KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

flubberyzing

I think we've all got our weak spot Fen1! That random thing we just struggle with!
For me, it's dealing with the post that comes in! I'm currently attempting to deal with it the day it comes in, and it's not easy!


As for your issue, could you perhaps put just one item away every time you leave the room? I imagine the idea of just carrying a bag of pasta, or something tinned to where it should live wouldn't be too bad.


I've also found that getting up to "do something useful" during each ad break on the evening telly works well for me. In the working week it's stuff like "pack up my school bag", "get my lunch out", "choose an outfit for tomorrow", that helps with the process of feeling ready for the next day.
At the weekend, it's more stuff like "take the bins out", or "file that bank statement". I find it works really really well for helping me manage those house-keeping jobs.

Beate

Finally took Spark Joy out of the library today. It's in demand so I only have three weeks to learn it by heart, and it's actually quite sizeable! Brand new, with a cute green elastic band around it, but I had been hoping for photo instructions, not drawings! Slightly disappointed. Have not really had time to do much decluttering recently as life got in the way, so hopefully this will give me an incentive again.

GoingToDoIt

Hi Kondoistas!
A busy week for me with my new job. I know there are some fellow CFS/ Fibromites around who will understand when I say I have only slept and worked this week.
The place is a bit of a mess however no build up or excess of washing up, rubbish etc. Underwear drawer still perfect. A bit of kipple around. Phone shopping list updated.
Off to bed for me soon!

MMF007

Thanks Ocean Spirit, I am indeed much happier and far less anxious My commute to work is now less than 20 mins, mainly countryside, no queuing :T No office politics, just some lovely ladies who need a little help with everyday chores and are pleased to see me (which is a bit different from my prev job!).

Spotted a good offer for wintersun hol so have booked it on the basis that you only live once and I am sure I can earn enough to pay for it when the balance is due!

Just done a patch test for new hair dye, have to kondo the grey this weekend. Had considered letting nature take its course but DH looked a worried man, assume he thinks it'll make him look like he's been to grab a granny as he has no grey (but he is thinning on top, so yah-boo sucks!). I am naturally fair anyway so will keep some colour for a while longer.

Proud to say that I had cause to go into 2 large shops today and resisted any impulse buys. Just shopped to a list except one YS bargain for tea! Looked whistfuly at a couple of very pretty cushions for garden chair but LEFT THEM in the shop because we don't need them!

Fen1, so you have a bad habit of not putting all the shopping away, no biggie, you can just change that habit. I used to be the same with unpacking after a holiday but weirdly that changed very early on in the KM journey. Honestly, your health problems are obviously hindering you at times but you seem to be coping well with some aspects, although it can't be easy. The thing that did it for me was, I think, having neat tidy spaces in which to put the stuff. I was happy to get it all washed, dried and folded and put away asap. Perhaps if the kitchen cupboards were welcoming to the in-coming shopping, as KM might put it, you would be keen to pop things away. :eek:
Don't get me wrong, I think the worst bit about shopping is, er, putting it away when I get home!! Because by then we are all too kn4ckrd, aren't we!?

Anyway, have rattled on for too long, off to top up wine glass now. Nite, nite.

M

Clytemnestra

Fen 1 - I have a friend who has chronic back problems. Her solution to the ordeal of shopping is to get an Ocado delivery every week. She acknowledges that it can be a bit more expensive (although, she looks out for offers eg on Groupon for the delivery) but it means she only has to do the putting away at home bit (Ocado delivery people, I understand, are particularly helpful and will carry shopping into the kitchen for you).

Back to lurking

tibawo

As the lighter days are here? I tend to have a little bit more energy so will be going back to my ten minute ish morning routine. I also used to tidy in TV breaks flubberyzing but as I tend to watch a lot on catch up and now trying to do my daily clicks that do not need much attention then!

Car boot stuff has built up again. To eBay or do one myself is the question?

I am thinking of scanning all the photos onto a memory stick and then getting rid of the hard copies. Has anyone else done this? Any thoughts?

PollyWollyDoodle

Fen1, I was thinking the same as MF007 - usually if I'm not doing a really basic task it's because there are obstacles in the way (the cupboard is inaccessible, I don't know where the tools are). It happens much less frequently now.

Even if it means going out of sequence maybe Kondoing the food cupboards could be the answer? Or just hang on and have faith that it'll resolve itself when you get to that stage. I also wonder if you're over-shopping, since you say you go every week and I'm guessing (as you don't mention anyone else who might help with it) that you live on your own like I do. I was astonished to realise how much I had in the cupboards. I live 5 minutes walk from a supermarket and I've overcome an entrenched habit of stockpiling- I only buy enough tins etc for the week ahead. The freezer, now that's another matter!

GreyQueen

Yeah, I find the issue with accessibility a major handicap when I am trying to help out at the parental home. If it takes 20+ mins of rummaging for whatever tools or equipment I need to do a job, that's time where I am burning through my limited amounts of energy and, to be frank, getting frustrated and irritable and inclined to think s*d it, I'll forget about doing this thing.

I've pretty much got past this in my own home which has to be well-organised due to the very limited amounts of space. My previous flat wasn't much larger in many respects but it was in a Victorian building with lots of nooks and crannies, not a 1970s concrete box like this place. When I first moved in, it was very much playing Tetris as I experimented with where to put things.

The answer to some of those questions was in the charity shop, I'm afraid.:rotfl:

But it does get easier as you go along, an example being working towards having clear floors. You're more likely to shove a vac or a mop around on a clear floor than on one which would take ten mins of picking up before you can even get to this point.

I think it was the decluttering guru Don Aslett who described floor mess as the most demoralising kind of clutter and I'd concur with that from my own experiences.

oceanspirit

Fen1, it will get easier to do as the kondo process clears spaces for you.

I have a system whereby I have a place in each room where I put things which need to be taken into another room. Each time I move from one room to another I can cast my eye over what is there and take something with me if I am going to the right room. It means that things get put into the right room fairly quickly as I'm not seeing it as a separate job.

As I've kondoed, my mental state has improved gradually so both having extra space and a clearer mind means that day to day jobs don't hang around as long as they used to.

Good day yesterday. Took some brand new printer cartridges to a friend who has same make and model as my recently demised printer. Emptied out some tubs and jars of ood foods and these have been rinsed and put into recycling. Little by little, stuff is going.

Off to do some more.

mrs-moneypenny

Morning all
Hope everyone is well.
Kondoed a big box full of ornaments to the CS.
Kondoed a load of weeds and a couple of large overgrown shrubs from mils and mowed her lawns.
Freezer defrosted
Just stopping for food then got a friends birthday pressie to drop round, and need to pop over to see dd1
Shredded another bag of paper yesterday still have more to do.

Need to make a rapunzel plait over the weekend as a prop for book corner so that will use some excess wool up.

Have a joyful weekend all.