KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

wort

Sending hugs to the families and friends of those in Brussels.

Re batteries we recycle them in M and S , but the square 9 volt batteries have to have sellotape over the pins as we were told they can cause fires ? Not sure exactly how but please be careful on storage of batteries.

mrs-moneypenny

wort wrote: »

Re batteries we recycle them in M and S , but the square 9 volt batteries have to have sellotape over the pins as we were told they can cause fires ? Not sure exactly how but please be careful on storage of batteries.

I've never heard that before:eek: thank you, I presume we should do that in all shop recycle bins then. As I suppose it would be possible if something metal like another battery touched both pins and sparked

MMF007

Siebrie, my thoughts are with you and everyone effected by the atrocity. I referred to you as ' my cyber-friend in Brussels' when talking about Tuesday's dreadful events, because although I don't really know you we all have this forum as a human connection, rather more than just thinking about a group of people in general, it brings it nearer when someone you have actually communicated with is in the vicinity, iyswim.

GQ, I couldn't agree more with your sentiments about hard work and yet being 'lazy' - that is, wanting an efficient way of getting lots done ! :dance: As it happens I am also heading parentwards for a few days and their clutter is, hopefully going to get Kondo'd, to a greater or lesser extent. Perhaps we'll meet somewhere mid-loft?!

Unfortunately Mum has 2 hosp appointments while I 'm there so that will take time and both relate to serious conditions, one life threatening but incurable and the other life changing (eyesight). It makes me determined to get as much joy from life as I can because as we have just seen, things can change in an instant.

Started the day well, Kondo'd call to Drs, checked opening times for a couple of places we have to visit over Easter, emailed my friend who finishes work as 'redundant' tomorrow, washing on, dishes done, kitchen tidied, re-arranged hair appointment and another so I am free on DH birthday (still undecided where to take him, but have 3 weeks to choose).

Right, now the real work begins, tackling room of doom that was 80% done but, er, is now only 50% done..... Got given some gifts and bought new shoes and a printer (managed without for
years. The printer, not the shoes!), so much re-thinking about how best to locate stuff and what can be released and some physical shifting is required. Cover me, I'm going in !

Be safe everyone,

M

Wizzbang

Well, there's been a bit of buzz about this book and it is an Amazon no 1 Best Seller. I have had it lurking on my wish list for a month or two and was thinking of adding it to my Christmas List, when thankfully my local library decided to purchase a copy. I had to wait a week for someone else to finish reading it, but it was a very quick read. Who here has actually read it?

What a load of tosh- for the largest part anyway! I am SO glad I didn't waste my money purchasing it. I think the woman who wrote it needs some good mental health care, as she is clearly unwell. I recognise that there will also be some cultural differences, but most people do not talk to their belongings! Towards the end of the book, she does address the possible psychological reasons behind her behaviours. The difficulty for her is that although she has some insight, she has not found new coping mechanisms. Instead she chooses to find her worth and companionship in stuff, however much she has managed to pare that down and the organisation of that stuff. She has many, many rituals and routines which sound like obsessions with which she fills her life.

The book waffles on unnecessarily, mostly covering the same ground for 3/4 of it. At the end of the day, I find her approach fairly ridiculous- if I only kept items that sparked joy within my heart when I held them, there would be little of use in my house. We all need items like can openers and potato peelers. We don't always have the luxury of purchasing the items that 'spark joy' because of cost, time or other constraints.

I find her whole approach to be highly immature, it doesn't sound as though she has ever lived away from her parental home nor held a position of any responsibility. If she had, she would know that you do need to keep important documents, manuals and warranties. She makes several wild assertions that you will never need these things, or be taken to court. But from personal experience, that is naive to say the least! I cannot imagine the inconvenience of having to say traipse down to my local phone shop, to ask how my phone works because I have thrown out the manual or applications CD. The staff would get extremely annoyed with you and nowadays, we are lucky if we even have stores local to us. I have on numerous occasions needed to dig out old paperwork related to insurance policies, banking or housing in order to prove my case for compensation and the like.

Alongside all of this, she encourages you to throw away so much stuff. Not recycle, not offer it to charities for re-use, no just send it all to landfill. I'm pleased to see that this UK thread is very different and encourages re-use and recycling. I find her approach quite repulsive and disrespectful to the environment and other people. People who might need the things we no longer have a use for, people who put time, effort and skill into making these items. Again, she does renegotiate on this later on in the book, but only in a passing sentence or two.

She advocates things like not keeping spare buttons because once the buttons fall off- your garment has had its day. I mean, come on- how naive and immature! Granted, a good proportion of our population may agree with her- given the number of items missing a button that I find in charity shops and repair within minutes, to be good as new. I can only think that she is really that stupid or too rich to care.

You may want to read this book purely for its comedy value, as I have never laughed so hard in years. To give you an excerpt:

"Have you ever had the experience where you thought what you were doing was a good thing but later learnt that it hurt someone? At the time, you were totally unconcerned, oblivious to the other person's feelings. This is somewhat similar to the way many of us treat our socks."

"I pointed to the balled up socks. 'Look at them carefully. This should be a time for them to rest. Do you really think they get any rest like that? That's right. The socks and tights stored in your drawer are essentially on holiday."

"When in doubt, ask your house and the item being stored what is the best solution."

I ask you- do these sound like the words of a well woman? Someone who is in their right and rational mind?! She claims that she has developed these rituals from her experience of attending Shinto shrines. However I have not ever come across anthropomorphism in my understanding of the Japanese Shinto religion. Whilst I do think we can all use a bit more gratitude in our lives in order to increase our levels of happiness. I feel that she has taken this to the extreme.

Overall, I am left with the feeling that this book has no sound basis or philosophy behind it. I think that is why it seems so weak, watery and incoherent as a whole. At least if she was a minimalist, then she would have a foundation for not allowing excess items back into her life again. But she acknowledges that some things are bought just for the thrill and that you can learn from making bad purchases. To me, this is just an excuse to cover up wasteful behaviours. I sincerely hope that she uses the proceeds of her book to get herself the care she so clearly needs.

All of this said, I notice that she has published a number of Youtube videos which actually show her methods for folding etc. I am open to trying it with maybe 1 drawer to see if it really is life-changing! Watch this space- I will report back in due course.

greenbee

Wizzbang - we did mention either earlier in this thread or possibly in the previous one that in Japan they have a much more integrated approach to recycling. There is no way she'll be sending stuff to landfill or incineration. The 'rubbish' collections are highly organised and segregated and recycling is part of the waste disposal process.

But yes, some of it is a bit odd

mrs-moneypenny

Welcome wizz, I think most of us have read the book or listened to it on YouTube. Yes the are a lot of things that do sound kooky when you point them out, this thread started from the ethos of the book and the fact that it does seem if you follow the order she suggests things do seem to fall into place and stay organised.
I have tried so many times to get my home decluttered we have a mad weekend where we try to offload stuff and get new storage for clutter BUT this is the only way I am getting my DH on board -he has never spoken to his socks in his life and mine are still tucked inside each other at the end as they have always been to keep them paired up. But the drawers and spaces I have 'kondoed' are staying tidy and space is appearing in my home.
I hate waste but am now happy to pass on via charity shops, free-cycle or purely passing on to friends I f they want it items that before I would have hung on to just because I didn't want them to go to waste as I'd paid for them. Now I realise all I am doing is wasting valuable space in my home by keeping them and they will most probably die in storage anyway.
Like most things I would say take what you need from the kondo process and see how you get on.

In other news I think the reason I'm having difficulty moving on from paper is the amount of magazines and books I still have. The books are in the most staying until they are read but they do need resorting, the mags I have now realised are surplus so now I know the CS want them and have customers waiting to buy them so can go and free so much space in my home.
My craft stuff is more than enough to keep me going for several years - possibly until my eyesight gives out. So I very much doubt I will regret giving away about 30 years worth of mags full of charts and patterns because as GQ pointed out earlier even if I know I have that one particular chart that I so desperately want to stitch I will most probably find a version free on the web and possibly stitch it in the time I would waste trawling through the stacks of mags that's once I remember where they are all stashed and actually locate them.

Just had an hour in the front garden on doing quite a few packs of flowers seeds - they have two chances with me they grow or they don't and they certainly won't sitting in a drawer. BBE 2006 lavender and sunflowers anyone. (I've bunged About 8 packs in, something may sprout) back garden is a project for the weekend.

Found it ironic the forget me nots have plant by 2013 on them, I forgot.

lessonlearned

First the good news......my Belgian family and friends are all ok. My cousins wife had been scheduled to go into Brussels for a business meeting but it had been postponed. We will never know whether she had a lucky escape or not, needless to see my cousin is just thankful.

Siebrie - sending you virtual hugs. Although you are unscathed as my cousin puts it......it is still unnerving.

The other good news - I had the results of some blood tests and have managed to Kondo my high blood sugar. It's now down to borderline so going in the right direction.

The bad news - I have just wrenched my back. All that humping stuff around helping dad move house, not finding time to do my yoga and back exercises - my own stupid fault. So sitting here with an ice pack and now need to have an enforced rest. :mad:

My little cat knows I'm "off it" and has come and plonked himself on my knee for a cuddle. Isn't it funny how our animals just know. He will follow me around now until I get better.

Slinky - sounds like your OH might have had a bit of a light bulb moment re "stuff".

I don't think it matters that you are not following the KM method to the letter. I think if you have a lot to sort out then just doing an initial sweep of each room and picking out the easy wins is a good way forward. You can always go through each category later.

I haven't followed the KM plan to the letter either but I'm happy with my progress. My journey has been a slow one but I'm fine with that.

Whizzbang. I don't think you have to follow KM slavishly and yes she is s "nutty as a fruitcake" or "charmingly eccentric" - depending on your viewpoint but I think we can just adapt her advice to suit our own circumstances.

I found her reasoning very sound, especially when it came to feelings of guilt about parting with my late husband's and late mothers possessions. It's very hard dealing with the aftermath of someone who has died but the reality is we cannot keep everything that belonged to them. And of course hanging on to their stuff won't bring them back.

My father and my sister have found it particularly difficult to part with mum's things but I found KMs approach very helpful.

My DS2 astonished me yesterday. He discarded at least half of his wardrobe. He says has been really impressed with the difference in the house and that he loves the new minimalism.

I think we have another Konvert.

GQ - I heartily endorse the idea of being able to indulge my laziness and not waste time searching for stuff.

Brain power before muscle power will be my new mantra. :rotfl:

ScotinLondon

Siebrie - virtual hugs from me too.
My thoughts are with all those affected by this atrocity.

Slinky - i also did my floppys and disks a few weeks ago - all in the bin.

RL is v busy at the moment.

Another bag was dropped off to the CS last week and the next one is filling up nicely.

Made my first G/tree sale posting - exciting...well for me anyway. Will be doing my school books over the weekend too. Small doses for me, I think.

Think will be make-up and or jewellery this weekend for me I think. Make-up have too much that I don't use and jewellery that I don't wear.

Stay safe everyone.

SIL

ScotinLondon

Slinky wrote: »

A mop and spare mop head I bought on impulse at the Ideal Home Exhibition, and which isn't very good has been earmarked for the tip as has a toaster (we don't eat bread anymore), a pan lid, some baking tins (don't make cakes), a vase for the charity shop along with some toys the cat doesn't play with (it's an animal charity).

Where I live, we can rehome some electricals to a charity which provides for people who can't afford to buy their own. We were able to re-home our v. old washing machine that way. The charity picked it up and everything. Just a thought.
SIL

VJsmum

GreyQueen wrote: »

A lot of people have expressed their opinion to me over the years that I am hardworking. It's sort-of true. I have no problem about working hard on things which I need/ want to do. Apart from that, I am very very lazy and I don't want to spend one iota of energy or time more than I have to. This leads to plotting and scheming for efficiency, as in do I need to do this at all/ can I cheat/is there a faster or easier way?

If you apply brain power before muscle power, it's amazing how many things you can skive.;)

Totally agree, and I also have been called hardworking. cooking, sewing, knitting, learning - yeah I can go for hours. Tidying, cleaning - not so much. The joy of this method for me is no tidying - or at least very little - and cleaning is done quicker which equals more time for the nicer things in life.


Thanks, all, you have given me clarity on a big pot of batteries we have - are they dud? Are they not? they can go to recycling and I will purchase a new pack from the pound shop. if I've wasted a pounds worth of batteries it will be worth it rather than s0dding about trying to test the probable duds...


Tomorrow I am visiting the chazzer with a pile of stuff, and DS's old secondary school with some uniform bits for their second hand shop. Saturday we are kondoing some of the gardening - the ggarden is my big project this year. We will celebrate in the evening with a barbeque using the chimenea, thence also kondoing some of the wood stockpile we have.