Seeking Joy Through Organization

I’ve always had a problem with clutter…I keep wayyyyy to much when it should either be thrown out or donated.  I would love to have the picture perfect Pottery Barn style home but it’s never going to happen with the amount of stuff I have (clothes that don’t fit, books I’ve never read, and random odds and ends).  The times that I’ve attempted to organize and get rid of excess, I get overwhelmed and I just stop altogether.

Basically…I have a hard time getting rid of things because I either have some emotional connection to it or I think about the money I spent on it in the first place.  Ugh.  And this is how it’s been ever since I was a little kid (I’m pretty sure it began when my father passed away but that’s another story for another blog post).

The Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo

But recently a friend recommended I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo…and the title doesn’t lie.  It’s been a complete game changer for me!  I finished the book in the matter of a few hours (over two days cause when do kids give you enough time to finish a book in one sitting?!) and I’ve never felt so motivated to start getting everything in order.

So what did I do this weekend?  I began the process of getting my home in order!  🙂  I tackled my closet (the book recommends you start with your clothes first out of all of your belongings since you have the least emotional attachment to them and they are easy to replace).  And guess what?  I purged 5 full trash bags and realized that I like to hoard jackets.  Seriously…jackets?!  Not sure what I was thinking.  I had some jackets from all the way back in college (note the date on the receipt…yikes!):

old receipt from Nordstrom

And as scary as it was adding item by item into the trash bags marked for donation, I can’t tell you how amazing it felt once they were gone.  It was almost like a weight was lifted off of me.

I know I’ve talked about this before but one of the things I’m guilty of doing is buying things and treasuring them so much that I would never wear or enjoy them.  And what this has taught me is that from now on, when I buy something that I love, I’m going to wear it rather than saving it in the closet for a moment that might never arrive.

One other thing that I’m guilty of is buying things on sale because the item is on sale.  It’s settling on something that I might not love but buying just because it’s cheaper.  I’m going to stop buying cheaply made things and save that money for an item that is quality made, will last longer, and something that brings me joy (read the book and you’ll understand).

There is still a lot to go through in my house according to the book but I’m on my way to organization…and joy within my home.  I’m also taking before and after photos as I go…so stay tuned…I’ll keep you posted as the progress continues!

Have you read Marie Kondo’s book?  What do you think of the KonMari Method?  Can you related to any of this?

2 thoughts on “Seeking Joy Through Organization

  1. Pingback: Finding My Motivation - Modern Mommyhood

  2. Pingback: Millie at Three Months Old - Modern Mommyhood

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