KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

A_Frayed_Knot

springdreams wrote: »

Well done :T:T

And welcome to the thread. Just keep posting, and you will soon feel like you've always been here

I fell off the bandwagon with paperwork and have not quite managed to climb back on .... yet. I do plan to though. Presently doing the post Christmas packing away and tidy up, then will start back with my KM journey. I do frequently lurk on this thread though to keep me motivated to start again.

Thank you - mine is a mammoth task, went from a 1 bed to a 3 bed - all I can say is "thank goodness for the floored loft" so that'll be the equivalent of 5 or 6 rooms plus kitchen and bathroom. How on earth did I manage to fill them all, I'm only 1 person.

Still, can't blame anyone but myself. I'm hoping to break the back by end of March. :rotfl:

Green_hopeful

On the throwing away point, I think of releasing the items to somewhere where they will be wanted and used. Dresses I have loved but that don't fit anymore or books I have read and won't read again.

Charis

GreyQueen wrote: »

Re the KM book, I also found the 'throwing away' references a bit grating but, like others, not sure if this was a concise translation of some elabourate Japanese phrase which means dispose of responsibly. Or what the secondhand market/ refuse and recycling options are in Japan.

As a highly-urbanised and wealthy society with a small amount of land for about twice our population, I would expect them to be equal or in excess of our own actions in these respects.

I also wondered if Japan was as high tech with their recycling as they are with everything else. A friend went there and was amazed by their trains - punctual to the minute and cleaned at each end of every trip (but packed in like sardines by men with white gloves helping to shove them on so the doors will shut). Their public toilets are likewise spotless and self cleaning. You can press a button to play music to hide your embarrassment. :rotfl:

I looked up the subject of Japanese recycling to put our minds at rest. It's a mixed story.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling_in_Japan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_waste_in_Japan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mottainai

https://tokyocheapo.com/shopping-2/fashion/secondhand-tokyo-thriftin-guide/

https://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/1840av/american_style_thrift_charity_shops_in_japan/

[Deleted User]

I read somewhere on here about the difference between minimalistic (cool) and cosy (warm) and about how someone changed from one to the other via rugs etc. From winter to summer.That has made me think, my open plan living, kitchen/dining/lounge is cosy with a free standing stove as focal point. I have cosied it with woollen cushion covers, folded throws and a woollen throw on the sofa seats. Just planning ahead and thinking that maybe I should go to cool cotton for cushions and sofa seat cover and also store the rug. Pale colours rather than the autumnal rusty colours I have now. I really don`t fancy making another 6 large zipped cushion covers and also the seat throw but it will save me a lot of money and I will have a huge choice of colours. Pale grey to go with blinds and my eco windows and I need a splash of tan and hopefully black. A sinking feeling re making that lot but once made, then they are made. Only sinking because of the sheer boredom, I can do it but very monotonous

I think I will start looking around

PollyWollyDoodle

Thanks for that, Charis - that's interesting. I think finding the 'right' way to dispose of Stuff can be really problematic especially if you're concerned about the environment and it can paralyse us and stop us moving on. I hate sending stuff to landfill and my general waste bin is always the smallest part of my rubbish collection. And then I go to the tip and realise that many of my fellow citizens have no compunction at all about throwing away perfectly good items ...

I think there are a few parts of the book that don't translate well, and you just have to take the principles and apply them in your own way. Sometimes I've had to accept that there is no practical use for something and no way of recycling it. GreyQueen as usual you've hit the nail on the head with the story of your phone. We hang on to stuff to prove that it has a value. The most helpful concept to me in the book was the idea of saying thank you and letting go - sounds bonkers but it has helped me to shed a lot of clutter! I also like the idea that we're just custodians.

PollyWollyDoodle

Oh, and kittie your kitchen sounds similar to mine. I've been planning to get round to recovering the sofa for three years since I bought it second-hand. It's the boredom factor that's stopping me!

Siebrie

The two Korean mugs are now part of the regular set

Do you remember that way back in October I had gained a colleague's tasks when she was let go due to a reorganisation? I never managed to do them properly, and had a feeling of being totally overwhelmed, which led to feeling paralysed and doing even less. My mutterings seem to have landed somewhere, and I no longer have those extra tasks! They are even giving me an extra person one day per week!!! Hurray! I am especially thrilled that I don't have to organise the Annual General Shareholders Meeting in a different country, which is always a posh event (and I am not - I would feed them coffee and tea biscuits, where the standard is salmon rolls, I believe).

MamaSaver

A while since I posted but I've kept up with the thread. I've made good progress in some areas in my first year of KMing but I still have a lot to do. I find great joy and in the areas I've completed but there is one main obstacle that I hope some of you can help me with.

All of my office is taken over by large equipment and accessories/supplies that I use for a temporary business. This is my dilemma. It's not a part time business. It's more there as a back up for when my husband's business has a downturn. We used it two years ago for about 12 months when he was very quiet but then his business got so busy I stopped as the kids were suffering from both parents being so busy. We've had the equipment for 10 years, have tried to sell it over that time but were offered pittance so we decided to hang onto it all. Then invested in more! Now the office has no chance of ever looking tidy it has so much stuff in it. I hate going in there, it's used to dump loads of stuff and it's a major block I have. The rest of the house looks good after KM but it's so embarrassing when anyone sees inside that room.

I get so inspired by reading here, it keeps me on the train. But my train doesn't seem to want to go near that stop

silvasava

Mamasaver - are you likely to need to use this equipment again? If so could it be stored elsewhere? Garage?? If you can't sell it for what its worth could you rent it out to someone else? TBH it doesn't matter what you paid for it if its not being used (GQ has good ideas when it comes to releasing high cost items) the money has already been sunk and if its not earning its keep don't keep it!
I'm sure other posters will have other options for you!

Igamogam

Interesting chat on funerals!! My BIL was a funeral director, now retired. he was always shocked at just how much people where prepared to spend and thought it was a dreadful waste of money and is always pointing out that you dont need a funeral director to arrange your funeral!!! I do know of one person who arranged everything themselves when their mother died. Cardboard coffin, collected her from mortuary themselves and drove her straight to green burial site in back of family transit! That arrangement certainly appeals to me - moses basket, camper van, straight into the ground

Have cleared the office of all my paper clutter - filed or burned. OH on the other hand seems to have a problem with his clutter at the moment. I think as mine is reducing his is becoming more obvious........the clutter in the house has always been my problem, according to OH and I will put my hand up and say yes there has been an issue for a few years. Now I have got my health back on track I understand why. A lot has been emotional - not hanging on to sentimental items, although there are some but more everything related with stress,self esteem, self worth,worry, debt etc etc.

My new 'health' energy and focus is great..some people are finding it difficult to cope with as they had forgotten what I was like 10, even 15 years ago!!

2017 I hope will be a pivotal year . I thought 2015 was going to be my year but I really struggled. 2016 I got my health back on track...so onwards and upwards