Before embarking on this segment of the tidying up, I owned enough books to fill three of paper ream boxes. For many book lovers, three boxes is child's play. Once, I owned far more books. Once, I dreamed of owning a large house with a giant library.
Instead, my books often lived a dismal life boxed up and stored in an attic, basement, or who knows where. I moved around the country, and some of my books came with me, but mostly, I saddled family and friends with storing them.
My first serious round of purging books came in 2001 or 2002 -- after reading Karen Kingston's Clearing Your Clutter with Feng Shui. By the time I moved to Pittsburgh in 2009, I owned roughly eight boxes of books -- down from over 28!
It is still difficult for me to part with a book if it was a gift or if I have fond memories surrounding its purchase. Yet, my books, like every item I own, must be assessed for their ability to spark joy.
I used to work in retail, so I know the horrors of working Black Friday. My first Black Friday experience was in 2009 -- when opening at 6:00am was sufficient. The following year, we opened an hour earlier.
Because I loathe crowds and waiting in line, I cannot imagine a universe in which I would haul my butt to any retail establishment on Thanksgiving -- or the five days following. However, I did indulge in a bit of online shopping (Black) Friday through (Cyber) Monday.
For the past three months, I have been very strict about:
Using on-hand bath and beauty products (including samples) rather than purchasing new.
Purchasing clothing that:
is required (undergarments, tights, etc.)
replaces a worn item
For several months, I used and wore what I had on-hand. I benefitted from a cousin purging her closet, and I made a few carefully-considered purchases -- some of which I returned (shopper's remorse). Thus, I was very selective about my post-Thanksgiving purchases. I bought a few things I needed (replenishment skin care) and a few things I wanted (jewellry).
The Sunday before Thanksgiving, I dedicated roughly four hours to the pursuit of a more tidy home. This was not a series of timed 15-minute bouts of cleaning and decluttering. Rather, I collected every stitch of clothing I own, and I piled it on the guest bed.
A frightening amount of crap.
And then I wanted to vomit! My guess is that I own less than my peers, but I still own a ton of crap!
I am following the principles of Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The author gives the reader pre-work, which I did not do. Although, I do think it is worth your time to think about the life you want and what feeds your appetite for reduction. Once that is concrete, it is time to get serious -- gathering the like-kind, purging the unwanted, and properly storing what remains.
The author states to tidy (aka declutter) in this order:
clothing
books
papers
komono (miscellany)
mementos
As I just tossed empty bath and beauty products from October and November, I am anxious to tidy my bath and beauty products. However those will have to wait until I tidy up my books.
The book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has received much coverage as of late. Various bloggers and vloggers have mentioned it. The author and the book garnered attention from the New York Times. Additionally, the book is an NPR bestseller.
I am on an eternal quest to streamline and simplify my life, so I had to read this book. The task of gathering all of one's possessions of like kind (clothing in my case) and spreading them out on the floor seems daunting enough. Add to this that you must handle each piece and determine if it sparks joy. Items that do are to be thanked and kept. Items that do not spark joy are to be discarded, but only after thanking it for its service to you.
A little odd? Yes. But does it work? Yes. The sight of all of your clothes in one spot (rather than strewn about the house in various closets and storage bins) is an eye-opener! And I think I started with less stuff than many.
A Four-Hour Tour
I was able to gather, sort, and act on all of my clothing in roughly four hours. Four hours seems like a good chunk of time to lose, but that four hours covered everything -- gathering, sorting, organizing what I'd kept in my closet, and preparing the other items for donation or for selling.
The author says that once you apply her method of tidying (the KonMari Method), you will never backslide to cluttered living. That is the part that only time can reveal.
