The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Full disclosure, I’ve wanted to read this book for an entire year. I just couldn’t seem to find enough time to actually put the practices in place. That’s what I told myself anyway. What I really needed was to make it a priority and last month I finally got the chance thanks to a great group of ladies.
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up is a book by Marie Kondo. More than two million copies have been sold worldwide. I read it while I was on vacation over the holidays and it took me two days to get through it all. I couldn’t put it down and yet there were parts of the book that kept me up at night.
The basis of the book is to “start by discarding. Then organize your space, thoroughly, completely, in one go.” It seems easy until you realize what you’re going to be discarding… every thing that doesn’t “spark joy.” I know, right? The results, according to the book, are that “a dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective. It is life transforming.”
It almost sounds too good to be true. I thought I was a fairly tidy person until I realized I had starting stacking things I wasn’t ready to deal with when my schedule was really hectic. I also started delaying decisions based on a “some day mentality” like “some day I’ll take these old sheets the dogs have chewed holes in and make some bunting.” It’s so embarrassing to even admit that to you guys.
Kondo suggests going through your clothes first. Every. Single. Piece. This is supposed to help build confidence in your decision making abilities. You know, start with the easy stuff. I totally dreaded going through all of my clothes though. My closet was a mess. My weight fluctuates like crazy and my closet currently houses sizes 8-12. Going through my clothes meant facing my weight gain and it was going to sting.
Out of excuses, I took a deep breath and dove right in. Here’s a before shot of the closet
the drawers
the jewelry box…I know right, it’s so crazy messy!
It took all day to get through it.
There was a few times, I just wanted to sit down and eat a brownie. Facing reality is exhausting like that sometimes ha ha.
But I stuck with it.
In the end, I was able to let go of nine bags of clothes, shoes and accessories that no longer fit or sparked any joy. I finally have a space that I can take the time to pull together outfits that make me feel good even though I’m not at my ideal weight.
My purses are no longer housed in a blue plastic bin in a “catch all closet” on the other end of the house. They all fit neatly in this vintage blanket basket at the top of my closet.
My jewelry box closes with ease, as do my dresser drawers.
I’m totally ready to celebrate with a new chandelier in this closet. Here’s another look at the before:
and after
I know! So exciting! I’ll be working with these great ladies all year so make sure to check out how they’re “sparking joy” in their homes too:
See you guys back here tomorrow. I can’t wait to share my 2016 home goals with you!
Many blessings,
CoCo
Go CoCo! What a major difference! It must feel wonderful to purge and lighten-up the closet. Well done!
Thanks ladies, oh my word it was so hard to have to give my skinny jeans up! We’re definitely going to celebrate when I’m able to buy a new pair 🙂 Hugs, CoCo
Looks amazing! Great job getting motivated to begin already. I need to get moving. So happy to be a part of this great group! 🙂
I right there with you, Amy, being part of this group has definitely helped me to be more accountable. I can’t wait to see the progress we all make. Hugs for a happy day, CoCo
Awesome job Coco! It looks great! And we’re on to the next organizing project!
I appreciate it, Colleen, thanks so much for putting this all together. We’re going to have the tidiest houses on the block 🙂 Hugs, CoCo
This book is on my list to read as well as purging. I look forward to seeing your post and progress. Have blessed day.
Just thinking about purging items according to category as opposed to room by room has really helped me go through things differently. This book is like any other there will be parts you may not agree with but there is definitely something that we can all take away from it. I’ve moved on from the closet and am working on the kitchen 🙂 Hugs, CoCo
Love the transformation! I went through my clothes (after reading this book) a few months ago, and it really helped me start a journey of (at least) trying to be more minimalist. I have yet to make it to the crafts/DIY stuff though, I can’t seem to part with anything!
Good luck 🙂
Nicole, reading this book has made me rethink EVERYTHING about what I view as “sparking joy.” I’ve gone through my closet and the kitchen and it has made a huge difference in helping to me to enjoy the things I love and let go of the things that were just ok. I’ll be calling you for pointers when I tackle my office. It’s crazy in there. Hugs, CoCo