stuff to be an amazing feeling - I don't think I'd realised how much I was hanging onto the past in some ways, and getting bags of stuff out of my house has made my head feel similarly lighter and freed up, I feel like I'm letting go of mental 'stuff' as well as the physical things! It can be quite an overwhelming process but I feel so much better just by getting started.

I love rummikub too. Dh and I have an ongoing tournament with a notepad in the box keeping score. Might dig it out as we haven't played for ages.

And an app you say? Hmm.

Chazzer shop - 4 big bags. Plus the bags themselves this time.

Dh not so well though and has been in bed most of the day. I'm trying not be impatient but I did say to try a little 'manning up' earlier. Oops.

A rummikub app? There goes my evening(s)! My mum and I used to play it a lot when I lived at home. Playing board games and card games is my idea of entertainment, but my husband just isn't interested. Sigh.

Linzer, thanks for the moral support, and for interesting thoughts on minimalism. I think it's come up before that MK leaves it to the individual to work out the right amount of stuff for them. I'm starting to find that my happy medium is further towards less stuff than I would have thought at first.

Rummi, I'm sorry you're feeling so low. A tidy house isn't everything, but it is one way you can start reclaiming your self-determination. And you can do it a little bit at a time, so you don't need to let it overwhelm you.

JKS, Maybe it didn't come out right (I don't know... Maybe it did?!) Apologise if you feel you ought to, but don't give yourself a hard time: your husband's illness must take its toll on you, too, and I don't suppose either of you is at your best.

Grouchy, eeeeeeee! So exciting about the house move!

I haven't managed to catch up with the thread for a few days and look how much you have all done, I'm impressed!
I cheated a bit today and bought a storage item but it is a letter rack that I was thinking about when I last posted. It only has 2 small sections and I'm going to use the front one for post that needs action and the other for post to file. It is small enough to force me to file regularly.
I am definitely getting better with paperwork eg we had some training at work last week with handouts. I bought them home, read them then promptly recycled them, MK is right, I will never look at them again and end up throwing them eventually anyway so why keep them?
I'm also so impressed with the progress my mum is making. She is finally getting rid of decades of clutter and admitted today that she has several items of her parents' that she doesn't like but felt that she should keep. She has decided they might bring joy to someone else - hooray!

Pointless - well done to your Mum!

Hermione - well I think it came out how I meant, but that wasn't well received! I just have no patience when he starts wafting about. Yet manages to do some things. Today he managed no help for the kids, yet I'd made sure they were all out of the house from 9.30-2.30 and we had some help today. He spent all afternoon in bed.

I can't wait for Sunday when I'm off until late Tues - MIL is coming and she can help him with the DC. I'm off to a small spa hotel on my own and it will be bliss.

I bought more uniform for DS2, named them this evening and un-named the too small stuff & bagged it up to pass on next week.

Tomorrow is another out and about day so prob not much progress.

Getting more achieved as its half term. Filled the paper recycling bag with non confidential paper, blimey I used to keep everything! Not any more. Worked on the kids rooms today, dd clothes done on Monday, ds done today. He loved the folding and couldn't wait to show his dad when he came home. Also did toys and managed a charity shop run. I love getting the stuff out of the house, you can't really see a difference yet but I know the house is getting better. I'm really enjoying this so much!

Hi, sorry again to jump in, I got my copy of mk today and can't wait to get stuck into the detail. This thread has been making a difference in my house already ?? However, I'm a little disappointed that there are no diagrams - what if I fold my socks wrong? ?? Glad to hear of people konverting their mums, I wish I could get mine to read this but I fear there's no hope ??

Hi abcd
I could find any pictures if folded socks and stressed at first whether I was getting it right! Now I lay them flat and just fold in half (ankle socks) I put them vertically in the drawer ensuring the heals are all on the same side. They bring me alot of joy now so I'm happy with my method. Enjoy the book and getting started!

Couldn't not could.
Of not if.
Think I need a lie down, too much folding.

I thought my ds needed more storage, but once we had done his clothes he had enough room, he even had space for more! Don't get anything until you are sure you need it. I bought some shoe racks just to make the shoe storage under the stairs neater, shoes seemed thrown in before, now everyone puts them away neatly. Start sorting first before you buy too much. Have fun.

Rudy you might need different storage, you'll almost definitely need less storage than you think so if I were you I'd probably wait rather than ordering it now. MK seems to believe that your house will provide storage and mad though it sounds, a lot of us have found it to be true. As you declutter, you'll free up storage, boxes, etc, and then find you can re-use them in other parts of the house.
I've completed most categories and only bought one new storage item (small drawers for crafts/paints). For everything else, I've repurposed storage from other rooms. And I still have a pile of boxes and baskets that are lying empty.

wilding yes I'm beginning to realise just how mentally challenging it is. I kind of admire those that can throw themselves into it.

hermione yes you're right. I'm hoping this process will enable me to create a safe haven for me and my children and at the same time calm my mind.

I've really enjoyed the folding, v cathartic!

It = dating