I did it– I Konmari-ed my house with Spark Joy! And boy, do I feel GREAT!! I mentioned previously that I’m not a die-hard Konmari acolyte. But I found the mesh between my original expert method of purging and Marie Kondo’s master level to be highly productive and satisfying. It didn’t come without some pain and almost-tears though. Allow me to explain…
Finding the Spark Joy is not always easy
When I was sorting through my clothes, it was fairly easy letting go of most of what I knew I didn’t and wouldn’t wear. I did have one sweater that I really liked though even though it wasn’t for my skin tone. I loved how it felt: warm and with a soft, faux fur hood. There was only one problem: it was given to me by someone who did not treat me well. I just could not wear that sweater or even look at it without thinking of her. That is the ANTI- Spark Joy feeling! In true Marie Kondo style, I thanked the sweater and gently laid it aside for the Goodwill pile.
Going through my massive closet next was a monumental task. I thought that sorting through the rest of the house would be easy once I completed my closet and bedroom. Boy…was I ever wrong. For about 10 days, my bonus room looked like this:
That’s where the “almost-tears” came in. I started feeling like I couldn’t face another day of sorting. Hubby was busy with his own work and my kiddos were completely disinterested in helping me. I don’t know why because obviously sorting is fun times to be had by all??!? Finally, hubby saw that I really was at the end of what I could handle alone so he helped me. Several hours later with his help, we finally saw this at around midnight-thirty:
I still wasn’t finished though. While trying to muster the energy and will to finish the bonus room, my office (and kitchen space, which I don’t have a picture of), looked like this:
I was only motivated to finish konmari-ing once I realized that I wanted to procrastinate on my school To Do list. HARD. Sorting through the office supplies was much tougher than I realized it would be because it involved sorting through tons of tiny items like paper clips, keys that I have no idea what they unlock, brass tacks, business cards, etc. A few minutes before the kiddos were due home, I finally reached my zen state:
What I learned
- It was hard getting rid of things that are important to me. For example, I had countless homeschool supplies. I haven’t homeschooled for a couple of years and I have zero intention of starting back up. Still, it was hard letting those items go. It felt like the Final Good-bye to a really important time in my life. I sat with that feeling for a moment, then blessed and released those items to someone who will actually use them.
- The house just feels better…lighter without extra, unused things in it. Even hubby commented on this.
- I’ve already forgotten about most of the items I’ve given away. What this tells me is 1) I didn’t need those items and 2) It was okay to let those things go.
- I don’t want to have unnessary thing in the house: duplicates, unused items, things that don’t fit, etc. Why keep those things?
Hubby and the kids will Konmari their things in the summer when the pressure of school and work is over. I hope they feel the same Spark Joy I do. What about you? Have you tried the Konmari Method? Tell me how it worked for you!
