The KonMarie method

GreyQueen

Your newish neighbour is pretty un-politic, isn't she, jinny? I must be a miserable so-and-so, too. I can't see any point in handing out Xmas cards to the office colleagues or the neighbours. We see each other all the time. And sending cards to people you don't see, what's that all about?

If you had a real ongoing relationship, surely it's worth more than a card saying To X and Y from A and B and the kids, love and all the best for the new year or something like that? Hell, you could write to them properly, ring for a chat or even arrange to visit.

Tell ya a wee tale from RL. House I used to live in (or rented part of, with the owners living upstairs) used to receive an annual Xmas card addressed to people who did not live there and had not lived there for the 25+ years the owners had owned. It just had the first names of the addressees and the senders, so no way to let them know that Bob and Irene (I can't remember the real names) didn't live there.

After about 8 years, we got a change-of-address card from the sender couple which had an address and a telephone number on it. Aha! I rang them up, exp that their friends didn't live in our house and never had, as far as we could fathom. A conversation ensued - they'd got our house confused with another house (we identified the mistake by what was on the opposite side of the road) and genuinely thought Bob and Irene lived there. No more Xmas cards arrived.

What a waste of paper and postage. Perhaps Bob and Irene used to send cards to the other couple, too, whilst muttering under their breath that they never got one in return?:rotfl:

Dustykitten

Morning all

Kondoing has ground to a halt since I started my new job. Did do a trip to the dump yesterday with garden rubbish and a few random items. DS1 is planning on moving out with his GF in the next couple of months so it will be interesting to see how much stuff he takes, tempted once his room is empty to use it as a room to sort the loft stuff in.

I have a few bags of stuff for CS, scrap store etc so I may aim to get those out of the house this week to see if that urges me back on the kondo wagon.

mrs-moneypenny

Morning all
Good everyone us well
Not really kondoing, more de littering but Dh sort a box of toys on the drive last night and binned a bag full of flying ufo type toys, why we'd bought 8 of the same toy is beyond me!

supersaver1000

Thank you so much VfM4meplse for starting this thread. I keep following the posts and even bought the kondo book - finished last week. Have kondo'd bits but today started properly. Have almost 4 bags ready for the charity shops and my shoes are in order and my remaining 3 coats hung neatly. I only have a clothes rail cos I'm putting off buying a wardrobe at the moment - partly because I may move but also until kondo'ing is completed.

Had a few 'moments' this morning - one when I pulled all the clothes out of the various places - looked like a cr*ppy jumble sale :eek:. Then another when I pulled all the tops together on the bed and couldn't see the bed for cr*p that I never wear. Have pulled myself together and now have two piles of clothes ready to put away in my chest of drawers. Am just about to youtube folding.

I'm just going to keep going - although I feel like giving up and running away. Partly because I had to pull all of the toiletries out of the drawers before I put my clothes away - and that is a nightmare pile of cr*pola. :eek:

I can really see why this has been a blockage in my life though - it would feel so easy just to stuff it back in the drawers and carry on procrastinating. Got to keep going though as I once I've done toiletries I am going to do papers. Then it will be the kitchen and then I am moving onto ornaments.

In the middle of this I have to empty the shed of cr*p too - but that will be a daily trip to the tip each time I go into town.

Hope you don't mind me posting here folks - I can't wait to post that its all completed (well the first stage - I don't feel I'm fully there with the clothes, but I can feel that there's no going back now)

mrs-moneypenny

Welcome supersaver, please don't try and do it all in one day or you'll get very upset and frustrated by it all. There are stages that can get quite emotional and you need some time to adjust.
You are making a brilliant start so very well done.

supersaver1000

Thank you MrsMoneyPenny its really hard because I don't want to start and not finish - as I've done with all my other 'decluttering' attempts.

There is soooooooo much rubbish, I'm scared I won't finish if I don't forge ahead, but.... I do think the reasons I've kept things are linked to a very emotional time in my life - losses in various ways - so I appreciate your advice. I guess I need to let those emotions go with the things and that can't be rushed too much.

Thanks for your support, its given me a little boost for the next stage. I've just folded my clothes and have just got my small clothes rail, my shoes and coats in the hall cupboard, plus two drawers of my three-drawer unit. I'm planning to put toiletries in the bottom drawer and probably ditch the now unused chest of drawers (7 drawers!).

ps I've just added a onesie to the pile to go - DD bought it with her hard earned money for christmas but I just hate it - Sorry DD, I have had some fun wearing the onsie and I love that you bought it for me, but I feel better now its in the bag for the CS. Thank you onsie too, I'm sure you'll make someone else very happy.
xx

PollyWollyDoodle

You will get there, it's tough - especially when, as you say, emotional decisions are involved - but once it's done, the painful bit is over and believe me, the joy of seeing clear surfaces and floors and being able to see what's in the wardrobe will really lift your spirits. Well done on making a start!

My advice is to get stuff out of the house as fast as possible (after you've thanked it!), whether it's to charity, dump, donating to friends etc. I let the bags pile up and it felt as if I wasn't making progress.

bossymoo

Goodintentions wrote: »

Happy Birthday Bossymoo Is it today? I hope you and the little moos are well x

No it was last week, but we had a party on Saturday. We are very well thanks v much! Little mini moo starts proper school in September:eek:

supersaver1000

Thank you Polly Wolly. I am holding it together - it seems endless. I think I'll pop into town shortly with the 4 bags of CS and 1 bag of rubbish (plus a few books for sis in law). First I'm going to sit down on the floor and make a start on the toiletries - although I feel about those how I felt about my clothes this morning - but look where I am now

I'm dithering slightly about what to do after - I have a huge airing cupboard that needs a sort. I also want to sort the ornaments out in my cabinets as they are full of emotional junk. My kitchen units need a good declutter of plastics, baking tins and just general cooking bits. And of course my paperwork needs a massive konmarie - looking forward to that being finished, but not to doing it.

I think it will be 1. airing cupboard; 2. Ornaments; 3. Kitchen Units; 4. Paperwork

The shed also needs decluttering but I will be doing that gradually in between as most of the stuff is DHs and he needs to make the decision mostly.

Sorry to keep posting, I feel like I've hijacked the thread, but its really keeping me going. I think I'd give up otherwise.

x

Hollyboll

Hi all - Happy birthdays, congrats on Kondoing annoying neighbours and cigs and the rest ...

My Kottering (let alone Full On!) has been diluted by urgent other stuff, but the thoughts and principles and shifts remain and although it's a long haul I know I'll get there - much encouraged by this thread and those who have advanced further …

Katsu it's probably too late as you've doubtless sorted the kitchen now but when I started looking at all this I too wondered how peelers / saucepans could ever spark joy … a couple of things I found to help me …
- From this thread: if it were lost or stolen would you replace it, if you moved would you pay to have it packed, carried and unpacked (imagine it is much bigger than a peeler )
- From somewhere on yootube … does it enable joy … e.g. if it's a masher and you love mashed potatoes (and use it) or a peeler which enables you to eat vegs / fruit which taste or make you feel joyful
- From an interview with MK on the web … try to redefine your relationship with it … think this goes to the one above … thank it for what it allows you and then you'll feel the joy when you hold it ...

Not that I've actually had the energy to attack my kitchen yet, but when I do these are what I hope will help!