KonMari: Day One

Okay. I know. Everyone hones in on my jewelry – which is totally “paste” or cut glass and faux pearls/beads. And to add to the illusion of fine jewels, I bought all of this costume jewelry deeply discounted and watched diligently for sales! So unfortunately, no need to be impressed here!

And the Tiffany boxes? Gifts. Never actually shopped at a Tiffany’s store – ever. But I like to keep those iconic blue boxes when I receive a gift.

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I confess.

I’ve read the life-changing magic of tidying up three times.

The first time, I sped-read the entire book in one sitting. The second reading was intense with highlighting key instructions, personal annotations, and folding dog-ears on important pages…. and that process took days. And the last time I picked up the tidying bible was just to review and develop my plan.

Sooooo early in 2019, I decided to be ready and able to block out an entire week (Monday-Friday) – cancelling all scheduled events – and with the help of white-out tape, I had a clean calendar devoted to my organization/tidying idol, Marie Kondo. (UPDATE: During Week 1 – I only completed Clothes, Books…. & 1/4 Paper. Total miscalculation.)

KonMari Method teaches you how to stack vertically…..I absolutely love that notion since I can see my everyday slacks at a glance.

Since I have a very simple, basic wardrobe of various types of white shirts and cotton slacks….it only took 8 hours to complete the Clothes Phase. (That timeframe included a trip to Goodwill to donate my discarded clothes.) Because I like khaki, white, navy, gray, and black….with a splash of color with a sweater/ vest / cardigan or scarf….it was not difficult to figure out the answers to the KonMari questions:

“Do I want to see this outfit next season?”

“Does this cardigan give me joy?”

One major difference after I discarded and organized – which gave me pure joy and delight – was the way my evening wear or cocktail hour ensembles were displayed. There are a few annual events which mandate that I actually look halfway feminine and ready-for-primetime.

I was thrilled when my treasured clothes were not jammed together like layers of baklava. I don’t wear them often so I didn’t give them any respect at all. They were hidden in my closet before, and now they are visible and easy to SEE! (UPDATE: I have admired these special occasion clothes every day since I tidied up!)

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Today is Tuesday. Book Day. Did not finish discarding and culling my vast book collection. But it’s not a race against the clock. It is a process to be celebrated and enjoyed – even though it is truly hard work! I am a self-professed Bookworm.

I say a resounding YES! to KonMari! I believe in it and respect the ‘magic’ that it brings, totally….[UPDATE: I initially felt like Hygge
(the Danish philosophy of well being + cozy comfortable contentment – see previous posts on Hygge)  was a competing philosophy of KonMari. But after a week of practicing the artful technique of Marie Kondo, I realized that tidying actually creates and enhances Hygge!]

The absence of clutter….is a very powerful tool to be creative.

To be productive.

To be Joyful. To be Grateful.

To be able to say YES to living well.