The KonMari method breaks the process down into categories, and clothing is first. Clothing is further subdivided into categories, with shirts (t-shirts, blouses, and sweaters) being first. And so yesterday I dove in and began my "tidying festival."
First, some before pictures -- and remember, this is in the spirit of complete and total honesty, accepting that I have created this mess and it is my responsibility to create the space that I want. No judging!
So the first category is tops -- blouses, t-shirts, and sweaters. I took every single item in that category and stacked it on my bed.....
OK, that's a lot of clothes. And I will tell you that I had done a closet/dresser purge within the last year....so it could have been a lot worse. But it is what it is. One of the things that pulling it all out and putting it in one place did for me was to show me just how much stuff I have -- and how much of it I have been disrespecting by wadding it up to shove in dresser drawers, cramming it into closets, or leaving it on the floor to be stepped on, etc. It also helped me see how many items I bought as impulse purchases that I've only worn once or twice and don't really love, and how many items I've been hanging on to out of fear of not having enough. What's the point of having a closet and dresser full of stuff I don't like, when I have plenty of items that I *love*?
And so I began. I was surprised at how easy this category was for me, although I still had a decent sized pile of stuff that I just couldn't decide about. For example -- a shirt that goes with a skirt. I love the skirt but the shirt is just ok, but I need something to go with the skirt that I truly love. I decided to keep the shirt until I'm able to replace it with one that I love, because the item does get used and worn and has a purpose, so the joy it is bringing me right now is that allows me to wear the skirt that I really do love.
I ended up calling my sister Melissa to help me with a second go-through of the pile and she convinced me to throw out most of the items that had a "but...." connected with them. For example, a cardigan sweater that has rows of flat black lace on it. I love the design of the sweater and the contrast of the black lace against the light background of the sweater. But....the color of the sweater is really NOT flattering on me so I didn't wear it much. Time to let it go -- because there is someone out there with the right coloring for that sweater who will love it and for whom it will spark joy.
And so here is my discard pile.....
And here are my two nicely organized drawers, my hung items, and my sweaters all folded the KonMari way (I'm not sure I've got the sweaters right -- need to check on that):
I had an interest
I still need to organize the order of the drawers and closet, but I already feel better about the way it is all done!
Marie Kondo says this process will change your mindset and your life, and I've been reading comments and things from a lot of people who say that has happened for them. I was a bit skeptical, until I went to the mall last night. I need some new dress slacks for work -- I've gained weight and my pants don't fit comfortable. I'm not giving up on fitting into the pants that I have, but in the meantime I need some basic slacks (black, navy, and gray) to wear to work. I went into a store and found some black slacks on clearance -- they were a great deal. In the past I might have bought them without trying on but I wanted to see if they would "spark joy." The fabric was lovely to the touch but when I put the pants on, they weren't really that comfortable and they lining was loud (does that make sense????). They weren't as flattering as I would like. They just didn't make me smile. Good deal or no, they stayed in the store and I walked away. I went into another store and saw a cute t-shirt on a good sale. I picked it up and carried it around the store with me and almost bought it - I was in line at the register, when I looked at it again. It was a lovely, soft knit, but the color isn't one of my best colors and asked myself why I was buying the shirt when I had a drawer full of shirts that I already know make me happy, and I have more than I can wear in two weeks. I took the shirt back to its place on the rack and walked out of the store, with a smile on my face. I went into another store and saw a fabulous pair of nude strappy sandals on a great clearance sale and tried them on. I loved them immediately and they made me smile. Those came home with me.
Even if I don't accomplish anything else in this journey, the money I would have spent on those pants and the t-shirt MORE than cover what I spent to buy Marie Kondo's book. I'd say that's success. But more than that, I didn't start my normal cycle -- impulse buy, regret, don't like it, take it back...or, worse yet, forget to take it back and then I'm out that money. I don't want to get into that cycle. That is not the person I choose to be.
Now, you will note that I still have a lot of shirts and sweaters. I will probably do this category again at some point in time because I did hang on to things that I am willing to part with in the future if I find something better. I'm not an expert at this KonMari thing by any stretch of the imagination, and the amount that is "just right" for me is not what is "just right" for someone else. I'm not a minimalists and that's not what I'm trying to be. It's not about judging how much I have, how much I keep, and how much I discard against what you choose to have, keep, and discard. This is about me finding MY joy, and you fnding YOURS.
I am hoping to tackle Category 2 tomorrow -- bottoms -- pants, skirts, shorts, etc. I'm a bit concerned because I have lots of clothes that I LOVE that either just don't fit as a result of the last 5 pounds I've gained, and so I'm not getting rid of those because I'm also working on losing that weight right now. So this will be interesting.
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