RE: Tidying
Hello Fellow Go-Getters,
I've been reading a ton these days. Not only is it a great way to relax my mind, but it expands my creativity. In fact, it helps lower stress, boost your vocabulary (duh) and creates stronger analytical skills. Recently, it also led me to tidy up.
Yes, tidy. You read that right.
When I read, I tend to bounce from autobiography to series to novel then to self-care books. This time I landed on The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I'm just going to tell you right now, it genuinely made a HUGE difference in my day-to-day life. How? Well let me take it back a minute...
I've always been a neat freak. Every weekend, I would wake up to the vacuum cleaner and The Beatles blaring as my parents noisily woke me up to do chores. As a result, my space has always been organized to the nines. This way I could sleep in knowing I already did 60% of the work. Today, I wake up, make the bed, put clothes back where I found them or in the laundry bin, organize clothes from jackets to shirts and books by height. You get the picture. I've been embedded with being tidy at a young age. Why read this book?
Going into it, I didn't think I needed to improve much. I just wanted to learn some new tips and tricks to teach clients desk organization. I came out of it with so much more. I didn't even finish the book before opening my closet doors and started to purge clothes I didn't wear anymore, organize all my files, throw away things I didn't need and said goodbye to trinkets, letters and souvenirs that didn't serve me in any way whatsoever (by the way, never buy me any of those things- want to gift me? I'll take a bottle of wine. Or pizza.). I walked out with two bags of trash, a full recycling bin, two bags of clothes and shoes to donate including two boxes of books to donate to my local library. This seems like a lot to be getting rid of in one go, right? You're probably asking if there is anything I regret giving away? No. It was honestly the most mentally and physically calming task I've done in my house since creating my home office.
After putting trash in the trash and donations to the car for donating, I walked back into my room noticing all the space in it for the first time. Rearranging a dresser and subsequently a couple pictures, it was a brand new, light and happy place to be in. A whole new room. Everything in it radiated energy and in turn, I felt better in it. Now, I keep my closet doors open as it is completely organized and a prized gem in my room. I'm even able to do yoga in a larger space and fall into morning meditation easier.
Now let's share some of the goods so you feel the same!
The KonMari Method is the tidying strategy created by author Marie Kondo. She is a literal tidying badass that is internationally known for her method and has a wait list for months. Not one of her clients has relapsed into hoarding, being messy or in general, being a disorganized human being again. I can't name all the mic drops she wrote in her book about basic organization, cleaning and tidying, but here are the tips that stuck with me most.
IF YOU FORGET IT'S THERE, THEN IT DOESN'T DO YOU SERVICE.
This is key. Your items want to be of service to you, so if you forget about them the least you can do is to give that article or piece a new home or resting place. Do not pawn it off on relatives or friends, just get rid of it. More than likely, they'll say yes to taking it and it'll never be used by them.
BEFORE YOU START, VISUALIZE YOUR DESTINATION
What kind of person do you imagine you are in your own space? An Antoni cooking it up with some avocados and handsomeness in the kitchen? A Karamo sipping some wine and talking relevant topics with friends in the living room? A Bobby who is painting your new organized and happy space? A Tan who is creating new outfits out of existing pieces in your closet? Or a Jonathan who is saying "Yas Henny" in your reflection after you've mastered that top ponytail before grabbing brunch? Yes, I love Queer Eye. We all get it now.
No matter what person you visualize, that person is the best version of you. You can't be that version in a messy and cluttered space. It subconsciously brings you down.
"When we delve into the reasons for why we can't let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future."
Face the fear of letting something from the past go by confronting it head on. Same with finding the reason you are hanging onto something that you think you'll need in the future. Once you've establish why you can't let it go, you probably just made a psychological breakthrough Karamo would be proud of. At the end though, let it go.
This will help you gain confidence in decision making skills, face and let go of the past and create a space that you find yourself thriving in. In the end, that person you visualized will start to come to fruition. Sounds lofty, but trust me.
DOES IT SPARK JOY?
This question and the quest to pursue ultimate simplicity are two overarching themes to living a tidy life. When getting your space in order, take the item in hand and seriously ask that question. If you feel nothing, then discard it. You can honestly learn to do without it. By doing this with every single item, you are creating a space filled with only the happy objects.
This logic came in handy when going through my books. I took each one in hand and asked the magic question. Half of them, I was good putting in the donation pile. The others now sit in a happy organized stack at the top of my closet. Another good bit of advice for fellow bookworms: If you haven't read it yet, you won't. So donate it. There is a VERY slim chance you'll think, "OH! I should read that one book that I got a year ago and all of I sudden I remember exists in my closet." If it starts hankering away at your soul post-discarding, buy it again and actually read it this time.
IT GIVES GOOD FORTUNE
"In essence, tidying ought to be the act of restoring balance among people, their possessions and the house they live in." No lie, I noticed a lighter air about the place when it was filled with everything that served me in some way and made me happy to see it. I truly think my house is happy to see me now too. My mentality when I walk in or wake up every single day is of puppies and confidence because I know everything is in its place. It's made me more proactive in the office, focused while doing work at home and put a fire under my ass to get other projects done.
So tidy up kids! It's a life changer.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo can be bought on Amazon here.
Overall, I give this book a 10/10 recommend badge of approval.
Your Neighborly HBIC,
Kristen
