#konmari

Last night I reread Marie Kondo's book and it really is a standout approach, especially as it pertains to sorting and choosing what to keep and how to approach letting go. However, some of her advice for organizing is something that I just know i won't keep up with, so that's where the second book comes in.

I already think that I can find accessibility overlap from just the Konmari side:

Going through all your items and handling them individually when deciding what to keep, to prevent item-blindness

Storing things so that each one is visible, so that you know what you have and what you don't

Especially true for sentimental items, because they work best to make you happy when you can see them

No swapping out "seasonal storage" since you'll forget what's in there, and half the time you'll need something soon after you put it away

Store like items together so you know where to go to look for something

Does this spark joy? Do you need it? If the answer is no on both counts, then you might benefit from getting rid of it ('how likely are you to need it in the future' and 'can you afford to replace it' are important follow up questions if you're tight on money, but imo they don't necessarily contradict the original message)

If you want things tidy, easy to put back is more important than easy to get out

Thinking about and acknowledging the things you got and learned from owning an object (including 'I learned I really disliked this stuff') really helps in fighting the feelings of fear or anxiety or shame that can accompany getting stuff out of your life. If you think of an object as 'I spent money and did nothing with it' it's harder to let go than if you think 'well, that was a however many dollars lesson'

And while I agree that there are qualifying factors (cultural, financial, familial etc) those principles in themselves are decent guidelines? As in, yes, depending on how much money you have your ability to prioritize joy will be limited! At the same time, if you have to drastically downsize because you fell on hard time and you have even a teeny tiny bit of free space, knowing what brings you the most joy to fit in there can be a game changer in how you handle your situation, whether it's temporary or ongoing

Similarly with kids, obviously having children (especially young children) in the house will limit your ability to stay on top of clutter, but also having a sorting system that's geared towards helping you kids put away their stuff will probably help you reduce the general level of mess you have to deal with on a daily basis, and also probably give you slightly more free time when you don't have to wonder where the fuck you can put stuff down