daisydonna
Full Member
Posts: 265
Sept 5, 2015 11:45:16 GMT
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Post by daisydonna on Oct 12, 2015 15:03:18 GMT
Oh thank you for posting link to other thread! Thought it was just me that couldn't find it.
Love your responses and ideas. I recently moved and it seems like the perfect time to do this. I actually got the audio version of the book which was enjoyable. I listened while doing other stuff in the house. Definitely going to give her method a try!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 9, 2024 1:07:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2015 15:47:29 GMT
I have the book but haven't read it. I think it would be depressing! Because I would be able to use some strategies to help me, but my 3 kids and husband don't part with anything! I really feel like our house could be beautiful and well organized if they purged some (not all) things. Keep the important meaningful things, but they don't want to part with anything. My 16 yr. old has a very messy room (and if it was clean, it could almost look like a pottery barn ad)! I was helping her clean it (meaning I did all the work and she sat on her phone). Well, one drawer had 10 pairs of tights for dance. She was having me buy her new ones all the time yet she had perfectly good ones in the drawer. She is too lazy to look herself, and can't part with a pair of tights. Then she had 8 pairs of pointe shoes that she can't part with. They are unuseable, but she can't pick one to put in her memory box (gross, her shoes smell)! I feel like she has hoarding tendencies and it really makes me nervous! Once she has her own house, she can hoard all she wants, not my problem! But I want our family house to look as beautiful as it can with some reasonable cleaning out. I've been going in with my children one on one. The first thing I explain to them is that it is their choice. They don't need to get rid of anything if they don't want to. I will not pressure them. They also need to be the one doing it. Give her a set time and let her know - "I only want your attention on this for 15 minutes a day." Then hold to it. Put the timer on and when it goes off thank her even if only one thing is gone. Then let her be. Even if she starts getting into it don't keep going with it that first time or two. She just needs to trust you. If things go well you can increase the time next time around or better yet ask her if she would like to increase it. One of the things the book talks about is not starting with sentimental things. Those things are so much harder to part with. The author gives you an order of what to start with and what to do next. I'm not doing it in exactly that order, but once I understood why she did things in that order it helped me to figure out what order would be best for me. It might be worth it to read it to figure out what order to work with your daughter. I've given my kids "permission" to toss gifts from me or loved ones. Told them I never want them to feel the burden to keep things like I have. Also, read this years ago, you can take pictures. "Grandma gave you a doll for your birthday and is now passed on. You don't like dolls now that you are grown up. Ok, if you want, we can take a picture of it so you can always remember grandma loved you and gave it to you." You could suggest taking a picture of all the ballet shoes together and then have her hold all of them and ask if she can feel joy in keeping just one or two pairs. My guess is that the shoes are one of the last things you want to work on because they represent a lot of hard work, performances and love. Another thing I have done with my daughter is let her know when her things could be useful to a child who doesn't have much and let her decide if she would like to donate it.
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Post by rst on Oct 12, 2015 16:00:47 GMT
I like that she doesn't advocate going out and buying a bunch of stuff. No organizational bins, no special hangers, no need for fancy labels, not a product pitch.
And for those who theorize that she has a lot more storage space available to her -- nope. Japanese houses, from my understanding, are not large, and they don't have vast storage spaces.
I don't feel the need to be as extreme and widespread as she is, but I do find her approach is helpful to apply in the areas of my house where I feel like things are getting out of control. My husband and kids may not be on board at all, but I can do the spaces that are primarily my things, or the areas that I have primary control over.
One tip I will share, however, speaking as someone who has purged a lot of space, but who is also married to a true packrat. When I've cleared a shelf in our shared closet, say, and I know my DH will just sort of expand his stuff to fill all open shelving, I feel it's ok to put an empty basket or box on that shelf as a "space-holder". Same idea with the curio shelves in our family room. I cleared a fair bit of clutter, but I spread out what I kept, and interspersed it with some books and such -- otherwise I know that DH would see empty shelf real-estate and would instantly fill it up with spare computer parts or a stack of unsorted papers off his desk.
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Post by pb on Oct 12, 2015 16:30:47 GMT
I did my clothes using her method and tossed about 1/3 of my stuff. I love how things are organized now and I find I am much more mindful about new purchases.
I al so keep some clothes at my moms house to help me not have to pack so much when I visit her. It was mostly stuff I didn't wear much at home. The last time I visited her I waited out the week and then took every thing out and assessed what I used and what I didn't. The folded what was left using her method. Even though I didn't throw much away, I had two thirds of an empty drawer. My space at my mom's is limited so I was pleased.
Even if you don't use her method of "finding joy", the way she stores things is worth checking out.
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Post by rst on Oct 12, 2015 17:05:09 GMT
I'll tell you one very practical reason for getting rid of all the unjoyful clothing in your closet, based on my own experience.
Last year my son was hospitalized unexpectedly, and I needed my DH to bring me clothes since I couldn't leave and go home myself. He is a dear man, but clueless about women's clothing. He brought me: a dreadful cotton knit t-shirt dress that I only wear as a coverup over a swim suit, a lacy cardigan that looks good with one skirt I own, track pants, a strapless bra purchased for a bridesmaid's dress 22 years ago, the undies that never did fit right and sort of roll down over the course of the day, shoes I only kept because they were kind of expensive but were always uncomfortable, the t-shirt that is too short and shows off way too much midriff when I move my arms but it's ok if layered under a sweater, sweat socks -- you get the idea. A ton of stuff, all of which was in my closet, but not one single reasonable outfit to be made out of the assortment.
This year, same scenario, because yes, my life is like groundhog day. Son admitted to hospital completely unexpectedly, and DH has to bring me a week's worth of clothes. Having Kon-maried my closet, there wasn't much that he could bring that wouldn't be usable. Everything was folded in such a way that he could easily see what he was grabbing, and pretty much everything goes together. So, win.
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Post by marg on Oct 12, 2015 17:06:45 GMT
I think she's brilliant. Last I saw, she was hugely pregnant - hopefully some good tidying tips for kids are on the way!
I set up my new scrap room using her method - I got rid of half my stuff and feel so creative now.
Just this weekend I did my clothes and shoes - I have empty closet shelves now. I had clothes from 15 years ago that I kept out of guilt - gone now!
If you watch her on YouTube - well, she's so cute. She also did an AMA on Reddit that is worth reading. That's where she answered questions about things like people's toilet brushes not sparking joy but being useful and having a clean toilet does spark joy.
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Post by maryland on Oct 12, 2015 19:56:08 GMT
I have the book but haven't read it. I think it would be depressing! Because I would be able to use some strategies to help me, but my 3 kids and husband don't part with anything! I really feel like our house could be beautiful and well organized if they purged some (not all) things. Keep the important meaningful things, but they don't want to part with anything. My 16 yr. old has a very messy room (and if it was clean, it could almost look like a pottery barn ad)! I was helping her clean it (meaning I did all the work and she sat on her phone). Well, one drawer had 10 pairs of tights for dance. She was having me buy her new ones all the time yet she had perfectly good ones in the drawer. She is too lazy to look herself, and can't part with a pair of tights. Then she had 8 pairs of pointe shoes that she can't part with. They are unuseable, but she can't pick one to put in her memory box (gross, her shoes smell)! I feel like she has hoarding tendencies and it really makes me nervous! Once she has her own house, she can hoard all she wants, not my problem! But I want our family house to look as beautiful as it can with some reasonable cleaning out. I've been going in with my children one on one. The first thing I explain to them is that it is their choice. They don't need to get rid of anything if they don't want to. I will not pressure them. They also need to be the one doing it. Give her a set time and let her know - "I only want your attention on this for 15 minutes a day." Then hold to it. Put the timer on and when it goes off thank her even if only one thing is gone. Then let her be. Even if she starts getting into it don't keep going with it that first time or two. She just needs to trust you. If things go well you can increase the time next time around or better yet ask her if she would like to increase it. One of the things the book talks about is not starting with sentimental things. Those things are so much harder to part with. The author gives you an order of what to start with and what to do next. I'm not doing it in exactly that order, but once I understood why she did things in that order it helped me to figure out what order would be best for me. It might be worth it to read it to figure out what order to work with your daughter. I've given my kids "permission" to toss gifts from me or loved ones. Told them I never want them to feel the burden to keep things like I have. Also, read this years ago, you can take pictures. "Grandma gave you a doll for your birthday and is now passed on. You don't like dolls now that you are grown up. Ok, if you want, we can take a picture of it so you can always remember grandma loved you and gave it to you." You could suggest taking a picture of all the ballet shoes together and then have her hold all of them and ask if she can feel joy in keeping just one or two pairs. My guess is that the shoes are one of the last things you want to work on because they represent a lot of hard work, performances and love. Another thing I have done with my daughter is let her know when her things could be useful to a child who doesn't have much and let her decide if she would like to donate it. The problem with the pointe shoes, is they are $95 per pair and they are worn 4 weeks at most, then we have to get new ones. It's so expensive! So because they only represented a 4 week period of time, I don't get why she needs to have 6 pairs saved! She did throw them out. They know I would never throw things out without asking them. My friends always do that to their pack rat husbands, but I would never do that. That would bother him more than me having an affair! But for my kids, it's not sentimental as much as laziness. I do put all sentimental things in their memory boxes (we have several!). But I think they can't be bothered to take 20 min. away from their phone to tackle their mess. And I try to make it fun by putting on fun music, and suggesting we treat ourselves after we accomplish a goal (going out for yogurt or to Moe's).
What I need to do is to stop buying them things because the less I buy them, the less they have! I even told my kids that when they were babies/toddlers, I saved a lot of their stuff. I said that I could get rid of most of that stuff that I saved to make room for the stuff the would rather save from now (all the pointe shoes, tights, etc.). That would free up some rubbermaids in the attic!
I do the taking a picture idea all the time! I saw that tip on a show once and I do that often with my 12 yr. old.
I guess I am just frustrated because we can never find anything because we have a small house with not much storeage and it's frustrating search for things. But it feels good to vent to you all since I can't to my family! I vent to my friends, but they just say throw out the stuff and don't bother asking them what to keep. I could never do that! My mom threw out all my diaries, pictures etc., so I never want to do that to my kids. And I probably keep more as a result. But I do want a happy medium where they save the stuff they truly value. I hope that makes sense!
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Post by scrappersue on Oct 12, 2015 20:15:17 GMT
I've read the book and implemented her process. It works and it is life changing. I still have more to go, but it changes the way you shop and what you buy. This is one book that I do believe you have to read the book - you can get the gist from reading articles, but there is something about the book that makes it all click. It is an easy short read also. There are great FB groups for support. I've gotten my cousin on board and some gals from work too. When you read the book there are some parts that people find a little wacky, but on the whole it is amazing. I also think that it is not for everyone. You have to be at a place in your life that simplifying and de-cluttering is something you want. If it is this is a great process!!
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Post by scrappersue on Oct 12, 2015 20:20:26 GMT
Couple of more things You do the process only for you - you do not do it for your teenagers or your husband. The theory is that they will see your success and want to do it also. I grew up with a mother who had 9 siblings and grew up in the depression - you never got rid of anything because someone could use it sometime. This book has given me the insight to being able to give away things given to me, to give away the coat I spent so much money on that I never wear, the clothes that do not fit right now but may "someday". It is hard, but I love how freeing it is. There are tons of success stories on the FB groups with people from all types of families - single, lots of kids, husbands who are not on board. It really does work. Ok I think I am done now
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Post by katlady on Oct 12, 2015 20:49:21 GMT
I set up my new scrap room using her method - I got rid of half my stuff and feel so creative now. Could you tell me how you applied her method to your scrap room? Did you dump everything out of the room? How did you decide what to keep? Thanks!
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Post by marg on Oct 12, 2015 21:37:55 GMT
I set up my new scrap room using her method - I got rid of half my stuff and feel so creative now. Could you tell me how you applied her method to your scrap room? Did you dump everything out of the room? How did you decide what to keep? Thanks! Well, I had just moved into my new house so the room was empty - so I did start from scratch because I had no choice. In any case, first I moved the furniture into my room that fit and that I liked the best. I sold everything else. Then I sorted everything into like piles - all stamps in a pile, all patterned paper, all embellishments. Then I went through the piles one by one, picking up each item and either putting it in my room or into a box to sell (or garbage). I ended up with about a dozen boxes of stuff to get rid of. I got rid of all of my chipboard, for instance, because holding it made me feel guilty because I never used it because I hated working with it. I knew then that I would never, ever use it. So, in the sell box it went. I did this with every single thing. Now the hard part - I have to sort the discarded stuff again (I got sloppy) to sell on kijiji in lots. I'm doing that this month so it doesn't sit in my basement much longer.
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lisaknits
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,356
May 28, 2015 16:14:56 GMT
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Post by lisaknits on Oct 12, 2015 21:53:05 GMT
I really need to go through my entire house because I'd like to downsize to a smaller place next year. I started listening to her audio book on youtube. It is overwhelming, but I really like her advice to ask yourself whether an item brings joy. Why do I want to keep something that I bought and never used/wore? I think it's guilt. I don't want my home piled with things kept out of guilt!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 9, 2024 1:07:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2015 22:03:46 GMT
[/p] I guess I am just frustrated because we can never find anything because we have a small house with not much storeage and it's frustrating search for things. But it feels good to vent to you all since I can't to my family! I vent to my friends, but they just say throw out the stuff and don't bother asking them what to keep. I could never do that! My mom threw out all my diaries, pictures etc., so I never want to do that to my kids. And I probably keep more as a result. But I do want a happy medium where they save the stuff they truly value. I hope that makes sense!
[/quote] It makes perfect sense and I can see why you are frustrated. With one of my children I just have to close the door when he is gone. (Long story short - it needs to be open when he is home.) I think you are just going to have to let her face the consequences when she can't find something. It will be tough I know.
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Post by Linda on Oct 13, 2015 0:57:51 GMT
One tip I will share, however, speaking as someone who has purged a lot of space, but who is also married to a true packrat. When I've cleared a shelf in our shared closet, say, and I know my DH will just sort of expand his stuff to fill all open shelving, I feel it's ok to put an empty basket or box on that shelf as a "space-holder". Same idea with the curio shelves in our family room. I cleared a fair bit of clutter, but I spread out what I kept, and interspersed it with some books and such -- otherwise I know that DH would see empty shelf real-estate and would instantly fill it up with spare computer parts or a stack of unsorted papers off his desk. THANK YOU! I completely need to do this (space-holder).
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Post by maryland on Oct 13, 2015 2:00:46 GMT
[/p] I guess I am just frustrated because we can never find anything because we have a small house with not much storeage and it's frustrating search for things. But it feels good to vent to you all since I can't to my family! I vent to my friends, but they just say throw out the stuff and don't bother asking them what to keep. I could never do that! My mom threw out all my diaries, pictures etc., so I never want to do that to my kids. And I probably keep more as a result. But I do want a happy medium where they save the stuff they truly value. I hope that makes sense!
[/quote] It makes perfect sense and I can see why you are frustrated. With one of my children I just have to close the door when he is gone. (Long story short - it needs to be open when he is home.) I think you are just going to have to let her face the consequences when she can't find something. It will be tough I know.[/quote][/p]
I told her that if the clothes are not in the clothes hamper, they won't be washed! Well, the clothes are all over the floor, so she has had to wear dirty clothes to school. But like you said, she needs to face the consequences.
Also, the problem with not finding things is not just her stuff, but general household stuff that we need. Because there is no where to put it! So I have to find a place to put things and sometimes it's just where it fits not where it should go. Now my husband lost a couple things that will cost him a couple hundred dollars to replace. I told him that we really need to organize our house so that doesn't keep happening.
I do think closing the door is a good idea, but our house can be really dark upstairs with the bedroom doors closed. We don't have any sky lights (would love that!!) or hallway windows, so I like to keep the doors open for the sunlight. At least her room is at the end, so it's easier to ignore the mess!
Thanks for reading and responding to my frustrations! It feels good to be "heard"! I appreciate your understanding and your tips!
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Post by katlady on Oct 13, 2015 3:23:18 GMT
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Post by jenjie on Oct 13, 2015 10:46:26 GMT
I was thinking about this thread when I was shopping yesterday. I had some Kohl's cash to spend and I wanted to make a good choice. I "need" a nice black purse. I borrowed one for the dinner the other night.
The same purse in a bright pop of coral would have "sparked joy". But I don't need it. While the black one won't bring me joy but will fill a need. (And it will go much better with the bright pink pea coat that brings me lots of joy).
I bought the black one. Is there room for keeping things for the sake of usefulness?
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 9, 2024 1:07:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2015 11:07:51 GMT
Is there room for keeping things for the sake of usefulness? I think there is, otherwise all of our homes would be missing some pretty useful items. I'm guessing that you picked a black purse that you liked, just not as much as the coral one? And not to overthink this, but the coral purse may have caught your eye at the moment, but could end up something that doesn't spark joy, if you find that you never carry it because it doesn't match anything in your wardrobe, and then you feel guilty about buying it every time you look at it, kwim? After just finishing the book last night, I guess to paraphrase, I think that "sparking joy" doesn't necessarily mean that we look at every item we own and think 'wow, I love that so much,' but rather x item serves a true purpose in my life.
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Post by monklady123 on Oct 13, 2015 11:13:36 GMT
I like that she doesn't advocate going out and buying a bunch of stuff. No organizational bins, no special hangers, no need for fancy labels, not a product pitch. And for those who theorize that she has a lot more storage space available to her -- nope. Japanese houses, from my understanding, are not large, and they don't have vast storage spaces. I don't feel the need to be as extreme and widespread as she is, but I do find her approach is helpful to apply in the areas of my house where I feel like things are getting out of control. My husband and kids may not be on board at all, but I can do the spaces that are primarily my things, or the areas that I have primary control over. One tip I will share, however, speaking as someone who has purged a lot of space, but who is also married to a true packrat. When I've cleared a shelf in our shared closet, say, and I know my DH will just sort of expand his stuff to fill all open shelving, I feel it's ok to put an empty basket or box on that shelf as a "space-holder". Same idea with the curio shelves in our family room. I cleared a fair bit of clutter, but I spread out what I kept, and interspersed it with some books and such -- otherwise I know that DH would see empty shelf real-estate and would instantly fill it up with spare computer parts or a stack of unsorted papers off his desk. My dh would do this also if I gave him the chance, although only in "shared" space like living room shelves or common book shelves. He wouldn't dare take over MY space in the closet. I have a friend who had this problem. Her dh is a book-a-holic and haunts all the book sales and used book stores, then he brings them home. One day my friend cleared out a small bookshelf in their bedroom (of mostly her books), and put a photo and a nice candle on top. It looked lovely and peaceful. She came home a few days later to find her candle shoved over with the photo and a large stack of books and papers piled up on top. grrrr. Thankfully my dh isn't likely to do that so I can use a place-holder. lol
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Post by jenjie on Oct 13, 2015 11:43:28 GMT
@katiebpea
"I think that "sparking joy" doesn't necessarily mean that we look at every item we own and think 'wow, I love that so much,' but rather x item serves a true purpose in my life."
Thanks that makes sense. And they are the exact same purse just different colors. LOL
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Post by epeanymous on Oct 13, 2015 13:21:26 GMT
Is there room for keeping things for the sake of usefulness? The book actually specifically says everything in your home should serve a need or spark joy. Most of the book focuses on the sparking joy part. One of my criticisms of the book is that I could use more guidance about what I need. Eg, I store both luggage and picnic coolers both of which I use only a handful of times a year. I know I need to keep the luggage, because when I have to have it, I have to have it, but what about the picnic coolers? It's not clear to me how to figure out how much I "need" things that I don't use on a daily or even weekly basis.
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MorningPerson
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Posts: 2,506
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Jul 4, 2014 21:35:44 GMT
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Post by MorningPerson on Oct 13, 2015 13:40:07 GMT
If you watch her on YouTube - well, she's so cute. She also did an AMA on Reddit that is worth reading. That's where she answered questions about things like people's toilet brushes not sparking joy but being useful and having a clean toilet does spark joy. Thanks so much for mentioning this. I think I found what you're referring to: Reddit - Marie Kondo
This answers so many questions for those of us who get hung up on "do I REALLY only keep the things that give me joy?"
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MorningPerson
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,506
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Jul 4, 2014 21:35:44 GMT
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Post by MorningPerson on Oct 13, 2015 13:51:53 GMT
I was just reading the above-referenced Reddit article. This quote by Marie Kondo really struck me:
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Post by craftygardenmom on Oct 13, 2015 14:42:34 GMT
Just an FYI for those of you who liked the first book, Marie Kondo will have a new book coming in January called Spark Joy. Here is some information:
In this highly anticipated follow-up to the #1 New York Times best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, sought-after Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo presents a detailed and illustrated manual to her signature KonMari Method, including item-specific organization, step-by-step folding instructions, and answers to her fans’ burning questions about clearing clutter—and sparking joy—once and for all.
Marie Kondo’s unique KonMari Method of tidying up is nothing short of life-changing—and her first book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has become a worldwide sensation. In Spark Joy, Kondo presents an in-depth, illustrated manual on how to declutter and organize specific items throughout the house, from kitchen and bathroom items to work-related papers and hobby collections. User-friendly line drawings illustrate Kondo’s patented folding method as it applies to shirts, pants, socks, and jackets, as well as images of properly organized drawers, closets, and cabinets. Kondo also doles out advice on how to deal with those items that might not bring happiness but are necessities nonetheless, and why waiting to move is no excuse for waiting to tidy your house. Offering detailed advice on all your organizing questions—whether you’re a newcomer to the KonMari Method or an established practitioner—thisis essential reading for anyone who wants to live a tidier, simpler, and more joyful life.
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Post by rst on Oct 13, 2015 14:53:36 GMT
Monklady -- I too love books. I have thousands, and I really find a lot of joy in them. But at the same time, I don't want my collection of books to overwhelm our space. My solution is to host a Little Free Library where I can share my books with the community-- the "sharing" of them, even if it translates to them never coming back to me, actually sparks more joy than having overstuffed shelves. And of course, there are some books that I love and will keep, but I enjoy them more because they are not crowded in with a whole bunch of books that only make like status.
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milocat
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,429
Location: 55 degrees north in Alberta, Canada
Mar 18, 2015 4:10:31 GMT
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Post by milocat on Oct 13, 2015 17:09:52 GMT
Is there room for keeping things for the sake of usefulness? The book actually specifically says everything in your home should serve a need or spark joy. Most of the book focuses on the sparking joy part. One of my criticisms of the book is that I could use more guidance about what I need. Eg, I store both luggage and picnic coolers both of which I use only a handful of times a year. I know I need to keep the luggage, because when I have to have it, I have to have it, but what about the picnic coolers? It's not clear to me how to figure out how much I "need" things that I don't use on a daily or even weekly basis. Uggg this! Those things that are super useful BUT you only use them a couple of times a year. Muffin/cupcake tins, cake taker, even the above example of needing a small black purse when you go out...a couple times a year. I can get rid of half bottles of lotion, expired cold medicine, clothes that are too small or torn. I will let that stuff pile up a bit then do a sweep. For me my main problem is kitchen things and basic clothes (solid colour tees and tanks etc) and just laziness of shoving things away but when I make up my mind to clean that area out I can do it ruthlessly.
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basketdiva
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,616
Jun 26, 2014 11:45:09 GMT
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Post by basketdiva on Oct 13, 2015 17:32:42 GMT
I like the concept of keeping things that bring you joy. When we were cleaning my dad's house out after he died years ago, I only had so much room in the truck. I chose items that made me feel good and brought back great memories.
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Deleted
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May 9, 2024 1:07:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2015 17:56:59 GMT
Is there room for keeping things for the sake of usefulness? The book actually specifically says everything in your home should serve a need or spark joy. Most of the book focuses on the sparking joy part. One of my criticisms of the book is that I could use more guidance about what I need. Eg, I store both luggage and picnic coolers both of which I use only a handful of times a year. I know I need to keep the luggage, because when I have to have it, I have to have it, but what about the picnic coolers? It's not clear to me how to figure out how much I "need" things that I don't use on a daily or even weekly basis. I think she recommends seriously considering the utility of those items (e.g., do you have 4 coolers but never use more than 1 at a time?) but if they truly are used and needed, it's OK to keep them. She doesn't recommend getting rid of all holiday decorations just because holidays are only once a year. Sort through them critically, but if they are genuinely useful to you on a periodic basis, they can stay.
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Post by jennyap on Oct 13, 2015 18:07:32 GMT
The book actually specifically says everything in your home should serve a need or spark joy. Most of the book focuses on the sparking joy part. One of my criticisms of the book is that I could use more guidance about what I need. Eg, I store both luggage and picnic coolers both of which I use only a handful of times a year. I know I need to keep the luggage, because when I have to have it, I have to have it, but what about the picnic coolers? It's not clear to me how to figure out how much I "need" things that I don't use on a daily or even weekly basis. I haven't read the book, so take this FWIW. I'd figure out need by thinking about what I'd do if I didn't have those items. So broadly speaking:- If I would go out and buy them again so I could use them for that activity, I need them. If I would choose not to do the activity if I didn't have them (and that would be an ok choice with me), I don't need them. If I could do the activity by substituting something else I already have in their place, I don't need them. And maybe add in, if I had a good friend/neighbour/relative close by who had said items and from whom I could borrow them for occasional usage, I don't need them. (Also, on a tangent, I saw on another forum someone whose Japanese DH didn't really love the 'spark joy' translation from the original, and thought 'resonate' was better. Might be helpful for re-framing your thinking if the first doesn't really work for you)
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Post by jenjie on Oct 13, 2015 18:22:13 GMT
The book actually specifically says everything in your home should serve a need or spark joy. Most of the book focuses on the sparking joy part. One of my criticisms of the book is that I could use more guidance about what I need. Eg, I store both luggage and picnic coolers both of which I use only a handful of times a year. I know I need to keep the luggage, because when I have to have it, I have to have it, but what about the picnic coolers? It's not clear to me how to figure out how much I "need" things that I don't use on a daily or even weekly basis. I haven't read the book, so take this FWIW. I'd figure out need by thinking about what I'd do if I didn't have those items. So broadly speaking:- If I would go out and buy them again so I could use them for that activity, I need them. If I would choose not to do the activity if I didn't have them (and that would be an ok choice with me), I don't need them. If I could do the activity by substituting something else I already have in their place, I don't need them. And maybe add in, if I had a good friend/neighbour/relative close by who had said items and from whom I could borrow them for occasional usage, I don't need them. (Also, on a tangent, I saw on another forum someone whose Japanese DH didn't really love the 'spark joy' translation from the original, and thought 'resonate' was better. Might be helpful for re-framing your thinking if the first doesn't really work for you) Very good questions!
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